46 



Dialoffue between a Father ajid Son. 



Vol. IV. 



at the entrance of tlie wood, and adjoining 

 the public road, t'roin whence a way leads 

 to the top of the kiln, on a gradual ascent. 

 It is placed in a bank, excavated to receive 

 it ; this facilitates the ascent, and by this road 

 the lime-stones and fuel are conducted to the 

 top, without much labor. It is built of the 

 common stones of the country, the largest 

 being selecte.^ and roughly dressed or squared 

 for the purpose, the walls being two feet 

 thick. It is egg-shaped, and the dimensions 

 are— shall we make a drawing of it 1 



Frank. — O yes, pray do. 



Father. — Well, then, there it is. — Fig. 10. 



io./a 



Pig. 10 



Fig. 11. 



Ten feet deep ; seven feet diameter in cen- 

 tre; five feet diameter at top; tv/o feet 

 diameter at bottom. A smaller kiln might 

 be built, but the proportions should be the 

 same. Fig. 11, is a fly or cone, to be placed 

 in the centre before commencing the erec- 

 tion ; the lower end going into a hole bored 

 in a block of wood fixed in the ground, the 

 upper end turning in a hole bored in a cross 

 beam, so that it is thus kept perpendicular, 

 turning easily as the building of the kiln ad- 

 vances ; thus the wall is formed internally 

 of a regular sweep, without difficulty or trou- 

 ble. The drawing hole is two feet square, 

 and the black dots denote the holes through 

 which iron bars are to be thrust at the time 

 the kiln is charged, to prevent the fuel and 

 lime-stones from dropping down, before the 

 latter are properly calcined ; these are re- 

 moved as soon as the lime is sufficiently 

 burnt at the bottom of the kiln, and it is af- 

 terwards permitted to fall, aa portions are re- 

 moved, the drawing being perpetual. In 

 charging the kiln, tiie drawing hole is filled 

 with brufeh-wood ; then the bars are placed, 

 and upon them are piled billets of wood cross- 

 wise, and upon that, coal, if that is used ; 

 then lime-stones, alxiut the size of one's fist, 

 then more coal, and then the fire is lighted, 

 and as eoon as it penetrates the mass, coal 

 and limestones Jkre thrown in alternately, un- 



til the kiln is full ; before which, however, a 

 portion of lime can be drawn periodically, as 

 it becomes thoroughly calcined. If it be found 

 that the fire draws more on one side of the 

 kiln than at the other, place sharpened stakes 

 of wood in those places where you wish the 

 fire to rise ; they will soon ignite, and the 

 fire will then follow them to the surface.* 



The advantage of burning one's own lime 

 is great, as you know I have burnt hundreds 

 of bushels with the clearings of my wood 

 land ; and peat, and bushes, and chips might 

 be used, the ashes intermingling with the 

 lime, and adding much to its value. If it be 

 thought that the erection of a kiln is too ex- 

 pensive for an individual, a partnership might 

 be formed amongst neighbors ; but it would 

 be a difficult thing to decide who first shall 

 have the privilege of burning, as all would 

 often require the lime at the same time : I 

 therefore determined to incur the whole ex- 

 pense, and make the best of it. 



Frank. — And there is our advantage, or 

 pleasure, which you have not mentioned. 



Father.— What is that 3 



Frank. — In being able to lend your kiln to 

 your neighbors, when not using it yourself 



Father. — That's good — it is fulfilling scrip- 

 ture you know, " It is more blessed to give 

 than to receive." 



Frank. — And that reminds me of the 

 singular circumstance which took place when 

 Farmer Garnnett came to offer to hire the 

 kiln of you, after he had treated you in the 

 dishonest way he did, and after trying to in- 

 jure you by breaking down your fences. You 

 remember he refused to have the use of the 

 kiln unless you would take money for it, and 

 that you refused him the kiln unless he would 

 have it without pay, and what a struggle for 

 the mastery there was ! At last he became 

 melted by your kindness, and with tears, con- 

 fessed that he had wronged you — now was 

 not this, dear Father, " heaping coals of fire 

 on his head," according to the true meaning 

 of scripture"! melting him by kindness. 



Father. — You have delighted me, Frank ! 

 And you know how often our neighbors have 

 offered to rent it, after I have refused to take 

 money, "splitting the difference," as they 

 term it, by proposing to keep it in repair for 

 me ; but I know the value of a good action 

 too well to part with it for so paltry a con- 

 sideration as a few dollars a year ! to me the 



* This [kind of kiln in callod a ruvning- kiln, for as 

 often as a portion of the calcintd Btonn, or lime, is 

 drawn from thn bottom, alternate layers of coal and 

 llninstone.« arc added at the top, so that the drawing is 

 perpeliinl. If the kiln works well, one bushel of coal 

 will burn about four bnshelg of limestones. In stormy 

 weather it will be necessary to erect a temporary 

 shelter to windward on the top of the kiln, else the 

 wind will press on the surface of the kiln, and prevent 

 the air from entering at the bottom, and thus retard 

 the work. 



