XLI. FUEL AND LIGHT 



THE expense of fuel and light in many parts of our country 

 constitutes a considerable item to the farmer, and some attention 

 should be given it in our study of agriculture. 



Fuel. Any substa-D.ce used for making fire is known as fuel. 

 It is generally a form of carbon or some compound of carbon. 

 Fuels may be divided as follows : (1) vegetable fuels, wood, 

 methyl and ethyl alcohol, charcoal, etc.; (2) mineral fuels, peat, 

 lignite, cannel coal, bitummous coal, anthracite, etc. ; (3) mineral 

 oils and gases, naphtha, gasoline, benzine, kerosene, and natural 

 gas. 



Wood. In timbered countries the common fuel is wood, be- 

 cause of its cheapness. In prairie countries, when it is a long way 

 to the timber supply, the use of wood is expensive. If a quick 

 hot fire is desired, some of the soft woods, like pine, spruce, fir, 

 hemlock, cedar, or redwood, will be found serviceable. If a 

 slow steady fire is preferred, some of the hard woods, like oak, 

 hickory, ash, beech, maple, birch, and walnut, will be found 

 desirable. 



Charcoal. Sometimes cord wood is piled up in heaps and after 

 it has been covered with soil, a slow fire is started underneath the 

 whole mass. This drives off the volatile gases, chars the wood, 

 and produces charcoal. Charcoal is used to produce heat for 

 warming irons and for broiling purposes. 



Peat is a substance of vegetable origin, partially decayed, form- 

 ing a kind of turf or bog. It is found in lowlands or swamps, in 

 cool, temperate climates. Large quantities of it are found in 

 Ireland and in Alaska. When desired for use, the peat is cut into 

 thin oblong blocks and dried in the sun. It makes a fairly good 

 fuel. 



Lignite is of a brownish hue and is a formation between peat 

 and true coal, in which the woody structure is retained. It is 

 soft and crumbly. Lignite is mined in Colorado, Montana, 

 Wyoming, Oklahoma, and the Dakotas. 



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