ALPINE METHOD. 707 



dry. About 24 hours, as a rule, after this has beeu done, the 

 charcoal may be removed. 



ix. Removal of the Charcoal. 



In order that the charcoal may be of good quality, it should 

 not remain longer than necessary in the glow of the kiln. At 

 the same time it must be gradually removed, so as not to set the 

 kiln in a blaze. A commencement is made in the evening and 

 the work continued all night, when any fire may be more readily 

 seen : each night only a certain quantity of the charcoal is 

 removed, according to the size of the kiln. 



The method adopted is as follows : — the burner with a long- 

 toothed iron fork opens the kiln on the leeward side, and removes 

 as much charcoal as he can without setting the kiln in flames. 

 The charcoal is laid on one side and usually watered, whilst the 

 hole is filled with earth. The kiln is then opened at another 

 place and so on all round, until there is nothing left but its 

 centre consisting of small pieces of charcoal, earth and ashes, 

 Avhich are eventually raked out and allowed to cool. 



Once the charcoal has been removed, it is sorted according to 

 size, the smaller pieces being sifted from the ashes. What is 

 left is mixed with the ashes, &c. and serves for covering the 

 next kiln. The partly carbonised pieces may be kept for filling 

 or kindling other kilns, or carbonised in small kilns specially 

 made for the purpose. 



(b) Alpine* Method of Charcoal-making. 



The method of charcoal-making employed in many parts of the 

 German Alps differs in some respects from the ordinary method. 

 The Alpine kilns are usually in fixed places near river-booms, in 

 timber-depots or at the base of an extensive mountainous tract. 

 The wood thus carbonised is almost exclusively coniferous 

 (chiefly sprucewood and less frequently that of larch and silver-fir) 

 iind is generally employed in round pieces 2 meters (6^- feet) long. 

 The site for the kiln is prepared as in the ordinary method, except 

 that it is quite flat, a wooden base being supplied to the kiln. 



This base is formed, as shown in fig. 312, by placing split 



* [Also termed the Italian method, but Gayer states that Italians usually follow 

 the ordinary method with kindling from above. — Ti:.] 



Z Z 2 



