64 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



tacle a given measure of heat, and may there convert it into 

 the work of cooking ; maintaining the heat at a fixed point 

 by the mere control of the lamp from which the heat is 

 derived. AVith that control every process of cooking be- 

 comes perfectly simple. Any intelligent boy or girl of 

 Sframmar-school asre can be taught how to do common cook- 

 iug and how to make perfect bread in a week's practice, 

 governed by printed instruction. Without such control of 

 the heat, which is impossible in the iron stove or range fed 

 with coal, the art of cooking in a simple, sure and effective 

 manner is also impossible. 



It is probable that I should not have been able to solve 

 this question, had not my attention been called in my pro- 

 fession of underwriter to the necessity which exists for 

 constructing safe, slow-burning factories and workshops, 

 from which the extreme heat of summer may be excluded, 

 especially in the upper or roof story, and in which the 

 warmth generated for winter service may be maintained 

 under uniform conditions. This method of construction has 

 ])een solved in the most satisfactory manner at the least cost 

 by the use of timber and plank in place of joists and boards ; 

 the timbers being set wide apart in solid mass sufficient to 

 bear the strain, the roof being constructed of thick plank, 

 which is the best non-heat-conductor. 



I may say, by the way, that I can conceive of no greater 

 improvement that could be made than by importing some of 

 these ideas into the construction of your barns and cattle 

 sheds, where you need light, warmth and good ventilation ; 

 and I shall be very happy to send some of our missionary 

 documents in which we describe this mode of construction to 

 any of you who will address a card to my office. My son, 

 who is an architect, is developing the construction of school- 

 houses and hospitals on these same lines, with great success 

 and at large reduction in the customary cost. 



Discovering the non-heat-conducting properties of wood, 

 of wood pulp, of plaster board and of paper, I went on 

 slowly but surely toward the simple solution of the processes 

 of cooking. In these several examples which are before you 

 the Aladdin oven is the best. My only disappointment has 

 been that I have been unable to get the cost reduced to as 



