Fire-places and Kitchen Utensils. 185 



of | of a pound of the fuel, making in all 4 Ibs. of pine- 

 wood, equal in effect to about 2\ Ibs. of pit-coal ; which, 

 according to this estimate, is all the fuel that would be 

 absolutely necessary for cooking 100 Ibs. of beef. 



This quantity of fuel would cost in London less than 

 one farthing and a half, when the chaldron of coals 

 weighing 28 cwt. is sold at 40 shillings. This, however, 

 is the extreme or utmost limit of the economy of fuel, 

 beyond which it is absolutely impossible to go. It is 

 even impossible, in practice, to arrive at this limit, for 

 the containing vessel must be heated, and kept hot, as 

 well as the meat ; but very considerable advances may 

 be made towards it, as I shall show hereafter. 



If we suppose the meat to be boiled in the usual 

 manner, and that 300 Ibs. of cold water are heated 

 expressly for that purpose, in that case the fuel required, 

 amounting to 16 Ibs. of coal, would cost in London 

 (the chaldron reckoned as above) just 2 pence if far- 

 things. But all this expense ought not to be placed 

 to the account of the cooking of the meat. By adding 

 a few pounds of barley meal, some greens, roots, and 

 seasoning to the water, it may be changed into a good 

 and wholesome soup, at the same time that the meat is 

 boiled; and the expense for fuel (2 pence if farthings) 

 may be divided between the meat boiled (100 Ibs.) and 

 300 Ibs., or 37! gallons, of soup. 



I am aware of the danger to which I expose myself 

 by entertaining the public with accounts of facts, and 

 of deductions from them, which are certainly much 

 too new and extraordinary to be credited but on the 

 strongest proofs, while many of the arguments and 

 computations I offer in their support however con- 

 clusive they may, and certainly must, appear to natural 



