502 



Of the Management of Fires 



A fault which is often committed in the management 

 of the closed fire-places I have recommended is the 

 overloading them with fuel. This mistake has several 

 bad consequences, and among them there is one which 

 would not naturally be expected. It prolongs the kin- 

 dling of the fire, and very frequently so much so as to 

 prolong the heating of the boiler, notwithstanding the 

 fierceness of the fire when the fuel is all inflamed. 



Great care should at all times be taken not to over- 

 charge a fire-place with fuel, but more especially when 

 the fire is first kindled and the fire-place and every 

 thing about it is cold. It should be remembered that 

 a great deal of heat is necessary to warm the fuel itself, 

 and bring it to that degree of heat which it must have 

 in order to its being capable of taking fire ; and, as long 

 as there remains any cold fuel in the fire-place to be 

 heated, very little heat will reach the bottom of the 

 boiler. 



All the money that is expended in the purchase of 

 wood to kindle coal fires is money well laid out ; and 

 it is by no means good economy to be sparing of wood 

 in kindling such fires. In many cases it would, I am 

 convinced, be cheaper to burn wood than coals, even 

 in London, especially in the closed fire-places of small 

 kitchen boilers and stewpans, where a fire is wanted but 

 for a short time. This proposal to burn wood instead 

 of coals or charcoal has already been made more than 

 once ; and the more I have considered the subject, the 

 more I am convinced that the former would turn out 

 to be the cheapest fuel. 



A great deal of fuel is consumed in this country for 

 boiling water to make tea. I was curious to know how 

 low it would be possible to reduce that expense, and 



