254 AMERICAN 



feet long by twenty inches diameter, made of boiler iron and 

 laid lengthwise on a brick arch. The fire is placed under- 

 neath and passes through the whole length and over one end, 

 then returns in contact with the boiler through side flues or 

 pockets, where it entered the chimney. This gives an 

 exposure to the flame and heated air of about 10 feet. The 

 upper part is coated with brick and mortar to retain the heat, 

 and three small test cocks are applied at the bottom, middle 

 and upper edge of the exposed end, to show the quantity of 

 water in it ; and two large stop cocks on the upper side for 

 receiving the water and delivering the steam, completes the 

 boiler. The steaming-box is oblong, seven or eight feet 

 in length, by about four feet in depth and width, capable of 

 holding 60 or 70 bushels, made of plank grooved together, 

 and clamped and keyed with four setts of oak joist. We also 

 used a large circular tub, strongly bound by wagon tire and 

 keyed, and holding about 25 bushels. The covering of both 

 must be fastened securely ; but a safety valve is allowed for 

 the escape of steam, which is simply a one and a half inch 

 auger hole. Into these, the steam is conveyed from the 

 boiler, by a copper tube, attached to the steam delivery cock 

 for a short distance, when it is continued into the bottom of 

 the box and tub by a lead pipe, on account of its flexibility, 

 and to avoid injury to the food from the corrosion of the 

 copper. It is necessary to have the end of the pipe in the 

 steaming-box, properly guarded by a metal strainer, to prevent 

 its clogging from the contents of the box. We find no difli- 

 cult} r in cooking 15 bushels of unground Indian corn in the 

 tub, in the course of three or four hours, and with small 

 expense of fuel. Fifty bushels of roots could be perfectly 

 cooked in the box, in the same time. For swine, fattening 

 cattle and sheep, milch cows and working horses, and perhaps 

 oxen, we do not doubt a large amount of food may be saved 

 by the use of such or a similar cooking apparatus. The box 

 may be enlarged to treble the capacity of the foregoing, 

 without prejudicing the operation, and even with a boiler of 

 the same dimensions, but it would take a longer time to 

 effect the object. If the boiler were increased in proportion 

 to the box, the cooking process would of course be acccom- 

 plished in the same time. 



The materials for farm buildings we have assumed to be of 

 wood, from the abundance and cheapness of this material 

 generally in the United States. Yet we would always prefer 

 when not too expensive, or where the capital could be spared, 



