BURNING LIME 



built up around them ; thus, when they are 

 burned out, a chimney or two is secured, 

 which may be damped by pieces of stone or 

 sod. Upon this first layer of stone is spread 

 a layer of coal, and upon that a thicker 

 layer of stone (12 inches), and so on, coal 

 and stone alternating until the heap is 

 topped with smaller stone. The largest 

 stones should be placed near the top of the 

 heap, but not near the outside, so that they 

 may be exposed to the highest heat. The 

 proportion of coal is diminished in the 

 upper layers, the effort being to distribute 

 one-half of the total coal employed in the 

 two lower layers, so as to secure the highest 

 economy possible in the use of the fuel. 



"Fire is then kindled in the straw or 

 shavings; when the flames have communi- 

 cated themselves to the cord wood and 

 lowermost layer of coal, and tongues of 

 flame shoot out from the crevices in the 

 sides of the heap, earth, previously loosened 

 by a few turns of the plow about the heap, 

 is rapidly spread over the entire heap, thus 

 damping the drafts and retarding the com- 

 bustion. Steam and smoke slowly escape 

 during the first hours, but later the entire 

 heap, including the outer covering of earth. 



