No. 129.] 19i 



smooth and presents a shining surface. It resembles cannel from 

 the fact that it does not soil the hands when they come in contact 

 with it. Charcoal or some other foreign matter is required to 

 kindle it. 



Coke is coal deprived of hydrogen, therefore it emits neither 

 smoke or flame. It is made much in tlie same manner that char- 

 coal is, by covering heaps of coal with earth and igniting the 

 mass, thus driving off the hydrogen without consuming the car- 

 bonaceous parts of the coal. Coke makes an excessively hot fire, 

 but leaves a very large quantity of ashes behind. 



Peat, or turf, is much emplcyed in Ireland or Scotland among 

 the lower classes as fuel. It is not capable of producing a very 

 intense heat on account of its bulky and spongy texture. There 

 are kinds that are free from this fault j still, all the varieties 

 produce a strong, odorous, unpleasant smoke, which immediately 

 affects the eyes, causing them to water and feel unpleasant to 

 their owners ; it can, however, be charred before it is stowed 

 away for consumption. So prepared it will not smoke and is free 

 from all disagreeable sulphureous vapors, emitting no smell. 



In Germany and Flanders, when coal is scarce, they pound it 



fine and mix it with clay, half and half, partially diluted with 



water and kneaded until a thick mass is formed, which is made 



nto cakes and dried. These cakes burn for a long time and give 



much heat. 



When the inhabitants of a country are too poor to burn coal 

 or peat, they make use of cow dung for tliat purpose ; this sub- 

 stance, when thoroughly dried, burns slowly and makes a very 

 hot fire. The Egyptians, Persians and Arabians use camel's 

 dung mixed with straw, mud, &:c., for the same purpose. The 

 following table showing the quantity of heat that may be obtain- 

 ed from several varieties of fuel, wull be found in Dr. Meredith 

 Reese's Encyclopedia of Domestic Economy. To it I am indebt- 

 ed for much us ful information, and which should be possessed 

 by every gentleman. 



