CHARCOAL MANUFACTURE. 



The best-sized wood for this purpose is of the form generally 

 understood as Billets. Anordinary-sizedkilnrequiresabout25,000 

 billets, cut as nearly as possible of the same length. 

 Procure a pole about 25 feet long and 6 to 8 inches 

 thick, straight, and of uniform thickness. Pro- 

 vide yourself with four forked sticks of the shape 

 of fig. 10. Erect the pole perpendicularly on the 

 spot where the kiln is to be made, and place the 

 four forked sticks round it, arranging pieces of 

 wood from fork to fork, and across, to make a hol- 

 low space in the centre of the kiln for containing 

 combustible matter, this forming a space of about 

 18 square inches, as fig. 11. Provide the person 

 stacking the billets with a yard measure, and let 

 him proceed to place the end of the measure 

 against the pole, sitting at the other end of the 

 measure ; the billets are then to be placed in an 

 almost perpendicular position against the cross pieces, and as close 

 together as possible, each cooly stacking right and left to join his 

 neighbour's work on either side. Thus he goes on stacking until 

 he has come to the end of his measure; all having done the 

 same, a perfect circle will be the result. After having filled up 

 all interstices that may have occurred from crooked or large 

 billets, each cooly pulls out his measure to another yard in 

 length, and proceeds as he did before. Having done this the 

 third time, the kiln will measure 18 feet in diameter, and 

 will contain 25,000 billets. The coolies then mount the first 

 layer of billets, and commence stacking from the pole, until 



Fig. 10. 



