178 IDLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



but it is better for (lie boiler if it is level. If coal is used for 

 fuel tlie flues should be cleaned every morning before the firo 

 is started and not in the evening when they are hot, because it 

 will ruin the flues if the flue door is kept open much while they 

 are warm and they are sure to go to leaking sooner or later. 

 The ashes should be kept clean from under the grates to keep 

 the grate-bars from melting. iVttention should also be given 

 to the fire so that it covers the whole space of the grates, as 

 that will save fuel. There is never any danger of having too 

 much draft when coal is used as fuel; but if good dry wood Is 

 used it is better to not have too much draft, as there might be 

 too much heat go up the smokestack. 



The boiler should be blown off every two weeks after the 

 fire is all out and the steam has gone down to 10 pounds or be- 

 low. The hand-hole should be taken out and the boiler be 

 cleansed perfectly clean from dirt, scales, etc. Good water is 

 the main thing for a boiler, and if there is a chance to get good 

 soft water it never should be neglected; but if hard or limy 

 water has to be used it is a good plan to catch the exhaust 

 steam from the engine and use it, and that saves the boiler con- 

 siderable. The water in a boiler should always be kept about 

 an inch and a half above the top flues. If it is kept as near the 

 same it saves fuel, water, engine and boiler. Of course when 

 a person shuts down in the evening he wants to pump the 

 water up somewhat, as it will boil away somewhat during the 

 night. 



Water in a boiler should never be allowed to foam, as that 

 will hurt the boiler and engine more than six months' running. 

 If the water should foam, the throttle valve should be closed 

 at once and the water allowed to settle a little. Then blow off 

 as much water as possible and pump fresh water in the boiler. 

 In all cases the water should all be blown off in the evening 

 when the day's run is finished. The water-glass on a boiler 

 should be put on so that the bottom of the glass is even with 

 the top of the upper flues; then the engineer knows if the 

 water gets out of the glass that his flues are getting dry and 

 that he will have to pull the fire. I have seen boilers where 

 the glass was fully an inch higher. It seems that some people 

 think if they have the water glass high it is safer, as when they 

 have water in the glass they are sure to have plenty in the 



