The fuels that are most widely used in this country are
wood, coal, kerosene, and gas. Wood is becoming so expen-
sive and requires so much space for storage, that, in cities,
it is used only in starting a coal fire. In country districts
where wood is cheap, wood stoves are still in common use.
Wood must be set on fire by piling it on top of burning
paper, straw, or shavings. Such kindling is not sufficiently
hot to set fire to coal, so, in laying the coal fire, both paper
and wood are used. Wood is roughly divided into two
classes, hard and soft; the first is desirable when long-
continued, steady heat is necessary ; the other for quick,
hot fires. For kindling, soft wood must, of course, be
chosen. The usual way of selling wood is by the cord,
which consists of one hundred and twenty-eight cubic feet.
Coal is of two general kinds, anthracite or hard coal,
containing about ninety per cent of carbon and very little
gas, and bituminous or soft coal which contains gas and
burns with considerable flame. The latter variety is
dirty to handle and gives off much soot. It costs less by
the ton, however, than hard coal, especially in some parts
COMBUSTION AND FUELS 101
of the country, so it is often commonly used. A fire made
with it requires more frequent attention than one made
with hard coal, and when this and the cost of the cleaning
and laundering which it necessitates, as well as the wear
that this extra laundering means for fabrics, are all taken
into account, it is doubtful whether the use of soft coal is
really cheaper. Coal is sold by the ton; a long ton is
2240 pounds, a short ton only 2000 pounds.
Kerosene is also a much-used fuel, and in the blue-flame
stoves a very satisfactory one. It is one of the oils present
in petroleum, a mixture of natural oils found in the ground
in large quantities in some parts of the country. In order
to be sure that the more inflammable oils are not left in
the kerosene, in most states the quality is regulated by a
requirement that the flashing point shall not be below a
certain temperature. The flashing point is the tempera-
ture at which the vapor from the kerosene will catch fire
or flash. The kerosene itself does not burn, and the vapor
only for an instant. The temperature required below
which the vapor must not flash varies from 110° F. to
200° F., the latter meaning a very high-grade oil. Prob-
ably 149° F. is sufficiently safe, but as all kerosene is
explosive, care must be taken in its use. Stoves and lamps
should be filled only by daylight and never when they
are lighted or hot. Kerosene is sometimes poured on a
fire of coal or wood to act as kindling, and there have been
many accidents from such use. Safety requires that it
should never be used in kindling. The danger lies in
pouring it on after the fire is started, or when there are
hot ashes in the bed of the fire.
Gas is a much cleaner fuel to use than any of those
already mentioned. There are many varieties. Natural
gas, like kerosene, is found in the ground in certain parts
of the country. Its cost is much below that of artificial
102 FOOD STUDY
Food study
1917Page 52
Presented as published in 1917. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The fuels that are most widely used in this country are wood, coal, kerosene, and gas. Wood is becoming so expensive and requires so much space for storage, that, in cities, it is used only in starting a coal fire. In country districts where wood is cheap, wood stoves are still in common use. Wood must be set on fire by piling it on top of burning paper, straw, or shavings. Such kindling is not sufficiently hot to set fire to coal, so, in laying the coal fire, both paper and wood are used. Wood is roughly divided into two classes, hard and soft; the first is desirable when longcontinued, steady heat is necessary ; the other for quick, hot fires. For kindling, soft wood must, of course, be chosen. The usual way of selling wood is by the cord, which consists of one hundred and twenty-eight cubic feet.
Coal is of two general kinds, anthracite or hard coal, containing about ninety per cent of carbon and very little gas, and bituminous or soft coal which contains gas and burns with considerable flame. The latter variety is dirty to handle and gives off much soot. It costs less by the ton, however, than hard coal, especially in some parts
of the country, so it is often commonly used. A fire made with it requires more frequent attention than one made with hard coal, and when this and the cost of the cleaning and laundering which it necessitates, as well as the wear that this extra laundering means for fabrics, are all taken into account, it is doubtful whether the use of soft coal is really cheaper. Coal is sold by the ton; a long ton is 2240 pounds, a short ton only 2000 pounds.
Kerosene is also a much-used fuel, and in the blue-flame stoves a very satisfactory one. It is one of the oils present in petroleum, a mixture of natural oils found in the ground in large quantities in some parts of the country. In order to be sure that the more inflammable oils are not left in the kerosene, in most states the quality is regulated by a requirement that the flashing point shall not be below a certain temperature. The flashing point is the temperature at which the vapor from the kerosene will catch fire or flash. The kerosene itself does not burn, and the vapor only for an instant. The temperature required below which the vapor must not flash varies from 110° F. to 200° F., the latter meaning a very high-grade oil. Probably 149° F. is sufficiently safe, but as all kerosene is explosive, care must be taken in its use. Stoves and lamps should be filled only by daylight and never when they are lighted or hot. Kerosene is sometimes poured on a fire of coal or wood to act as kindling, and there have been many accidents from such use. Safety requires that it should never be used in kindling. The danger lies in pouring it on after the fire is started, or when there are hot ashes in the bed of the fire.
Gas is a much cleaner fuel to use than any of those already mentioned. There are many varieties. Natural gas, like kerosene, is found in the ground in certain parts of the country. Its cost is much below that of artificial