Besides remembering to open the door of the oven before lighting, one must also be careful, when the gas is turned low in the oven, that the flame has not actually gone out, leaving a little gas flowing. A habit should be formed GAS STOVES 111 of always looking to see if the gas is still lighted under these circumstances. The heat of a gas stove is much more easily regulated than is that of a coal stove, and care should be taken not to waste gas by lighting it ahead of time, by leaving it lighted when it is not in use, or by using more flame than is necessary. Water that is just boiling is just as hot as water that is boiling rapidly, and we cannot cook any faster with one than the other. Gas is a convenient fuel to use, because there are no coals to carry and no ashes to take care of. The products of combustion are supposed to be pushed through the pipe at the back of the stove. Probably, however, this carries off more from the oven than from the upper burners, and a hood over the whole is much more effective, because it carries off the odors of cooking as well. A stop-cock is frequently put in the pipe connecting the stove with the main gas pipe. As most burners leak a very little, even with the best of care, this is a good practice, making it possible to turn off the gas completely whenever the stove is not to be used for some time. In case of a serious leak, its use is obvious. Gas is metered, or measured, by the cubic foot. It generally costs from eighty cents to a dollar and a half for a thousand cubic feet of gas. The meter is ordinarily read every month and the reading of the month before sub- tracted from the present reading, in order to determine how much has been used. In some places there is a mini- mum charge per month which must be paid even if no gas has been used. In still other places there are slot meters which allow gas to pass after a certain coin, usually a quarter, has been inserted, the gas flowing until the amount paid for has been used. These are used mostly in tenement houses where bills are hard to collect and 112 FOOD STUDY the frequent sending of a man to turn the gas on and off is expensive. Reading a gas meter is a simple matter, and in case of disagreement over bills is a useful accomplishment. A gas meter shows three dials ; the hand on each dial turning in a direction opposite to the one next it, in order to help obviate mistakes in reading. Each division of this dial de- notes 10,000 feet. Each division of this dial de- notes 1000 feet. Each division of this dial de- notes 100 feet. How TO READ A GAS METER.1 Read from left-hand dial to right, always taking the figures which the hands have passed. The dials above, for example, register 3, 4, 6, and, adding two ciphers for the hundreds, show 34,600 feet registered. To ascertain the amount of gas used, deduct the previous register as indicated on the above dials by dotted hands, 1, 7, 3, from the present register, 3, 4, 6, as follows : Register by dials shown above 3.4.6.00 Registered by previous statement, indicated by the dotted hands .... . .......... 1.7.3.00 Number of feet used between readings 17,300 ft. If you wish to know how much gas is being used, you need only watch the dial at the right hand, each figure of which means 100 feet.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Besides remembering to open the door of the oven before lighting, one must also be careful, when the gas is turned low in the oven, that the flame has not actually gone out, leaving a little gas flowing. A habit should be formed of always looking to see if the gas is still lighted under these circumstances. The heat of a gas stove is much more easily regulated than is that of a coal stove, and care should be taken not to waste gas by lighting it ahead of time, by leaving it lighted when it is not in use, or by using more flame than is necessary. Water that is just boiling is just as hot as water that is boiling rapidly, and we cannot cook any faster with one than the other. Gas is a convenient fuel to use, because there are no coals to carry and no ashes to take care of. The products of combustion are supposed to be pushed through the pipe at the back of the stove. Probably, however, this carries off more from the oven than from the upper burners, and a hood over the whole is much more effective, because it carries off the odors of cooking as well. A stop-cock is frequently put in the pipe connecting the stove with the main gas pipe. As most burners leak a very little, even with the best of care, this is a good practice, making it possible to turn off the gas completely whenever the stove is not to be used for some time. In case of a serious leak, its use is obvious. Gas is metered, or measured, by the cubic foot. It generally costs from eighty cents to a dollar and a half for a thousand cubic feet of gas. The meter is ordinarily read every month and the reading of the month before subtracted from the present reading, in order to determine how much has been used. In some places there is a minimum charge per month which must be paid even if no gas has been used. In still other places there are slot meters which allow gas to pass after a certain coin, usually a quarter, has been inserted, the gas flowing until the amount paid for has been used. These are used mostly in tenement houses where bills are hard to collect and the frequent sending of a man to turn the gas on and off is expensive. Reading a gas meter is a simple matter, and in case of disagreement over bills is a useful accomplishment. A gas meter shows three dials ; the hand on each dial turning in a direction opposite to the one next it, in order to help obviate mistakes in reading. Each division of this dial denotes 10,000 feet. Each division of this dial denotes 1000 feet. Each division of this dial denotes 100 feet. How to Read a Gas Meter. Read from left-hand dial to right, always taking the figures which the hands have passed. The dials above, for example, register 3, 4, 6, and, adding two ciphers for the hundreds, show 34,600 feet registered. To ascertain the amount of gas used, deduct the previous register as indicated on the above dials by dotted hands, 1, 7, 3, from the present register, 3, 4, 6, as follows : Register by dials shown above 3.4.6.00 Registered by previous statement, indicated by the dotted hands .... . .......... 1.7.3.00 Number of feet used between readings 17,300 ft. If you wish to know how much gas is being used, you need only watch the dial at the right hand, each figure of which means 100 feet.

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