I. Vegetable fuels, as wood, and products of Avood dis-
tillation, as methyl or wood alcohol, and charcoal.
II. Mineral fuels, as coal, subdivided according to com-
position into peat, lignite, cannel coal, bituminous and
anthracite ; and products of coal distillation, as coal gas,
water gas, and coke.
III. Mineral oils and gases, as crude petroleum, from
which are derived naphtha, gasolene, benzine, kerosene, and
natural gas.
IV. Product of fermentation known as ethyl alcohol.
"Wood. — Wood, or vegetable fibre, is composed largely of
40 HANDBOOK OF DOMESTIC SCIENCE
a carbohydrate, cellulose, Avliich forms the cell wall of all
plant life. It belongs to the carbohydrate group because of
its composition; but man cannot use it to any extent for
food, as he does most other members of the group. See
chapter on Starches.
Associated with the cellulose in wood are varying amounts
of nitrogenous matter, resins, and coloring matters, as well
as the mineral products which remain as ashes after com-
bustion. In its pure state cellulose may be found in the
form of Swedish filter paper. Less pure forms are cotton
and linen.
Though formerly wood served as the chief fuel, now in
the cities it is used mainly as kindling and in fireplaces.
Kinds of Wood. — In the markets, wood is roughly classed
as either hard or soft.
Soft "Wood. — The soft woods, as pine, spruce, fir, hemlock,
cedar, and red wood, because of lighter, more spongy tex-
ture and large amount of resin, burn very freely, producing
a quick, hot fire. They are therefore largely used as the
kindling in coal stoves or ranges. The charcoal formed
from soft wood is soft and crumbly.
Hard Wood. — The harder woods, as oak, hickory, ash,
chestnut, maple, birch, poplar, elm, and walnut, are much
more dense in structure, contain no resin, and therefore
require a higher degree of heat to ignite and are consumed
more slowly, thus giving out heat for a much longer time.
Because of the small amount of flame produced by combus-
tion of these woods, and the large amount of charcoal
formed, they are used in culinary operations where live
coals are desired.
A careful study of their woody structure, and of their
condition in the way of dryness, freedom from decay or
presence of insects, will aid the investigator in gaining
information of economic value. If the wood is damp, then
THE KITCHEN 41
in the change of the sap or water into the form of vapor
much heat becomes latent and is wasted, from a culinary
standpoint. In the beginning of combustion of wood, during
the flame stage, all of the hydrogen and part of the carbon
pass off as water and as carbon dioxid, and much heat
goes witli them, the greater portion becoming latent in
changing the water to steam. In the second or glowing
coal stage, the waste product is carbon dioxid, which carries
off little heat. Therefore the greater the proportion of car-
bon in the wood, the higher its heating value.
Page 22
Presented as published in 1900. 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
I. Vegetable fuels, as wood, and products of Avood distillation, as methyl or wood alcohol, and charcoal.
II. Mineral fuels, as coal, subdivided according to composition into peat, lignite, cannel coal, bituminous and anthracite ; and products of coal distillation, as coal gas, water gas, and coke.
III. Mineral oils and gases, as crude petroleum, from which are derived naphtha, gasolene, benzine, kerosene, and natural gas.
IV. Product of fermentation known as ethyl alcohol. "Wood. — Wood, or vegetable fibre, is composed largely of
a carbohydrate, cellulose, which forms the cell wall of all plant life. It belongs to the carbohydrate group because of its composition; but man cannot use it to any extent for food, as he does most other members of the group. See chapter on Starches.
Asassociated with the cellulose in wood are varying amounts of nitrogenous matter, resins, and coloring matters, as well as the mineral products which remain as ashes after combustion. In its pure state cellulose may be found in the form of Swedish filter paper. Less pure forms are cotton and linen.
Though formerly wood served as the chief fuel, now in the cities it is used mainly as kindling and in fireplaces.
Kinds of Wood. — In the markets, wood is roughly classed as either hard or soft.
Soft Wood.. — The soft woods, as pine, spruce, fir, hemlock, cedar, and red wood, because of lighter, more spongy texture and large amount of resin, burn very freely, producing a quick, hot fire. They are therefore largely used as the kindling in coal stoves or ranges. The charcoal formed from soft wood is soft and crumbly.
Hard Wood. — The harder woods, as oak, hickory, ash, chestnut, maple, birch, poplar, elm, and walnut, are much more dense in structure, contain no resin, and therefore require a higher degree of heat to ignite and are consumed more slowly, thus giving out heat for a much longer time. Because of the small amount of flame produced by combustion of these woods, and the large amount of charcoal formed, they are used in culinary operations where live coals are desired.
A careful study of their woody structure, and of their condition in the way of dryness, freedom from decay or presence of insects, will aid the investigator in gaining information of economic value. If the wood is damp, then
in the change of the sap or water into the form of vapor much heat becomes latent and is wasted, from a culinary standpoint. In the beginning of combustion of wood, during the flame stage, all of the hydrogen and part of the carbon pass off as water and as carbon dioxid, and much heat goes witli them, the greater portion becoming latent in changing the water to steam. In the second or glowing coal stage, the waste product is carbon dioxid, which carries off little heat. Therefore the greater the proportion of carbon in the wood, the higher its heating value.