Charcoal. — Wood, when subjected to excessive heat with-
out free access of air, gives up first of all its hydrogen and
part of its carbon, mostly in the form of flame. The remain-
der of the carbon is in the form of glowing charcoal. This
charcoal is formed in greater or less amounts in all wood
fires. If wood be subjected to heat without access of air,
the hydrogen and other volatile products are driven off,
leaving almost all of the carbon in a free state. The sup-
ply of charcoal in the market is prepared in specially con-
structed kilns, so arranged that, besides producing charcoal,
the volatile products of wood distillation are retained.
One of these products is known as methyl, or wood
alcohol. As a rule, the denser the wood the greater the
proportion of carbon and the more valuable the charcoal
made from it, providing the charcoal is for use as fuel and
not for use in the arts. Good charcoal is firm, free from
dust, and should break across the fibre with a shining frac-
ture. Charcoal is burned in warmer countries in portable
stoves or fire-boxes, unprovided with either chimney or
draft. These fire-pots are set in the upper part of crude
masonry, thus forming a primitive range, each fire being
separate. In this country charcoal is used to produce heat
for broiling.
The making of charcoal may be illustrated by heating
42 HANDBOOK OF DOMESTIC SCIENCE
pine splints in a test-tube and noting the products which
are driven out of the wood and the condition of residue.
Methyl alcohol, though belonging under head of wood
products, will be discussed in connection with the topic
ethyl alcohol.
Mineral Fuel. — Coal is, as far as known, vegetable growth
transformed in the past ages in some way by heat and press-
ure into a product richer in carbon and less rich in inflam-
mable gases than wood. To judge from results, the process
must have been one of slow distillation.
Coal is found in certain geological formations, and only
within certain limits is it within reach of man. These
regions are known as coal fields. From these mines coal is
transported to all sections of the country.
Peat. — In our own day the beginnings of this change
from plant growth into coal is shown in peat formation,
where remains of plants in bogs or on the borders of shal-
low pools fall and are covered by water and vegetable pulp
which exclude the air. This, in connection with other fac-
tors, prevents natural decay, and hence the mass continues
to accumulate, becoming more dense from year to year.
This partly transformed product is cut into thin oblong
blocks, which are dried in the sun and used somewhat as
coal is used. The flame produced, because of excess of hy-
drocarbons, is smoky and disagreeable.
For household use, coal is divided into the following
kinds : peat, lignite, cannel, bituminous, non-bituminous,
semi-bituminous, and anthracite.
Lignite. — Lignite is that coal formation which still re-
tains evidence of woody structure. It is usually brown in
color, but is much nearer true coal than peat is.
Cannel. — Cannel coal contains a very large proportion of
hydrogen in the form of hydrocarbons, therefore burning
with a bright flame. It is usually dull black in color, and
THE KITCHEN 43
Page 23
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
Charcoal. — Wood, when subjected to excessive heat without free access of air, gives up first of all its hydrogen and part of its carbon, mostly in the form of flame. The remainder of the carbon is in the form of glowing charcoal. This charcoal is formed in greater or less amounts in all wood fires. If wood be subjected to heat without access of air, the hydrogen and other volatile products are driven off, leaving almost all of the carbon in a free state. The supply of charcoal in the market is prepared in specially constructed kilns, so arranged that, besides producing charcoal, the volatile products of wood distillation are retained.
One of these products is known as methyl, or wood alcohol. As a rule, the denser the wood the greater the proportion of carbon and the more valuable the charcoal made from it, providing the charcoal is for use as fuel and not for use in the arts. Good charcoal is firm, free from dust, and should break across the fibre with a shining fracture. Charcoal is burned in warmer countries in portable stoves or fire-boxes, unprovided with either chimney or draft. These fire-pots are set in the upper part of crude masonry, thus forming a primitive range, each fire being separate. In this country charcoal is used to produce heat for broiling.
The making of charcoal may be illustrated by heating
pine splints in a test-tube and noting the products which are driven out of the wood and the condition of residue.
Methyl alcohol, though belonging under head of wood products, will be discussed in connection with the topic ethyl alcohol.
Mineral Fuel. — Coal is, as far as known, vegetable growth transformed in the past ages in some way by heat and pressure into a product richer in carbon and less rich in inflammable gases than wood. To judge from results, the process must have been one of slow distillation.
Coal is found in certain geological formations, and only within certain limits is it within reach of man. These regions are known as coal fields. From these mines coal is transported to all sections of the country.
Peat. — In our own day the beginnings of this change from plant growth into coal is shown in peat formation, where remains of plants in bogs or on the borders of shallow pools fall and are covered by water and vegetable pulp which exclude the air. This, in connection with other factors, prevents natural decay, and hence the mass continues to accumulate, becoming more dense from year to year. This partly transformed product is cut into thin oblong blocks, which are dried in the sun and used somewhat as coal is used. The flame produced, because of excess of hydrocarbons, is smoky and disagreeable.
For household use, coal is divided into the following kinds : peat, lignite, cannel, bituminous, non-bituminous, semi-bituminous, and anthracite.
Lignite. — Lignite is that coal formation which still retains evidence of woody structure. It is usually brown in color, but is much nearer true coal than peat is.
Cannel. — Cannel coal contains a very large proportion of hydrogen in the form of hydrocarbons, therefore burning with a bright flame. It is usually dull black in color, and