ground between tlie poles. The air will circulate Tinder and through your fire, and the poles -are just tlie riglit distance apart to set your camp kettle, frying pan, or coffee pot on. If you are going to cook several meals in this ])lace, it will pay you to jmt up a crane. Tliis is huilt as follows : Cut two green posts (2 inches thick and o feet long), which drive into the ground a foot from either end of your fire, and then split the top end of each with the ax (unless they be forked). Then cut another green pole, of same size, and long enough to reach from one of these posts to the other ; flatten the ends and insert them in the splits. The posts should be of such height that when this i)ole is passed through the bail of the canij) kettle, the latter will swing just clear of the fire. Other cook- ing utensils may be used as required. DISPOSAL OF REFUSE. Particular attention is directed to the cleanly method of burning all kitchen refuse in the camp fire; it will not affect the cooking. Burn every- thing— coffee grounds, parings, bones, meats, even old tin cans, for if tlirown out anyAvhere, even buried, they attract flies. Tin cans are flytraps — -burned and cleaned out of fire daily they are harmless. Fires, should be cleaned of burnt refuse once a day, as refuse burned will not attract flies; Cleanliness is a good doctor. The burning of refuse, not burying it, is a splendid rule, especially in a large command or permanent camp. EXTEMPORIZED STOVES, OR COOKING PLACE. (With Plates.) In the field the utensils furnished are of primitive character, consisting of camp kettles and mess pans, made of iron, etc. 213 MANUAL FOR ARMY COOKS. To extemporize stoves and cooking places the nsual and most simple mode is to dig a trencli 18 inches wide, 12 inches deep, and from 4 to 6 feet long. At each end -place a forked stick, of equal height, with a stout sapling, from which to suspend the kettles, extending from one to the other. (See plate 1.) Plate 1. This, however, is neither the best nor most eco- nomical mode, as it consumes much fuel, wastes much of the heat, and causes great inconvenience to the cook. An improvement can be effected by casing the sides of the trench with brick, adding a little chimney at one end, and, in place of the forked sticks, using iron uprights and crossbar, to which half a dozen hooks for hanging kettles are attached. (See plate 2.) Plate 2. In a clayey soil, the following plan is perhaps the neatest, most economical, and most convenient that can be devised : Dig a hole about 3 feet square and MANUAL FOR ARMY COOKS. 213 2 feet in depth, generally in the slope of a hill. On one side run a shaft laterally, about 1 foot square and 6 feet in length, and 1 foot from the surface of the ground. At the extreme end sink a shaft ver- tically, and form a chimney; and at equidistances pierce three holes of sufficient diameter to prevent the kettles from slipping through. By this mode kettles can be placed over the fire to T)oil — or on either side, to simmer — with less difficulty than by any other means. (See plate 3.) 214 MANUAL FOR ARMY COOKS, kmmmmNNl^ MANUAL FOR ARMY CROOKS. 215 SHIELD FOR CAMP FIRE. Made of light l)()ilor()r lieavy sheet iron. Composed of top and three sides, joined to toi) l)y hinges.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

ground between the poles. The air will circulate Tinder and through your fire, and the poles -are just the right distance apart to set your camp kettle, frying pan, or coffee pot on. If you are going to cook several meals in this ])lace, it will pay you to put up a crane. This is built as follows: Cut two green posts (2 inches thick and o feet long), which drive into the ground a foot from either end of your fire, and then split the top end of each with the ax (unless they be forked). Then cut another green pole, of same size, and long enough to reach from one of these posts to the other ; flatten the ends and insert them in the splits. The posts should be of such height that when this pole is passed through the bail of the canij) kettle, the latter will swing just clear of the fire. Other cooking utensils may be used as required. DISPOSAL OF REFUSE. Particular attention is directed to the cleanly method of burning all kitchen refuse in the camp fire; it will not affect the cooking. Burn everything— coffee grounds, parings, bones, meats, even old tin cans, for if thrown out anywhere, even buried, they attract flies. Tin cans are flytraps—burned and cleaned out of fire daily they are harmless. Fires should be cleaned of burnt refuse once a day, as refuse burned will not attract flies; Cleanliness is a good doctor. The burning of refuse, not burying it, is a splendid rule, especially in a large command or permanent camp. EXTEMPORIZED STOVES, OR COOKING PLACE. (With Plates.) In the field the utensils furnished are of primitive character, consisting of camp kettles and mess pans, made of iron, etc. To extemporize stoves and cooking places the usual and most simple mode is to dig a trencli 18 inches wide, 12 inches deep, and from 4 to 6 feet long. At each end place a forked stick, of equal height, with a stout sapling, from which to suspend the kettles, extending from one to the other. (See plate 1.) Plate 1. This, however, is neither the best nor most economical mode, as it consumes much fuel, wastes much of the heat, and causes great inconvenience to the cook. An improvement can be effected by casing the sides of the trench with brick, adding a little chimney at one end, and, in place of the forked sticks, using iron uprights and crossbar, to which half a dozen hooks for hanging kettles are attached. (See plate 2.) Plate 2. In a clayey soil, the following plan is perhaps the neatest, most economical, and most convenient that can be devised : Dig a hole about 3 feet square and 2 feet in depth, generally in the slope of a hill. On one side run a shaft laterally, about 1 foot square and 6 feet in length, and 1 foot from the surface of the ground. At the extreme end sink a shaft vertically, and form a chimney; and at equidistances pierce three holes of sufficient diameter to prevent the kettles from slipping through. By this mode kettles can be placed over the fire to boil— or on either side, to simmer — with less difficulty than by any other means. (See plate 3.) kmmmmNNl^ SHIELD FOR CAMP FIRE. Made of light boiler or heavy sheet iron. Composed of top and three sides, joined to top by hinges.

Manual for army cooks