for tlie purpose. Two men with, a spade and a long-
handled shovel can build it, in light soil, in three-
quarters of an hour. If such tools are not available,
it may be constructed with trowel bayonet, intrench-
ing tools, or even with knives. To build the oven,
dig down the bank to a vertical face and excavate
at the base a hole from 4 to 5 feet horizontally, care
being taken to keep the entrance as small as possi-
ble ; hoUoAv out the sides of the excavation and arch
the roof until the floor is about 2 feet 6 inches in its
widest part and the roof 16 inches high in the cen-
ter of the arch. Then tap the back end for the flue.
A hole from 4 to 6 inches in diameter will furnish a
good draft. A piece of tent stovepipe may be util-
ized for this purpose. It will be advantageous,
before using, to wet the whole interior surface of the
oven and smooth it over neatly, drying it out and
hardening it with a small fire. The time required
for drying out will depend u]3on the cnaracter of the
soil ; if ordinarily dry, a fire kept up for an hour
will suflS.ce.
Such an oven has a capacity of about 40 rations,
and will bake good bread in about 50 minutes.
"With proper care it will last several weeks. Bake-
pans may be used in baking, if they can be obtained ;
if not, the bare floor, after the ashes are removed,
may be used to bake on. After the introduction of
the dough, the flue and door should be closed, which
may be done with logs of wood, pieces of hard-bread
boxes plastered with mud, flat stones, a wet grain
sack or piece of canvas. After the oven has been
heated, the degree of heat may be regulated by
means of the door and flue — opening or closing them
as may be necessary.
MANUAL FOR ARMY COOKS.
22?
228 MANUAL FOR ARMY COOKS.
AN OVEN ON LEVEL GROUND (PLATE 11).
To build such, an oven dig a hole about 4 feet
long, 1 foot 6 inches deep, and 1 foot 6 inches wide.
Without enlarging the top, hollow out the sides,
from above downward, until the floor is about 2
feet 6 inches wide. The sides will thus form some-
thing of an arch, and be much better than vertical
sides. At about one foot from the end dig a trench
of convenient dimensions for one man to stand in,
to attend to the oven. A suitable size would be 2
feet 6 inches in depth, 4 feet in length, and 2 feet 6
inches in width. Dig down the partition between
the oven and the trench for the door. At the back
end of the oven dig a small hole, slanting down-
ward, for the flue. Lay green poles close together
across the oven, and stop up the interstices with
grass or weeds ; then plaster over the covering with
a thick layer of stiff mud, after which place more
poles across and cover with another layer of mud.
If pressed for time this last mud may be omitted,
and grain sacks or brush may be spread over the
second layer of poles and dry earth shoveled on.
Dig a ditch around the oven and trench to keep out
water in rainy weather.
Such an oven may be built by two men in one
hour and a half. It is not durable, as the roof must
soon burn out, but it has the advantage of being
easily constructed and available for immediate use.
Although much inferior to the clay or bank oven,
it might sometimes be serviceable to troops on the
march.
Page 99
Presented as published in 1896. 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
for the purpose. Two men with, a spade and a longhandled shovel can build it, in light soil, in threequarters of an hour. If such tools are not available, it may be constructed with trowel bayonet, intrenching tools, or even with knives. To build the oven, dig down the bank to a vertical face and excavate at the base a hole from 4 to 5 feet horizontally, care being taken to keep the entrance as small as possible ; hollow out the sides of the excavation and arch the roof until the floor is about 2 feet 6 inches in its widest part and the roof 16 inches high in the center of the arch. Then tap the back end for the flue. A hole from 4 to 6 inches in diameter will furnish a good draft. A piece of tent stovepipe may be utilized for this purpose. It will be advantageous, before using, to wet the whole interior surface of the oven and smooth it over neatly, drying it out and hardening it with a small fire. The time required for drying out will depend upon the character of the soil ; if ordinarily dry, a fire kept up for an hour will suffice.
Such an oven has a capacity of about 40 rations, and will bake good bread in about 50 minutes. "With proper care it will last several weeks. Bakepans may be used in baking, if they can be obtained ; if not, the bare floor, after the ashes are removed, may be used to bake on. After the introduction of the dough, the flue and door should be closed, which may be done with logs of wood, pieces of hard-bread boxes plastered with mud, flat stones, a wet grain sack or piece of canvas. After the oven has been heated, the degree of heat may be regulated by means of the door and flue — opening or closing them as may be necessary.
22?
AN OVEN ON LEVEL GROUND (PLATE 11).
To build such an oven dig a hole about 4 feet long, 1 foot 6 inches deep, and 1 foot 6 inches wide. Without enlarging the top, hollow out the sides, from above downward, until the floor is about 2 feet 6 inches wide. The sides will thus form something of an arch, and be much better than vertical sides. At about one foot from the end dig a trench of convenient dimensions for one man to stand in, to attend to the oven. A suitable size would be 2 feet 6 inches in depth, 4 feet in length, and 2 feet 6 inches in width. Dig down the partition between the oven and the trench for the door. At the back end of the oven dig a small hole, slanting downward, for the flue. Lay green poles close together across the oven, and stop up the interstices with grass or weeds ; then plaster over the covering with a thick layer of stiff mud, after which place more poles across and cover with another layer of mud. If pressed for time this last mud may be omitted, and grain sacks or brush may be spread over the second layer of poles and dry earth shoveled on. Dig a ditch around the oven and trench to keep out water in rainy weather.
Such an oven may be built by two men in one hour and a half. It is not durable, as the roof must soon burn out, but it has the advantage of being easily constructed and available for immediate use. Although much inferior to the clay or bank oven, it might sometimes be serviceable to troops on the march.