The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-07-02
(Coneluded.)

VI eeeded very well in Woodland
clearings and elsewhere where
similar conditions prevailed, Sparks
very soon found that in other localities
it would fail. For instance, the Wood
land method would not do the business
in sandy soil.
1t took many months to surmount this
difficulty. Finally, laying aside for the
moment the study of different meehani-
cal steps to produce burning, Sparks
delved into the science of heat, rada.
tlon, combustion, and kindred subjects,
seeking IN the foundation sciences of it
all the solution for his problem. He
eventually succeeded. working out his
conclusion in this wise:
The covering is put on the wood to
keep the air from reaching the fire in a
volume which would produce complete
combustion. But that is not ALL The
covering is put on to conserve the heat.
Therefore, good covering must be a
non-conductor of heat. Such covering
should be loose and fluffy, one which
does not run together and solidify under
the Influence of heat Clay is such
covering, and sand is not.
Now, why is this truei Well, in the
first place, "dead air. is the most eff
fective barrier to the radiation of heat
that is known. Anyone who has built
house or even lived in one knows that
house with double walls is warmer in
the winter than house with single
walls. But what has this to do with the
covering over the kindling wood which
is to fire a stumpf
Simply this: Each minute pore space
In the soil composing the cover contains
a small bit of air. The sum total of air
thus retained is considerable, and is a
dead air space. Heat escaping through
the covering must warm the imprisoned
air before getting out, and that is not
quickly done So the heat of the fire
is held under the cover.
Right Kind of Soil
Clay IS the right kind of soil, but
Why There are two principal reasons.
The first $ that clay soils are usually
enriched by considerable amount of de-
cayed organic material, leaves particles
of roots, and other combustible sub
stance. When the clay becomes intense
ly heated, the organic material is con
sumed, leaving small cavities which i'm
mcdiatcly ill up with air. Thus a clay
SOL becomes light and fluffy when sub
iected to heat.
The second reason why clay is good
for covering is that it does not run
into the fire and smother it. In this
particular sand fails. The particles are
so loosely "bound - together that they
sft down into the fire, and also, when
the organic material contained in the
sand is burned out, the mass settles to-
gcther in a solid mass. Sand used for
covering not only smothers the fire by
pouring into it, but packs together and
excludes the air, making combustion
quite impossible.
To overcome the difficulties encoun-
tered where sandy covering is alone
available, Sparks tried artificial GOV
erings such as sheet iron, tin and the
like, all of which failed He also tried
lime, tar, and many different substances
as a binder" to hold the sandy soil
together, and again failed Finally he
tried cinders and ashes for the covering
where clay soil was not available. He
succeeded. Ashes, while unlike clay,
remain light and fluffy during the fir
ing, which is the desirable thing.
Recent Demonstration.
In recent demonstration showing
how to ehar-pt stumps in sandy soil,
the bark was removed from the stumps
and roots where the fire was to be ap-
piled. A shallow trench was made
around the stump, and into this was
placed the fuel covered over with a
mixture of ashes and cinders. Two
operators fired IS stumps in six hours,
and Is were burning the following morn
ing. Three had been put out by heavy
rain. The other stumps were char
pitted.
In the way described the problem of
sandy soils was settled. Then another
difficulty arose. When the soil was
rioht and all other conditions for fir |