The Western outlook., 1916-03-11
VARIETIES OF STOVES
NATIONS HAVE DIFFERENT METH.
DDS OF KEEPING WARM.
Russian Sleeps Over Brick Contriv.
ance In Which Slow Fire Burns
Hollands Heating Arrangement
Perhaps Most Economical.

The stove is, comparatively speak
ing, 6 new invention. So late as the
time of Queen Elizabeth people did
not have chimneys; they built their
fires in q round hearth in the middle
of the room, and when chimneys were
introduced, the old-fashioned folk all
grumbled, because, they said, smoky
air was good for colds. But to the
eastward stoves Of brick and porce'
lain were commonly used.
A stove made of brick is used fP
Russia, and in it slow fire burns all
night long. On top of 1t, when night
comes, the peasant and his whole fam.
lily, In their sheepskins, lie down and
go to sleep. 1t Is nice and warm, rath-
er like window seat that Is over
radiator, and sometimes there is
second shelf overhead for any stran,
ger who may be staying overnight.
The brick stove of the Russian
peasant, In all probability, came over
land from China too long ago to talk
about, for the Chinese have stoves OF
brick and clay shaped something like
it.
In Japan there Is not much need OF
keeping warm, but whatever stoves
there are in Japanese home are low,
for the life here is all carried on sit
ting or kneeling on the floor. There
is rough clay stove, made especially
for the great rice kettle. that costs
only a few cents, and when broken
the poorest can buy another. There
is dainty little charcoal stove on
which the cooking is done, and beside
it stands pretty basket filed with
the softest and finest charcoal. There
is also small stove or furnace to heat
the water for the bath. And still
more odd is the little earthen bed
stove, used as we use hot-water bot
tie, shaped like a curled-up cat, and
1t is called "neko" (the kitten).
The German stove cf porcelain, with
its curious decorations, has figured in
many a story Of German life. A por-
celain stove will hold the heat long
time and keep room warm with but
little attention.
In Holland, where the working peo-
pie are often at home for little while
at noon, they have the most thrifty
arrangement Of all-what might be
called portable stove, stove in an
iron bucket When the children come
home from school and the older peo-
pie from work at noon, instead OF
lighting the kitchen fire, one of the
children takes the fire bucket and
trots around the corner to the fire
woman's. The bucket is Just large
enough to hold piece of burning peat
or some live Goals, and teakettle sits
on top The old woman who sells fire
and hot water fills the bucket and ket-
tie for tiny sum, and the child goes
home with just enough fire and water
enough for the family dinner.
Charcoal Is commonly used for
cooking in France, Italy and Spain, be-
cause it makes small, hot fire. The
Italian keeps warm (or says he does)
over a small fire of what we would call
an earthen hand-warmer with Goals in
it, called scaldino. Only within the
last few years has it been possible to
find rooms that were heated on the
American plan anywhere in Europe.
The people keep warmer in this coun-
try than in any other spot on the sur
face of the globe in the temperate or
frigid zone.