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ON THE IIU11AE ECONOMY

Another kind of fuel, not much used, is coal dross, mixedwith clay*, which makes a very lasting fire.

In the Island of North Ronaldsha, in Orkney , they usecow-dung in great quantities for fuel. They make it up intocircular pieces, about two or three inches thick, and eight indiameter. These they stick against the walls of buildings todry, and pile them up for winter use. This is done in sum-mer ; ill the course of which they also dry great quantities ofthe strong tangles, or stalks of red ware, (Fucus digitalis ofLinnaeus ), and pile them up as peats are piled in other places.There is no peat in this island, which compels the inhabitantsto adopt these practices.

It appears by the Agricultural Report of Aberdeenshire ,that when the peat or turf is of inferior quality, a little coal ismixed with it, which renders it more useful as fuel. “ Theunfavourable season of 1800 first taught the farmers in Aber-deenshire , when their peats were very ill dried, and their turfof a bad quality, to mix a small proportion of coals, whichhad a very great effect in rendering their otherwise bad fuel,both comfortable and serviceable. The mode of using themis this: The hearth is clean swept, and the small coals areput above the half-burnt peats, then the turf or imperfectlydried peat, is laid above the coals. After this has begun tocake, and is kindled completely, the coal is gently stirred,when it inflames and consumes the fuel that is of inferior qua-lity.”

* It way sometimes mixed with cow-dung gathered on the pastures, until thefarmers were obliged to prevent such a practice, by punishing the offenders.