Remove the covers, and brush the ashes from inside the top of the stove into the fire-box. Replace the covers, close the dampers, and turn over the grate. Shake the lower grate, letting the ashes sift through into the ash-pan. When the dust ceases to rise, brush out the oven, remove the cinders from the lower grate, and reserve them to burn again. When taken out in this way, the ashes in the pan will not require sifting. If there be no lower grate, remove the ashes and cinders together, and sift them. Pick over the cinders carefully, and throw out any stones, slaty pieces, or bits of clinker. These should never be burned, as they injure the lining of the tire-box ; but any pieces of half-burned coal should be saved. Always take out the ashes before lighting the fire, for if they are left in the pan, sparks and lighted coals will drop into them. It is then highly imprudent to remove them, unless they are to be placed in a fire-proof ash receiver. Fires have often been occasioned by careless storing of hot ashes.

Put into the fire-box, first, shavings or loose rolls of newspaper, letting them come close to the front; then fine pine kindlings, arranged crosswise, that the air may circulate freely between the pieces; be careful to have them touch each end of the fire-box that the coal may not drop through to the grate. Then put on enough hard wood, arranged in the same manner, to come to the top of the fire-box. Put on the covers, open the dampers, and brush the dust off the stove.

Moisten some stove-polish with cold water, and put it on the stove with the u dauber." Rub the blacking in thoroughly, then light the paper from below the grate, and while the fire is kindling polish the stove with the dry polishing brush. Blacken the stove while it is cold, but polish as it begins to heat.

When the wood is well kindled, put in a few more pieces of hard wood, and press the coals down to the grate. Put on coal enough to cover the wood, and when this has kindled fill the fire-box to the top of the lining. By making sure that the hard wood kindles first, and adding the coal gradually, much trouble is saved ; for unless the kindling be well seasoned, and part of it hard wood, and plenty of it used, it will either not kindle or it will burn out before the hard coal kindles, and then the coal must be removed and the fire rebuilt. The blazing heat from the wood alone warms the stove, and the oven quickly becomes hot. If you have charcoal or Franklin coal, it may be put on at first with the wood.

When the blue flame is no longer seen, close the oven damper; and as soon as the coal is burning freely, shut the front damper. Then regulate the fire by the slide or damper in the pipe.

While making and watching the fire, empty the tea-kettle, wipe out the inside, fill it and the reservoir with fresh water,- never from the hot-water tank, - finish polishing the sides and back of the range, and brush up the hearth and floor.

When a hot fire is needed for several hours, add a sprinkling of new coal before the first has burned out, and add to it often enough to keep the fire at a uniform heat. Be careful not to add enough to cover and thus check the fire, and never have the coal above the top of the lining.

When the fire is not needed for the present, add a little fresh coal, and close all the dampers in two or three minutes, or as soon as the blue flame disappears. Never shut off all the draught on a red-hot fire without putting on a little fresh coal, if you wish to keep it in good condition to use again. It is important to remember that when all the coals are red they are nearly burned out, and will not give out heat for so long a time as when partly black and partly red.

To quicken an old fire, open all the dampers; and if the coal is black or only partly burned on top, pick out the ashes underneath with the poker, and when it begins to burn more freely add a sprinkling of coal and shake the grate. Keep the grate free from ashes when a very hot oven is needed. But if the old fire has burned so low that all the coals look red or ashy, always put a few pieces of small coal on the red coals, and when these are burning add a few more carefully; then shake the grate gently, or pick out the ashes. If you shake a whity-red or dying fire, the ashes fly up and settle on the coals and put out the little life there is in them.

During cold weather, or when a fire is required for heating purposes as well as for cooking, it is more economical, with most first-class stoves, to keep the fire night and day, letting it go out occasionally if the grate become clogged. But when it is no longer wanted for either purpose, turn the grate over at once that there may be no unnecessary burning of the coal.

Once a month clean out the ashes and soot from the flues back of the oven and under it. There are openings made for that purpose.

When anything is spilled on a hot stove, scrape off the thickest part of it at once with an old knife, and wipe off the grease by rubbing hard with a crumpled newspaper.

Suggestion to the Teacher.

The first lesson should be mainly about the chemistry and management of the fire. Let the pupils become familiar with the names of, and places for, all the utensils; learn the table of abbreviations, and, after preparing the receipts, repeat from memory what they have done. But do not tell them about the composition of potatoes until the next lesson. For further information about fire, combustion, stoves, fuel, etc., see " Boston Cook Book," pages 1-8.

It may be more practicable in some localities to use a wood, gas or kerosene stove, and if so, pupils should be taught how to manage them, and especially to keep them clean and free from soot. The new portable stoves for the burning of the gas from denatured alcohol are particulary valuable for cooking schools in places remote from the gas supply, and for itinerant teachers.