A cement that will not crumble and break away from joints in a cooking range and from around the front edges of range covings cannot be obtained. The heat appears to affect the cement, but the real cause is the expansion and contraction of the range parts when heating and cooling. A slow-setting cement might be used, so that when the fire is lighted the range parts and cement may accommodate themselves to each other. If care is taken to keep the joint very small common glaziers' putty could be used; this answers well, as it eventually hardens with the heat. But better still will be to have the stone jambs tight up or overlapping the edges of the covings; or provide a moulded edg3 up each side and across the top of the range to overlap the jambs and frieze.