Farm Book, page 71
by Thomas Jefferson


Fuel and light.

Comparative expence of candles and lamps. a common glass lamp, with a flat wick 1/2 an I. wide was placed beside a mould candle of the size called sixes, & allowed both to burn 16 1/2 hours without being moved. in that time, 2 3/5 candles were consumed, a 1/3 pint of oil. from the experiment it appears that 1. gallon of oil will burn 402. hours, and that it requires 10 3/5 lb. of candle to burn the same time so that supposing oil to be .75 per gallon, it will be equal to mould candles at 7. cents per lb.. which shews the advantage of oil.

1/2 oz.. of powdered brimstone will instantly extinguish a chimney on fire, if thrown on the burning coals on the hearth.

May 22. 1826. a gallon of lamp oil, costing D. 1. 25 has lighted my chamber highly 25. nights, for 6. hours a night which is 5. cents a night & 150. hours

Timber

Get bark for tanning where your next clearing is to be, felling the tree & stripping it clean.

maul up every cut of timber which will make rails, stacking those not wanting for the present. let them be large.