peaches, apples, apricots, and prunes;
cereals; and puddings.

The fireless cookers described in the following pages are not
experiments. They have all been tested and found to be most practical.

DIRECTIONS FOR FIRELESS COOKER--NO. I

While there are many good fireless cookers on the market which cost from
five to twenty-two dollars, according to size and make, it is possible
to construct a home-made cooker which will give very satisfactory
results and will be considerably cheaper than one which is purchased in
the shops.

Materials required: A box or some other outside container; some good
insulating or packing material; an inside container for the kettle, or a
lining for the nest in which the kettle is placed; a kettle for holding
the food; and a cushion, or pad, of insulating material, to cover the
top of the kettle.

THE OUTSIDE CONTAINER

For the outside container a tightly built wooden box, such as that shown
in Figure 39, is satisfactory. The walls should be thick and of some
non-conducting material. An old trunk, a small barrel, or a large butter
or lard firkin or tin will serve the purpose. Another possibility is a
galvanized iron bucket with a closely fitting cover (this has the
advantage of being fire-proof). A shoe box 15 by 15 by 28 inches is
convenient in size, since it may be divided into two compartments. It
should have a hinged cover and, at the front, a hook and staple, or
some other device to hold down the cover tightly; an ordinary clamp
window fastener answers this purpose very well. The size of the
container, which depends upon the size of the kettle used, should be
large enough to allow for at least four inches of packing material all
round the nest in which the kettle is placed.

[Illustration: _Fig._ 39.--Completed fireless cooker]

THE INSULATING MATERIAL

For packing or insulating material a variety of substances may be used.
Asbestos and mineral wool are the best, and have the additional
advantage that they cannot burn. Ground cork (used in packing Malaga
grapes), hay, excelsior, Spanish moss, wool, and crumpled paper may also
be used satisfactorily. Of these materials crumpled paper is probably
the best, as it is clean and odourless and, if properly packed, will
hold the heat better than the others. It is wise to line the box with
one thickness of heavy paper or with several thicknesses of newspaper,
to make it as air-tight as possible. Asbestos sheeting may be used
instead