Always start your engine slowly, so that the air and water condensation can be expelled from your cold cylinder; then you will gradually bring it to its regular speed.

Keep open the drip cock, both in the front and back ends of the cylinder, when the engine is standing still, and never close them until all the water has dripped out.

Never let in any oil or tallow to your cylinder until it is made hot by the steam.

Be careful not to put in too much oil at any time, knowing, as you do, that it will be sent to the feed-water causing your boiler to prime and foam.

Always oil up before starting your engine.

Generally, when you pack the piston packing, both cylinder and packing are cold, and if they are screwed or wedged in very tight while in this condition that the expansion, when exposed to the heat of the steam, will induce great rigidity.

Then the oil or lubricating substance cannot enter between the surfaces in contact, and that great friction, heating and cutting will be the result.

When packing loses its elasticity it is no good, and should be removed.

Piston or valve-rod packing, should never be screwed up more than sufficient to prevent it from leaking, and that the softer the packing the longer it will last and the better your engine will run.

For Steam-Heating of Houses.

To estimate for the steam-heating of dwellings it is safe to allow one square foot of boiler surface for each ten square feet of radiating surface. Small boilers should be larger proportionately than large boilers.

Each horse-power of boiler will supply from 250 to 350 feet of 1-inch conducting pipes, which equals about 80 to 120 square feet of radiating surface.

It is safe to estimate that under ordinary circumstances, one horse-power of boiler capacity will heat about as follows :

15,000 to 20,000 cubic feet in brick buildings in blocks.

10,000 to 15,000 cubic feet in brick stores in blocks.

10,000 to 15,000 cubic feet in brick dwellings, exposed all sides.

7,000 to 10,000 cubic feet in brick mills, shops, etc.

7,000 to 10,000 cubic feet in wooden buildings, exposed.

6,000 to 10,000 cubic feet in foundries and wooden shops.

All the joints should be made steam and water tight, as the slightest leak in a steam-heating system is apt to damage furniture, curtains, carpets, etc., if the steam is intended to heat a dwelling. Red or white lead is all right as material to make up joints, but graphite is much better. For gaskets there is nothing better than asbestos.