Edward F, White, age 11, of Rome, New York) for his question:

How do you make charcoal?

Summer is on the way and many lucky families will be cooking outdoors over glowing charcoal fires. The charcoal you buy is made in special up ­to‑date ovens. But it is still possible to make it by the simple methods used since time began. With modern equipment, 100 pounds of wood yields about 30 pounds of charcoal. By the old fashioned method, 100 pounds of wood yields 20 pounds or less,

Charcoal is partly burned., or slowly roasted wood. It contains a high percentage of carbon. However, it is the materials mixed with the carbon which make it burn. The trick is to drive off certain materials in the wood, but not all of them: This is done by slow fire where not much draft is present.

The charcoal burner of old did his work in the woods. He chose a clearing and dug a pit. Into the pit went the wood which was to be burned into charcoal. Over the pit, the charcoal maker built a cane of wooden slats. The wooded cone was covered with sods of turf or with dampened ashes„ A few small holes were left at the bottom of the mound to let in air and another hole was left at the top of the cone.

Inside the charcoal mound, the wood burned very, very slowly. There was no draft to make it blaze away with smoke end flames. A blazing fire reduces a pile of wood to a handful of ashes. In the charcoal mound this did not happen. The slow fire turned certain substances in the wood into gases and drove them off. The wood became charred.

This slow burning took‑perhaps several days, When the wood was burned or charred to the right degree, the charcoal burner stopped it from burning any further. He shoveled earth over the entire mound, stopping up all the holes. This cut off the air supply. The fire no longer burned. The charred, partly burned wood was left to cool for several days. Inside the covered mound it became crisp, dry charcoal.

It is inexpensive and not too hard to make charcoal by this process. But it is long rind tiresome. By modern methods, the wood is roasted slowly in closed. retorts. The process is faster and it yields more charcoal. What's more, certain by‑products such as tar, acetic acid and acetone are saved.

Charcoal is also made from bones, ins with the wood, the material is slowly roasted. Water vapor, oil and gases are driven off. Lone charcoal is a wonderful filter material. It soaks up odors, impurities and even color particles from certain substances filtered through it. Sugar syrup is purified by filtering it through bone charcoal.

Wood charcoal is also a good filter. In some areas, the water supply is purified by filtering it through a bed. of wood charcoal. Charcoal also has a role in industry. It is used in the manufacture of glass and the curing of tobacco. It is also added to the food we give some of our farm animals.