If you do, ashes and cinders will fall into the oven-flues, and they will soon be choked up, and require cleaning.

Another reason also lies in the fact that the stove-covers resting on red-hot coals soon burn out, and must be renewed; whereas, by carefully avoiding such chance, a stove may be used many years without crack or failure of any sort.
If fresh heat is required for baking or any purpose after the first four hours, let the fire burn low, then take off the covers, and with the poker _from the bottom_ rake out all the ashes thoroughly.

Then put in two or three sticks of wood, fill as before with fresh coal, and the fire is good for another four hours or more.

If only a light fire be required after dinner for getting tea, rake only slightly; then, fill with _cinders_, and close all the dampers.

Half an hour before using the stove, open them, and the fire will rekindle enough for any ordinary purpose.