Go over the valve gear and make sure that there is no looseness or play in the eccentrics or pins, and that all of the bolts and keys are tight and in place. Loose connections in the valve gear are not only productive of knocks and wear but also tend to increase the fuel consumption of the engine. When possible, indicator cards should be taken at intervals to make sure that the valves are correctly set. In a test recently made by the author, the indicator cards showed a defective setting due to wear, that when corrected saved the owner of the engine about 600 pounds of coal per day, and as the coal cost $9.50 per ton delivered in the field, the saving soon paid for the expense of the test. Points of adjustment are provided on all valve gears, and as they differ in detail for each engine we cannot give explicit directions for settling the valves, but will leave this point for the direction book of the maker. The governor and governor belt should now receive attention making sure that there are no loose points or nuts in the mechanism and that the governor belt is in good condition. Defective governor belts are dangerous through the possibility of over speeding. Slipping or oily belts not only increase the chances of fly-wheel explosions, but also cause a fluctuation in the speed which is not desirable especially in threshing, where good results are obtained only by a constant speed. Make sure that the safety lever works properly and shuts off the steam with a loose or broken belt. Test the governor valve stem for sticking or for rough shots that are likely to cause uneven running. Keep the governor well lubricated with light oil, and keep the oil off the belt as much as possible. Governor valve should be carefully tested for tightness and freedom. The throttle valve must be absolutely steam tight for a leaking valve is a dangerous proposition especially in stopping the engine. It is generally arranged so that it can be reground with pumice stone or crocus powder and oil. If the valve is of bronze or brass do not use emery or carborundum for the particles will become imbedded in the soft metal and put it in a worse condition than ever. Pack the valve stem.