NEEDHAM 



THE FUEL WOODS OF THE FARM 



289 



and timing the disappearance first 

 of flame, and then of red glow. 



3. The burning quality of the 

 same kind of wood in different con- 

 ditions, green and dead, sap wood 

 and heartwood; dead wood wet and 

 dry, sound and punk; pieces from 

 knot and from straight grained por- 

 tions, etc., may be tested as in 



Fig. 47. Rubbing sticks for , _ 



fire making: a, drill-socket, paragraph 1. 

 to which pressure is applied . . 



with the left hand (a pine 4. Aucicnt mcthods of Starting a 



knot with a shallow hole in „ , , , . , . 



it will do for this); b, the firc may bc demonstrated lu thc mtcr- 



dr:ll. an octagonal hardwood - ^ .. . . . ^ . 



stick about fifteen inches vals whilc Waiting for the picccs used 



long; the top should work . , , 



smoothly in the drill socket; in I, 2, and 3 tO bum OUt. With 



c, inelastic bow for rotating - , . _ 



drill. It is moved horizont- the apparatus shown m fig. 47 any- 



ally back and forth with the ^ , . . . 



right hand; its cord, d. is a One cau Start a fire by friction of one 



leather thong with enough . • ., 



slack to tightly encircle the piecc ot wood upou another and care- 

 drill once; e, fire board of . ,, . ■, r- ^ ■ 



dry balsam fir, or of cotton- lully nursiug the first rcsulting Spark. 



wood root, or even of bass t-,,. ' , 1 . , 



wood. Observe how the i^liut and stcel and tmder mav also 



notches are cut with sides 1 ■ j 



flaring downward, a little pit bC tried. 



to receive the point of the _ . . , . . . 



fire drill is at the apex of 5. bomc interesting peculiarities 



each one; i is a used-out r ■ 



notch: 2 is yet in use; 3 is a oi Certain woods may be shown at a 



new unused notch: the „ 



rotating of the drill with COmmon firC ! 

 pressure from above rubs off , , __ , . 



a brownish wood powder (a) By haviug grccn chuiiks, 



which falls beneath the - . --,..-. 



notch and smokes, and then, bUITUng at Olie end thc liqUldS lU 

 with gentle fanning, ignites. - , , . .- - 



A drv' piece of punk should the wood may bc made visible. 



be placed beneath the notch _, - .,, 



to catch it, and some fine G-rccn clm Will exudc watcr at the 



tinder (such as may be - - ^ ,.,,.- 



readily made by scraping Othcr Clld ; rcd Uiaplc Will frOth; 

 fine, dry cedar wood) should -, • ■, .., , -. . - 



be added to catch the first hickory Will cxudc a vcry limited 



quantity of delicious "hickory honey." 

 (b) By burning pieces of chestnut, sumach, etc., the crack- 

 ling of woods may be demonstrated : also the ember throw- 

 ing habit of hemlock. A shower of sparks may be had by 

 throwing on green and leafy boughs of hemlock and balsam. 



