84 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THK FARM 



Dan Beard's famous 

 caiiip-fire of four pine 

 knots illustrates well 

 the principles of fire 

 niakinj:^. Each knot is 

 cleft in tapering shav- 

 ings, which, ignited at 

 their tips, gradually 



Fig. M. D;in Beards famous fire of four pine inr*rf»acp in ci-z/^ nc fhn. 

 knr.ts: a. the preparation of one of the knots; mcrcase Ul SlZC aS tnc 

 b. the placing and igniting of them. ^j.^ j.^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ 



and the heat increases. They are set with thick ends 

 upward and bases outspread, admitting air freely below. 

 They are leaned against one another, and as the}^ bum, 

 they automatically come closer together. 



The "top-fire" of the Adirondack woodsmen illustrates 

 excellently a long-keeping fire, that is based on a discriminat- 

 ing knowledge of fuel values. Figure 45a, illustrates its con- 

 struction at the start. Two water-logged chunks of hemlock 

 that will not bum out, scr\'e as "andirons" to hold up the 

 sides and insure a con- 

 tinuous air supply 

 from below. A smooth 

 platfonn of freshly cut 

 yellow birch poles is laid 

 upon these. The yellow 

 birch, even when green, 

 has good fire-keeping 

 qualities. Hickory 

 would scn^e the pur- 

 pose. An ordinar}- fire 

 is then built upon the 

 top of the birch plat- 



fomiby means of kind- pic. 4.-5. a woodsman's long-kceping "top-fire" 

 linrr nnri fntrotc nnri a. bcKinninR; b. well under way and ready for 



ung ana lagots ana the roiling on of the side logs. 



