88 



XATL'RAL HISTORY OF THE FARM 



^:^.-a 



n I, 2, and 3 to bum out. With the 

 apparatus shown in figure 47 any- 

 one can start a fire by friction of one 



and timing the disappearance first 

 of flame, and then of red glow. 



3. The burning quality of the 

 same kind of wood in diff"erent con- 

 ditions, green and dead, sapwood 

 and heartwood; dead wood wet and 

 dn,', sound and ])unk; pieces from 

 knot and from straight-grained por- 

 tions, etc., mav be tested as in 



Fig. 47. Rubbing sticks for , 



firc-n.aking: a. drill-socket, paragraph I. 

 to which pressure is applied . . i i r 



with the left hand (a pine 4. Anacnt mcthods ot startmg a 



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



it will do for this); b. the lire may bc demonstrated m thc mtcr- 



drill, an octagonal hardwood , , ., . . r ^^ • ■% 



stick about fifteen inches Vals WhllC WaitUlg lOr thC piCCCS USCQ 

 long; the top should work 

 smoothly in the drill socket; 

 c, inelastic bow for rotating 

 drill. It is moved horizont- 

 ally back and forth with the 

 right hand; its cord, <f , is a 

 leather thong with enough . - ^ , , 



slack to tightly encircle the piccc 01 wooQ upon anothcr and care- 

 drill once; e, fire board of . ,, . ^ n 1 • 1 



dr>- balsam fir. or of cotton- lully nursuig thc iirst rcsultmg Spark. 



wood root . or even of bass- _,, . - , , . , , 



wood. Obser\'e how the Tlmt and stccl and tmdcr inay also 



notches are cut with sides , . . 



flaring downward; a little pit DC tncd. 



to receive the point of the „ . . .... 



fire drill is at the apex of 5. bomc mtcrcstmg peculiantics 



each one; / is a used-out . . , - - 



notch; 2 is yet in use; j is a oi ccrtam woods mav bc sho^^^l at a 



new unused notch. The ^ 



rotating of the drill with common Tire: 



pressure from above rubs off , ^ _, - . , , 



a brownish wood powder (a) Bv havmg grccu chumcs 



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



notch and smokes, and then, blUTLing at OnC CUd, tllC liqUldS lU 

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



A dr>' piece of punk should thc wood may bc made visible. 



be placed beneath the notch /-, 1 -n 1 i 



to catch it, and some fine Grecn clm Will cxudc watcr at thc 



tinder (such as may be , - - 1 -n r 1 



readily made by scraping OthCr Cnd ; TCd maplC Will trotll j 

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



be added to catch the first hickory Will cxudc a vciy Imiited 

 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. 



