NEEDHAM 



THE FUEL WOODS OF THE FARM 



283 



was needed: there was always excess of kindling-stiiffs 

 available for making quick fires. 



All wood will bum and give forth heat, but one who knows 

 woods will not use all kinds: it is only the degenerate 



Fig. 43. Western yellow pine dismantled and ignited by lightning (U. S. 

 Bureau of Forestry.) 



modern, who will do that : who will go to the telephone and 

 order a cord of wood without further specifications. Heavy, 

 close grained, hard woods as a rule bum more slowly and 

 yield more heat than the lighter more open-textured soft 

 woods. Combustible resins vary the rate of burning, and the 

 amount of heat produced : but the greatest differences in 

 burning qualities are due to the amount of water present. A 

 punky old log that when dry will bum like tinder will soak up 

 water like a sponge and, becoming "water logged," will not 



