NEEDHAM 



THE FUEL WOODS OF THE FARM 



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, sapwood 

 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: o, drill-socket, paragraph i. 

 to which pressure is applied . . , .11 r , 1 ' 



with the left hand (a pine 4. Ancicnt mcthods of startmg a 



knot with a shallow hole in y, , , j^ . j • . 1 • ^ 



it will do for this); h, the firc may bc demonstrated m the mtcr- 



drill, an octagonal hardwood , ,., ... r ,-> • j 



stick about fifteen inches ValS WhllC Waiting tOr the plCCCS USeO. 

 long; the top should work . 1^1 - ttt-^i 



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

 c, inelastic bow for rotating 

 drill. It is moved horizont- 

 ally back and forth with the 

 right hand; its cord, d, is a 

 leather thong with enough . « ^ - - 



slack to tightly encircle the piccc of wood upon another and care- 

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



dry balsam fir, or of cotton- fully nursmg thc first rcsultiug Spark. 



wood root, or even of bass t-», . , 1 , i -1 . • -1 1 



Flint and steel and tinder may also 



the apparatus shown in fig. 47 any- 

 one can start a fire by friction of one 



wood. Observe how the 



notches are cut with sides 



flaring downward, a little pit 



to receive the point of the 



fire drill is at the apex of 



each one; / is a used-out 



notch: 2 is yet in use; j is a 



new unused notch: the 



rotating of the drill with 



pressure from above rubs off 



a brownish wood powder 



which falls beneath the 



notch and smokes, and then, 



with gentle fanning, ignites. 



A dry piece of punk should 



be placed beneath the notch 



to catch it, and some fine 



tinder (such as may be 



readily made by scraping 



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



be added to catch the first hlckory Will CXUdc 



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. 



be tried. 



5. Some interesting peculiarities 

 of certain woods may be shown at a 

 common fire: 



(a) By having green chunks, 

 burning at one end the liquids in 

 the wood may be made visible. 

 Green elm will exude water at the 

 other end; red maple will froth; 

 a very limited 



