CHARCOAL 241 



at the base, about 30 ft. across the top, and the pile usually assumes the 

 shape of a truncated cone. This pit will yield about 2000 bu. of char- 

 coal, and before burning, contains about 55 cords of lodgepole pine. 

 Some pits in the lodgepole pine forest contain as high as 65 to 70 cords 

 each. It requires about twenty-one days and nights of average weather 

 conditions to complete the carbonization of an average pit of 55 cords. 

 On these piles the wood is first covered with pine needles or grass or hay, 

 and then covered with dirt and sod. 



In Sweden and Austria charcoal pits containing up to 80 cords of 

 wood each are common ; in the Austrian Tyrol there are piles frequently 

 containing up to 60 cords, while those in France, Spain and Italy contain 

 only from 10 to 30 to 40 cords, or even less. In Austria there are several 

 beech forests, which can be profitably utilized only by conversion of the 

 wood into the form of charcoal, on account of the inaccessibility of these 

 forests and the difficulty in transportation in the raw wood state. 



Mathey states that the time required for burning charcoal pits depends 

 largely upon the volume of wood involved. Under average conditions, 

 the following number of days are required for burning different sized pits: 1 



TIME REQUIRED FOR BURNING OAK AND BEECH CHARCOAL BY THE OPEN- 

 PIT METHOD 



It is claimed by experienced charcoal burners that new locations of 

 pits do not give as good results as when old places are used. The accessi- 

 bility and convenience to the wood supply generally governs the question 

 of moving to new ground. The space chosen for burning should satisfy 

 the following conditions: 



1. It should require little work in clearing and preparation. 



2. It should be accessible and convenient to the wood supply, 

 as well as affording good means of transporting the product to 

 market. 



3. It should be near and convenient to a water supply. 



4. It should be well protected from the wind. 



1 See " Traite d'Exploitation Commerciale des Bois," by A. Mathey, Vol. II, p. 40. 



