FIREWOOD. 167 



Vigorous birch trees afford the best shoots for brooms. Brooms 

 are also made of broom, Genista, peeled osiers, &c. 



[In India large quantities of prickly bushes are used annually for 

 making temporary dead fences round the crops in the dry season, 

 and are used for fuel, or left to rot, when the cattle come into the 

 fields to graze on the stubble after the harvest in April. — Tr.] 



Subdivision II. — Firewood or Cordwood. 



It might be imagined from the mauitold uses to which timber 

 is put, and which have just been described, that nearly all the 

 wood produced by forests is thus utilized. Further on in this book 

 the relative quantities of timber and firewood produced by forests 

 will be discussed, but it should now be noted that firewood still 

 forms a large portion of forest produce. 



Next to food and clothing, fuel is, in temperate regions, the 

 most indispensable material for humanity, for protection 

 against the cold, cooking food and manufactures. Other 

 fuels however, coal, coke, &c., compete with wood-fuel and 

 reduce its price, so that every forest-owner should devote more 

 and more attention to timber, the value of which is steadily 

 increasing. We are not yet able, however, to dispense with 

 wood- fuel, which (in Germany) still competes fairly with coal, 

 and is preferred in many countries. As regards the various 

 modes of consumption of firewood, the following classification 

 may bo adopted : — 



1. Fircivood used/or its Heatiiif/ Power. 



In this case, wood is either totally consumed at one time, or is 

 first partially consumed and converted into charcoal, a more 

 serviceable form of fuel than firewood, which is also used for 

 heating purposes. 



Firewood is chiefly burned directly for heating apartments, or 

 for cooking food, washing, drying, 6:c. Hardwoods which give 

 out a more lasting, uniform heat than softwoods are preferred to 

 the latter for the above household purposes. For boiling food or 

 heating boilers, as in kitchens, hard dense woods are preferred ; 

 for baking or roasting, when a quick intense heat is required, 

 porous softwood or charcoal is preferable. It is not always 



