40 OUR VANISHING FORESTS 



and It is a sad sight for the visitor from the east to 

 see hundreds upon hundreds of cords feeding the 

 mill burners simply because of the prohibitive cost 

 of transportation. Perhaps it may be of some com- 

 fort to know that in many European countries, 

 where wood is almost the only fuel, the pre-war 

 price was equivalent to at least fifteen or twenty 

 dollars per cord. 



The person who burns wood at home often wants 

 to know what kind to buy — what kind will give him 

 the best return in heat or pleasant companionship 

 for his money. It is a hard question to answer, as 

 some love the snapping cheerfulness of a pine blaze, 

 while others prefer the slow steady heat of a hard- 

 wood fire. The choice is also limited by the kind 

 of wood available in the immediate vicinity. 

 Hickory is a long burner and an excellent heat pro- 

 ducer. Beech is a general all round favorite. Oak, 

 birch, and maple, elm and cherry are also good fuel 

 woods. The best of the pines is the Longleaf of the 

 south; southern Shortleaf pine, hemlock, Douglas 

 fir, gum, sycamore and soft maple forming a some- 

 what secondary group. Eastern red cedar burns 

 with a pleasant odor, but produces only about half 

 the heat of the hardwoods. Poplar, Norway and 

 white pine, cypress, basswood, spruce and catalpa 

 also belong in the inferior class, but when thor- 



