8 4 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE FARM 



Dan Beard's famous 

 camp-fire of four pine 

 knots illustrates well 

 the principles of fire 

 making. Each knot is 

 cleft in tapering shav- 

 ings, which, ignited at 

 their tips, gradually 



Fig. 44. Dan Beard's famous fire of four pine innroGcp i-n oi^o oo ¥\\a 

 knots: o, the preparation of one of the knots; UiCTedbe in Size ah me 

 b, the placing and igniting of them. f^g run g a l ong t\ iSm 



and the heat increases. They are set with thick ends 

 upward and bases outspread, admitting air freely below. 

 They are leaned against one another, and as they burn, 

 they automatically come closer together. 



The "top-fire" of the Adirondack woodsmen illustrates 

 excellently a long-keeping fire, that is based on a discriminat- 

 ing knowledge of fuel values. Figure 45a, illustrates its con- 

 struction at the start. Two water-logged chunks of hemlock 

 that will not burn out, serve as "andirons" to hold up the 

 sides and insure a con- 

 tinuous air supply 

 from below. A smooth 

 platform of freshly cut 

 yellow birch poles is laid 

 upon these. The yellow 

 birch, even when green, 

 has good fire-keeping 

 qualities. Hickory 

 would serve the pur- 

 pose. An ordinary fire 

 is then built upon the 

 top of the birch plat- 

 form by means of kind- Fw. 48. A woodsman's long-keeping "top-fire" 

 liner nnrl faowra anrl a, beginning; 6, well under way and ready for 

 ling ana iagOTS ana the rolling on of the side logs. 



