84 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 
NS their tips, gradually 
Fig. 44, Dax Beards famoug fire of font pine increase in size as the 
b, the placing and igniting of them. fire runs along them 
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 itscon- 
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 
frombelow. A smooth 
platform of freshly cut 
yellow birch polesis laid 
upon these. The yellow 
birch, even when greén, 
has good fire-keeping 
qualities. Hickory 
would serve the pur- 
pose. An ordinary fire 
is then built upon the 
top of the birch plat- d 
form by means of kind- Fic. 45. A woodsman’s long-keeping ‘‘top-fire’’ 
: a, beginning; b, well under way and ready for 
ling and fagots and the rolling on of the side logs. 
