84 



HISTORY OP FARM 



Fig. 44. Dan Beard's famous fire of four pine 

 knots: a, the preparation of one of the knots; 

 b, the placing and igniting of them. 



Dan Beard's famous 

 campfire 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 

 increase in size as the 

 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 bum, 

 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 4sa illustrates its con- 

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

 that will not bum 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- 

 ling and fagots and 



Fig. 45. A woodsman's long-keeping "top-fire": 

 a, beginmng; b, well under way and ready tor 



the rolling on of the side logs. 



