1847. 
TOE CULTIVATOR. 
125 
the wood passing into the water, instead of being libe¬ 
rated, and becoming available, as would be the case if 
the wood was dry, and no water to heat.” 
In the first place, the assumption that “every cord of 
green wood ” contains “ six barrels of water,” borders a 
little too close on the marvelous to be readily compre¬ 
hended and swallowed by some of our old fashioned far¬ 
mers, who have more common sense than arithmetic. 
But admitting the assumption to be correct, it is by no 
means a necessary consequence “ that the other calcu¬ 
lations follow as a matter of course.” For if, as he says, 
six barrels of water are to be heated, and evaporated, 
while burning one cord of green wood, the heat neces¬ 
sary to boil and evaporate this quantity of water, is just 
as “ available ” in heating a room, as the same quantity 
of heat would be emanating from dry wood, or any other 
combustible substance. The same fire that heats and 
evaporates the water, heats the air also; and it is an 
error to suppose that any part of this heat is wasted and 
lost, any more than heat would be in the same situa¬ 
tion, caused by the combustion of dry wood, or any 
other kind of fuel. And the green Wood certainly has 
the advantage of being more permanent and lasting. It 
is not necessary, nor does it follow as a “ matter of 
course,” that all the water and moisture contained in 
wood, should be expelled to make it fit for the fire, and 
the most valuable for fuel. Under most circumstances, 
wood that is suddenly about half seasoned, is worth the 
most for fuel. Take, for example, a stick of green 
wood and put it into a heated oven, or expose it to the 
blaze of a hot fire, till it is a little scorched, or to the 
heat of the mid-summer sun; let it remain in either of 
those positions until one-half of the moisture is expelled, 
and it will be better and worth more for fuel than either 
green or thoroughly seasoned dry wood. If it could be 
done, it would be far better that wood should be sea¬ 
soned in two hours than in two years, as this writer 
recommends; because the quicker the expulsion of the 
sap and moisture is effected, the harder and more com¬ 
pact will be the wood; and fire is a good agent to ef¬ 
fect it. Acting from this principle, the back-woodsman 
heats his maul in hot embers, or in the blaze of a hot 
fire, to expel the moisture, and make it hard and dura¬ 
ble. And on this principle the heat that drives the wa¬ 
ter from the wood, at the same time hardens it, and from 
' this cause it is longer in being consumed, even after the 
water is thus expelled, than would be the same quan¬ 
tity, after having been subjected to the slow process of 
a two years’ seasoning. 
I think that Mr. Thomas, in making the above calcu¬ 
lations, multiplied the consideration of comfort by too 
large a factor, thus making it overbalance that of dol¬ 
lars and cents;—an error he was more careful to avoid 
in his subsequent calculations. J. Townsend. Zanes¬ 
ville, 0., Feb. 5th, 1847. 
Remarks. —On reading the preceding communication, 
from our esteemed correspondent carefully over, there 
does not appear to be anything in it that invalidates 
the correctness of the calculations referred to. 
The calculations were not based on the “ supposi¬ 
tion ” merely, but on the undoubted fact, that every 
cord of green wood contains six barrels of water, the 
experiments to prove which were carefully tried by 
accurate weighing, by the writer of these remarks; hence, 
he spoke from actual knowledge, and not from “ suppo¬ 
sition.” Other experiments may vary slightly, but not 
materially, the given result. In opposition to these 
actual experiments, it will be observed that our corres¬ 
pondent brings only the mere assertion, that it “ borders 
a little too close on the marvelous, to be readily compre¬ 
hended or swallowed,” 8tc. Why could he not have 
tried the experiment himself, by drying the wood in a 
warm room, instead of opposing the mere prejudice or 
opinion of “ old fashioned farmers,” to actual fact and 
correct calculation ? Why does he not shotv the error 
of this calculation, instead of merely condemning it in 
so summary a manner ? Why does he adduce the fact 
that many farmers are “ hard to convince,” as a proof 
that such farmers are necessarily correct ? 
He brings his mere isolated assertion to controvert 
the fact, that the heat which passes into water and be¬ 
comes latent, and ascends in this latent state up the 
stove-pipe or chimney, also at the same time cannot 
pass into the room and heat it. Can it be possible that 
he holds the opinion that any given quantity of heat may 
be in two places at once ? That is, that it may, at 
one and the same time, be passing into the water of the 
green wood to heat and evaporate it, and into the air of 
the room to heat that also ? When the heat of a fire 
is thus divided, a part at least must be lost; and that 
loss must be greater as the water in the wood is great¬ 
er. It is indeed true, that the same fire or blazing 
mass of fuel, which heats the room, also heats the water 
which passes up the chimney; but the same portion of 
heat from that fire, does not go both ways at once. 
He brings his mere assertions, unconnected with any 
substantial reason or argument, to prove that half sea¬ 
soned wood is better than wholly seasoned. For the 
reasons given in the “ calculations,” referred to, and 
from repeated direct experiments with stoves and hot¬ 
air furnaces, the writer of these remarks thinks far 
otherwise. It is indeed true that with an open fire¬ 
place, no advantage may result from the use of well 
seasoned wood, from the rapidity with which the in- 
increased heat is swept up the chimney; but our corres¬ 
pondent will observe that one object of those calcula¬ 
tions was to show the inutility of fire-places And it is 
also true that wood left to season in shady woods, or 
in wet places, may be half decayed and half spoiled, be¬ 
fore it is dry; but this does not prove that wood tho¬ 
roughly .seasoned under shelter while perfectly sound, is 
not better than green. 
It may be that the calculations were deficient in clear¬ 
ness, and thus led to misapprehension; the writer there¬ 
fore hopes he may be excused for thus more fully ex¬ 
plaining himself. .. T. 
Experiment with Indian Corn. —Enclosed I send 
you a statement of the result of an experiment made to 
satisfy myself as to the injury the corn crop would sus¬ 
tain from the practice of pulling off the blades at the 
usual time of “ fodder gathering.” I regret much that I 
did not take the tops from one set of rows; but I have 
but little doubt that it is a more injurious practice than 
either of the others. I felt anxious to know if the practic$ 
of cutting up the corn at the roots, which does not pre¬ 
vail in our section of country, would not injure the crop; 
and although from my experiment there was no materi¬ 
al loss sustained, yet the experiment did not satisfy me, 
as from indisposition of myself at the time at which the 
corn arrived at the state that it is usually recommended 
to be cut, it was neglected, and consequently not cut 
till the blades were nearly all dry, and the corn fully 
matured. The extract annexed was taken from a let¬ 
ter written to my nephew at Marion, Alabama; 
You desire to know the result of an experiment made 
on the corn, from a part of which you assisted me in 
taking the fodder, in order to ascertain what loss it would 
sustain from being deprived of its blades at the usual 
time of “ fodder pulling.” You will recollect we laid 
off 12 short rows, as near equal in quality as were to 
be found in the field,—that on rows Nos. 1, 4, 7, and 
10, the fodder was left; as it was also on Nos. 2, 5, 8, 
and 11; that from Nos. 3, 6, 9, and 12. the blades were 
taken to the top. Nos. 1, &c., were left with blades on 
till gathered. Nos. 2, &c., stood till the blades were 
all dry to the ear, and some to the top, then cut off at 
the root and shocked up as tops are usually put up to 
cure when cut. Nos. 3, 8cc., remained on the ground, 
