334 
SCOUTING FOR GIRLS 
fire — can’t git near; Injun make um little fire — git close. 
Uh, good/ 
Kindling 
“The best kindling is fat pine or the bark of the paper 
birch. Fat pine is found in the stumps and butt cuts 
of pine trees, particularly those that died on the stump. 
The resin has collected there and dried. This wood is 
usually easy to split. Pine knots are the tough, heavy, 
resinous stubs of limbs that are found on dead pine 
trees. They, as well as fat pine, are almost imperish- 
able, and those sticking out of old rotten logs are as 
good as any. In collecting pine knots go to fallen trees 
that are almost rotted away. Hit the knot a lick with 
the pole of the axe and generally it will yield; if you 
must chop, cut deep to get it all and to save the axe 
edge. The knots of old dead balsams are similarly 
used. Usually a dead stump of pine, spruce, or balsam, 
all punky on the outside, has a core very rich in resin 
that makes excellent kindling. 
“Hemlock knots are worthless and hard as glass — 
keep your axe out of them. 
“The thick bark of hemlock is good to make glowing 
coals in a hurry; so is that of hard woods generally. 
Good kindling, sure to be dry underneath the bark in all 
weather, is procured by snapping off the small dead 
branches, or stubs of branches, that are left on the trunks 
of small or medium-sized trees, near the ground. Do 
not pick up twigs from the ground, but choose those 
among the downwood that are held up free from the 
ground. Where a tree is found that has been shivered 
by lightning, or one that has broken off without uproot- 
ing, good splinters of dry wood will be found. In every 
laurel thicket there is plenty of dead laurel, and, since 
it is of sprangling growth, most of the branches will be 
