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SCOUTING FOR GIRLS 
woods), and dogwood. The latter burn finely to a 
beautiful white ash that is characteristic; apple wood 
does the same. Black birch also ranks here; it has the 
advantage of ‘doing its own blowing/ as a Carolina 
mountaineer said to me, meaning that the oil in the 
birch assists its combustion so that the wood needs no 
coaxing. All of the birches are good fuel, ranking in 
about this order: Black, yellow, red, paper, and white. 
Sugar maple was the favorite fuel of our old-time hunt- 
ers and surveyors because it ignites easily, burns with 
a clear, steady flame, and leaves good coals. 
“Locust is a good, lasting fuel ; it is easy to cut, and, 
when green, splits fairly well ; the thick bark takes fire 
readily and the wood then burns slowly, with little 
flame, leaving pretty good coals; hence it is good for 
night wood. Mulberry has similar qualities. The scar- 
let and willow oaks are among the poorest of the hard 
woods for fuel. Cherry makes only fair fuel. White 
elm is poor stuff, but slippery elm is better. Yellow 
pine burns well, as its sap is resinous instead of watery 
like that of the soft pines. 
“In some respects white ash is the best of green 
woods for campers’ fuel. It is easily cut and split, is 
lighter to tote than most other hard woods, and is of so 
dry a nature that even the green wood catches fire 
readily. It burns with clear flame, and lasts longer 
than any other free-burning wood of its weight. On a 
wager, I have built a bully fire from a green tree of 
white ash, one match, and no dry kindling. I split some 
of the wood very fine and ‘frilled’ a few of the little 
sticks with my knife. 
“Soft Woods — Most of the soft woods are good only 
for kindling, or for quick cooking fires, and then only 
when seasoned. For these purposes, however, some of 
