Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-12-08
Dailp Krnnebsl 5ournal.
A Talk on Cutting Wood.

The time was when the surface of Maine
was overspread with wellnigh intermn-
able forest, dense growth of pines. hem
locks, cedars. birches, beeches. naples
and oaks. But new era dawned upon
the State; a large part of this forest fell
and the area which it covered was con-
verted into pasture, tillage and moving
lands. The implement which, in the
hands of the frs, settler and his descend
ants, accomplished this destruction of
standing wood, was none other than the
axe and even to-day It's work has by no
means ceased. Every fair morning, at
this season OF the year, from thousands of
farm houses. salies forth the wood chop
per. and with his dinner pail in one hand
and axe on his shoulder he directs his
steps towards the woodlot. necessary
part of every farm. To a spectator man
cutting wood may appear to have an easy
time of it, but really there is no harder
work done on the farm than this. He who
cuts, splits and cords up cord of wood
between sunrise and sunset has done a
days work which will exhaust man more
than days labor in the hay field or an
equal length of time spent shoveling dirt.
Cutting cord-wood, of which we will
now write, is work which to do rapidly
and well besides muscle requires skill
and experience on the part of the chopper.
Although it would seem to novice to be
very simple business, yet man who has
mad experience can put up" nearly
twice as much wood in the same
time as a green hand. The first
thing 10 be thought of is the axe. He
who works with bungling, ill-made tools,
will never accomplish the best results.
Therefore, the wood, cutter should use an
axe of the best pattern, well sharpened and
ground thin back from the edge so that it
will enter the wood easily. In large
growth use a heavy axe, and in small a
light one. 1t is not nearly as tiresome to
WELD light axe as one which is very
weighty. To make wood fast it is neces-
sary to have tall trees with few limbs, of
good rift and not too large. The variety
of trees also MAKES a difference, the soft
woods of course cutting easier than the
hard. The stumps should ALWAYS be cut
as snug to the ground as possible. In
falling, great pains should be taken to
have the brush come in piles so that il
81,
good way 10 attain this end is TO select
strip of growth. say four rods in width
and any convenient length. Then com.
mencing at the centre of one end of the
circumscribed space fall all the trees on
one side of an imaginary middle line, OBJ
liquely to the right, and those on the other
to the left; also TALL the trees away from
the growth YOU are cutting. it will be
obvious that, as all the brush would fall
towards the outside edges, the centre of
the strip would be left clear, affording a
good chance to drive the team. After one
length of the growth has been cut another
can be taken up at its side and treated in
similar manner. Some chopper. always
measure the length of their wood before
cutting off stick, while others guess at
1t, If one has good mechanical eye
the latter method can be adopted, but if
otherwise it would be best to use a meas
uring stick. At all events the sticks of
wood should be of equal length if the pile
is to make an even and regular appear
ance. To cut wood fast it is necessary to
strike heavy blows with the ave. great
many light blows do not seem to tell as
do fewer heavy ones. Furthermore,
strike true, so that the sides of the kerf
will present smooth instead OF hacked
surface. Then every blow will count.
One who is unskilled will strike a great
number of blows, and the ends of his wood
will be hacked and mangled.
In splitting, two men with their axes
can do very well without beetle and
wedge if the wood is not too tough and
large. one opening the logs and the other
following the seam with his axe. 1t is ]
bett to cord up in halfcord piles unless
the growth is heavy and stands thick. In
this case il is convenient TO make cord
piles, and sometimes even larger. 1t is
always best to provide a solid foundation
for the piles before cording. Farmers
usually, in procuring supply of wood
for their own fires, cut it eight feet long
in the woods. hauling it up that length.
Many make practice of getting out a
larger supply than is required for their
own use, and, selecting the best from the
pile. make ii into cord wood at the door.
Cord wood or any other wood. to make
the best of fuel, must be seasoned under
cover. That which takes the weather
while drying makes an inferior article OF
fire wood.