The Grit-advocate., 1905-06-02


or turpentine in old trees gives rgcm
fuel value far above that of the soft
pine or immature growth.
| A few observations on heat NAV m.
propriately follow: The most vjr5Iig.
| ing heat is that of the sun in its dreo,
| rays; next is the radiant heat frpr
burning wood cr coal. The shepherd
and the pOultryman know that tle
| direct rays of the sun have viyif.ru.
effect upon the Y oung lamb or chicken.
surprising that derived from any orLcr
source, excepting perhaps that from
the body Of the mother. The heat
radated from n close stove or steam
or hot water pipes may warm the BODY
but it seems to lack something that is
conveyed by the SUMS rays.
An open fire is company, with re
brisk fame and lively crackle demaul.
ing freqLent attention, ungrudgingIy
| bestowed by anyone who accepts ifs ,
companiOnship. 1t whiles away t.a.
idle hour between daylight and dark.
called "candlelightinS' in the old
times, when the blazing hearth bore
the backlog and fore stick with hfgs
piled lighter wood; with an ample htl
of red-hot ashes and coal, fit 10 ro.
ceive chestnuts or potatoes. to season
them while you wait with the peculiar
flavor that those embers alone bestow
The open fire is always drawing tile
family together with an unconscious
force that no radiator or furnace pos.
scsses. 1t gives silent lesson in good
behavior. though often enforced IN
words, Don't go before the fire
Don't stand before the fire Chat !S
before some other person.. This is
lesson in unselfishness that is the foun.
dation of all good manners. An old
friend standing with me before blaz.
ing fire, recently said: "An open fire is
better than minister in family any
time"
One of the great pleasures of the
open fire is in watching the decaying
embers as the white ash encircles the
burning stick, or the decaying coal still
retaining its size and form to the last.
There is a great difference in wood in
this respect, and on familiar acquaint-
ance it becomes cOmpanionship. so that
it is hard to conceive of lonesomeness
in the presence of lively fire, with Il
| store of wood to replenish it.
The weight of opinion is largely in
favor of dry wool and in most varie.
ties this is true, yet there are some
| hard facts in favor of some kinds OF
| green wood. or conditions of the fireb
| that cannot be disputed.
Men who run engines for saving
! lumber use the green slabs for fuel
and as soon as the fire is well started
| do not hesitate to feed in the greer
| slabs covered with ice and snow, claim.
ing that such make the hottest fire.
In the Olden times, with their bic
fireplaces, green hickory brush was
| highly priced for fuel piled high in
the old fireplace, it made n roaring fire,
stronger and more durable than dry
brush. So green hickory wood has
the preference to-day in many cases. Is
there not highly infammabie volatile
oil in the hickory bark while green.
which is lost in drying? So with the
black birch. What boy would expect
to find in the dry birch bark that deli
cate aroma and flavor which he finds
in the green bark? That volatile oil
is all gone then, and the farmer says
birch burns the best
Where else do we find the odOr of
woods and fields, the odor of spring iit
more sublimated form than when the
bursting buds of the birch unite with
the fragrance of the wild grape in 4
perfume unsurpassed by the odors Of
Araby?
Now the old farmer who has watched
on his heartstone the burning of differ.
ent kinds of woods. as we'll as the COLI
lier who annually burns his thousands
of bushels of charcoal, have some no.
tions about these things that do not
exactly harmoniZe with the claims OF
the scientist in his laboratory, and q
belongs to the latter to investigate and
explain the apparent discrepancies tA9;
exist. The old farmer, rs lie covers
up the half-burnt brands Thh tile
burning embers or renfOrces the bee
with stick of hard wood. almost n:
sure of fire in the morning as he j.
or sunrise, is an eXperimenter in
practical way. and his conclusions are
worthy of considerati ton. The house.
mother, too. sometimes takes up hi;
job, If the husband lacks in force and
ingenuity. and becomes true vestal
to keep the fire alive on the family
altar. Such n one was the good wit'
who, when the old curmudgeon tested
her temper by bringing all crooked ana
knotted wood for the kitchen fire: a
deftly arranged it about her pots and
kettles and the flames wrapped about
them, she called his attention to how
nicely they fitted their purpose, ana
pleased her. She WAS true philoSo'
pher. upon whose hearthstone the fire
would never smoke, grow dim or en-
pire.