The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-05-05
A CORD OF WOOD
IS A VALUABLE QUANTITY
Interesting Statistics Presented BY
Testing Engineers Of United
States Forest Service.

To the farmer harvesting his small
woodlot and to the may laying in logs
for the large fireplace Of his country or
seaside home; to the paper manufactur-
er buying pulpwood and to the pro-
prietor Of the ordinary woodward, to
all Of these men this question has an
important dollar nd-ceiits meaning.
Queer to say, and contrary to the be-
lief Of most people, there are many
times when a cord is less than cord,
and many conditions when il il more.
School arithmetics say that cord OF
wood is 1913 cubic feet, or the contents
of a pile eight feet long, four feet high
and four feet wide. Wood is marketed
on this basis. A pile whose length,
breadth, and height multiplied together
gives this number Of cubic feet fills this
requirement, no matter whether the
sticks are long OF short, straight or
crooked, round or split, unless there is
an understanding to the contrary.
Nevertheless, q cord. though It comes up
to the legal measurements, is an uneer-
tain quantity, even when the seller Il
honest and the buyer is satisfied
A lumberman may have a contract Of
pulpwood which he sells to paper mill
at SIS q cord, for as many cards as It
will make. IL is in the contract that he
shall cut and stack IT, He cuts 1t in
12-foot lengths, and when the lob il com
plete, Il measures 200 cords, and he re.
ceives 81 900 for it. Would he have
made Or lost by cutting 4-foot lengths
instead Of 70
II ,,.,,1l hor, 1n.4 - ~. 81 -
from the additional labor required Ia
cut 4-foot wood, but his principal loss
would have resulted ffom a synqt5es,
diminished number of cubic feet. due "a
the fact that short sticks lie closed TO.
gether than large
Measurements and experimental tests
have been made to ascertain exactly
how much actual wood is in cords ef
different lengths, sizes, shapes, and
species.
been cut in 4foot lengths, there would
have been only ITO cords, and the own
er would have received for it $3.50 in.
stead of $1,000, 1t was, therefore.
clearly 70 his advantage to cut I2.foot
lengths, but it would have been to the
buyers advantage TO have it cut in
4-foot lengths. He would have received
the same actual quantity Of wood for
$3.50 less
It also makes considerable difference
to the seller whether wood is chopped
or sawed. II chopped, the chips are
lost. Where the logs are large this loss
amounts to no small total. In cord
Of 4-foot wood, with sticks inches In
the chip loss Is from six to
eight per cent; and of course. the
shorter the sticks are cut the greater
the loss. If the wood is sawed, the
sawdust loss IS scarcely the half Of
one per cent.
The difference due to spaces between
the sticks Of course depends very much
on the shape and size OF the sticks.
Straight, smooth sticks lie close to-
yether, and cord contains more wood
Ind less air. For given lengths, sticks
If softwoods are usually straighter
ind smoother, and when stacked lie
loser together. But whatever the kind,
,ords Of long sticks are pretty sure to
contain more empty space than cords
made Of short pieces. Likewise, cords
# split wood contain less than cords Of
ound sticks. The finer the wood ii
plit, the more 1t makes. Hence wood
lealsrs are often willing 10 sell kind
ings, all sawed and split, for the same
rice per cord as unsplit wood. They
'et back the cost Of labor in the in
reased bulk.
A cord (12s cubic feet) Of 4-foot
usually contains about SIS
ubie feet Of solid wood: a cord of
foot wood averages s3N cubic feet;
+ 2-foot wood, 81 feet, and Of 1-foot
rood IS feet. The conifers, softwoods,
ontain 90 to o6 cubic feet. Thus the
purchaser receives on an average about
wo-thirds Of cord Of real wood and
ne-third Of cord Of spaces
In some countries wood is bought By
eight, and the buyer comes more near,
? getting what he bargains for. but
ven then he may miss it if he receiv-
8 green wood when he wants dry.
.ceording to timber testing engineers
United States Forest Service, wood
lay lose half or more its green weight
/ seasoning. Cedar for lead pencils is
ought by weight in this country The
ieces are so small and Of such irregu
II size that they can not conveniently
E stacked and measured as eordwood.
The bulk Of nearly all woods decrease
4 seasoning goes on. "A hundred cords
reen will make from 50 to 90 cords
hen dry. This is d factor Of no small
Importance to dealers who handle large
Woodlot owners and farmers who
ave small forest tracts from which
iey expect to sell corlwood, are no less
iterested than contractors who buy
i'd sell large quantities It win stand
lem IN hand 10 know how much diff
renee Il makes whether wood is cut
ne OF short. chopped or sawed. wheth-
the sticks are round OF split, whether
rye or small. and whether the meas
.ements are to be made while the
God il green 81 after It Il seasoned