The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-12-29
FUEL Value OF WOOD EQUAL
TO ONE half THAT OF COAL
Takes One Cord of Certain Kinds of
Wood, Especially That of Hard
Woods, to Equal One Ton of the
Black Diamonds

Washington, D. c., Dec. 29-The fuel
value of two pounds of wood is roughly
equivalent to that of one pound Of coal.
This is given as the result OF certain
calculations now being made in the
forest service laboratory. which show
also about how many cords of certain
kinds of wood are required to obtain
an amount of heat equal to that in a
ton of coal
Certain kinds OF wood, such as hick-
ory, oak, beech, birch, hard maple. ASH,
elm. locust, longleat pine and cherry
have fairly high heat values, ana only
one cord of seasoned wood of these
species is required to equal one ton of
good coal.
1t takes a cord and a half of short
leaf pine, hemlock, red gum, Douglas fir,
sycamore and soft maple to equal a ton
of coal, and two cords of cedar, red
wood, poplar, catalpa, Norway pine,
cypress, Eastwood, spruce and white
pine.
Equal weights of dry. non-resinous
wods, however. are said to nave prac-
tically the same heat value regardless
of species. and as a consequence it can
be stated as a general proposition that
the heavier the wood the more heat
to the cord. Weight for weight, how
ever, there is very little difference be-
tween various species; the average heat
for all that have been calculated is
800 calories or heat units. per kilo.
gram. \ kiiogram of resin will develop
9,400 heat units, or about twice the
average for wood As a consequence
value per pound than non-resinous
woods, and this increased value varies,
oil course, with the resin content
The available heat value of a cord
OF wood depends on many different fac
tors. 1t has a relation not only to the
amount of resin it contains but to the
amount of moisture present. Further
more, cords vary as to tine amount of
solid wood they contain, even when
they are of the standard dimension and
occupy 12S cubic feet of space A
certain proportion of this space is made
up of air spaces between the sticks, and
this air space may be considerable in a
cord made of twisted, crooked, and
knotty sticks. Out of rhe 12S cubic feet,
a fair average of solid wood is about
so cubic feet.
1t is polnted out, however, that heat
value is not the only test of useful
ness in fuel wood and since 95 per cent.
of all wood used for fuel is consumed
for domestic purposes, largely in farm
houses, such factors as rapidity of
burning and ease OF lighting are i'm
Portant. Each section of the country
has its favored wood "a hese are said
to be, in general, the right ones to
use. Hickory, of the non-resinous woods,
has the highest fuel value per unit vol
ume of wood, and has other advantages.
1t burns evenly, and, as housewives say,
holds the heat. The oaks come next.
followed by beech, birch and maple.
Pine has relatively low heat value per
unit volume, but has other advantages.
1t ignites readily and gives out a quick
hot flame, but one that soon dies down.
This makes it a favorite with rural
hOusekeepers as summer wood because
it is particularly adapted for hot days
in the kitchen.
The fuel qualities of chestnut adapt
it particularly to work in brass foun-
dries, where it gives just the required
amount of heat and it is therefore in
favor. Coastwise vessels in Florida pay
twice as much for Florida buttonwood