The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-01-07
uAluE OF WOOD AS FUEL.

The fuel value Of two pounds OF wood
"a roughly. equivalent to that Of one
pound of ccal, according to the forest
service bureau OF the agricultural de-
partment. This is given as the result
of certain calculations now being mace
IN the forest service labratory, which
shows also about how many cords OF
certain kinds Of wood are required TO
obtain an amount of heat equal to tnat
In a ton of coal.
Certain kinds of wood, such as hick-
cry, oak, beech, birch, hard maple, ASH
elm. locust, long leaf pine and cherry
have fairly high heat values, and 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, hembock, red gum, Douglas
fir. sycamore and soft maple to equal
n ton of coal. and two cords OF cedar,
redwood, poplar. catalpa, Norway pine
cypress, Eastwood, spruce and white
pine.
EQUAL weights of dry, non-resinous
woods, however are said to have prac-
tically the same heat value regardless
OF species, and as a consequence II can
be stated as a general proposition that
the heavier the wood the more neat
to the cord. Weight for weight, now
ever there Is very little difference be-
tween various species; the average heat
for all that have been calculated IL
600 Galleries or heat units per kilo-
gram. A kilogram of resin will develop
e4OO heat units. or about twice the
average OF wood AS CONSEQUENCE
resinous woods hav ea greater heat
value per pound than non-resinous
woods. and this increased value varies,
of course, with the resin content.
The available heat value Of cord
of wood depends on many different fac
tors. It has q relation not only to the
amount of resin 1t contains. but TO
the amount OF moisture present. Fur
thermore, cords vary as to the amount
OF solid wood they contain, even when
they are of standard dimension and
occupy 1913 cubic feet OF space. A GER
tain proportion OF this space 10 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 the 1913 cubic feet,
a fair average of solid wood il about
eighty cubic feet.
1t Is pointed out, however. that heat
value Is not the only test Oh uSeaui-
ress In fuel wood, and since s5 per cent
OF all wood used for fuel isconsumeo
for domestic purposes largely In farm
houses, such factors as rapidly OF
burning and ease of lighting are i'm
portant. Each section OF the country
has its favored woods. and there are
said to be, in general, the right onei
to use. Hickory. of the non-resinoui
woods, has the highest fuel value pei
unit volume of wood, and has other ad'
vantages. It burns evenly, and, al
housewives say. holds the heat. TIT
oaks come next. followed by beech
birch and maple. Pine has relative
" low heat value per unit volume. bu
has other advantages. 1t ignites read
fly and gives quick hot flame, bu
one that soon dies down. This makes
It a favorite with rural housekepere
as a summer wood. because 1t is par
ticularly adapted for hot days In tn
kitchen.
The fuel qualities of chestnut adap
It particularly to work In brass foun
dries, where 1t gives just the requires
amount of heat. and It 10 therefore i
favor.