Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-01
FUEL ADMINISTRATION IN EARN.
EST IN EFFORT TO ENcoUR.
AGE COAL SAVING,
FORESTRY HEAD At AMEs
ALREADY IN FIELD
Booklet Setting ForttA Necessity Of
Burning Wood Being Printed Fer
General Distribution-Early Cutting
and Long Seasoning Advissd-No In
jury to Forests.
,pecial to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican,.
Des Moines, March 1.-The move
ment on the part Of the fuel admin
istration to encourage a general use
of wood for fuel is being promoted in
a most thorough manner
. In every county of the state the
county fuel committees will promote
the work. G. B. Macdonald, of the
forestry department at Ames, is al
ready in the field meeting with work.
ers to encourage the cetting Of timber
for wood, the establishment of mu-
nicipal wood yards and the more gen
eral burning Of wood.
Wood pledge cards are. to be circu-
lated in which consumers will he asked
to pledge themselves to burn GER
tain per cent of wood for fuel. The
week of March IS to % has been
designated as the Cut Wood for Fuel
Week." During this week an especial
effort will be made to acquaint the
people with the necessity of using
some wood for fuel.
Professor Macdonald has prepared a
booklet setting forth the need for us
ing wood how it can be burned in
wood stoves or furnaces and various
other facts. This booklet has just
gone to the printer. He sets forth
some specific facts as follows:
The coal shortage in the country Is
now more than 5o,OO0.0O0 tons. BY a
systematic Increase in the use of wood
fuel III Iowa during 1918 100000 tons
Of coal can be saved.
1.-THE shortage of coal will probably
last for several years and it is quite
possible that the shortage will be more
acute during 1888 than in 1918.
There is little danger of over pro-
duction of fuel wood. A market will
always be available at a fair price.
Because of the labor shortage as
much wood as possible should be cut
before farm work begins.
ITO be fully efficient fire wood
should season for long. time. Keep
a supply ahead. -
Wood is especially desirable for a
quick heat where a continuous fire is
not needed. Il
"a reserve supply of wood on the
farm or in the municipal yard is good
insurance against a coal famine"
mo injury 40 ITlpeT'
Professor Macdonald makes it plain
that neither federal nor state authori-
ties advocate the cutting Of timber
lands so much as to permanently, in
jure them. The clearing them of dead
timber, cutting out trees 50 badly
shaded with other trees that their
growth has been stunted and a use-of
judgment in selecting the trees to be
felled is advocated.
''The fuel situation has become ex
tremely tense and with another year
81 unprecedented activity the extent
of which can only be surmised condi-
tons may be much more severe than
at present" declares Professor Mac
Donald.
In 1918 Iowa will not be doing her
share toward relieving the shortage
unless the cut of cord wood equals
would be equivalent to releasing L.
100000 tons Of coal for other purposes.
In 1914 the state cut 100000 cords Of
wood. Figures for 1917 are not avail
able but it is thot the state will have
to practically double it's consumption
Of wood If the coal shortage. is to be
materially relieved. Taking all kinds
Of wood into consideration, two pounds
of air dried wood will equal in heating
value one pound of coal.
AS to burning wood in coal stoves Or
furnaces Professor Macdonald de-
clares:
zone difficulty is increasing the use
Of wood for fuel is in adapting coal
burning stoves and furnaces SO as to
be efficient wood burners. Many peo-
pie who have never tried wood in coal
stoves think that the operation is not
feasible. Many coal stoves, both
cooking and heating, can be adapted
at very slight expense for the use
of wood.
The main difficulty is with the coal
CRATE which is more open than is de-
sirable when wood fuel is to be used.
This difficulty can be readily overcome
at slight expense. by fitting a perfor-
ated sheet iron covering over the regu-
lar coal CRATE. In most cases this
gives very satisfactory results.
IF wood is to be burned permanent
iy. 1t would be desirable to increase
the size of the fire boxes in stoves and
furnaces by substituting lighter fire
brick in place of the heavier ones
where these are used. Many Of the
modern furnaces have round fire boxes
into which the wood blocks do not fit
well-a matter which requires moro
frequent firing when wood is used"