Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-04-29
the FUEL VALUE Of WOOD.

Persons who plan TO relieve The coal
shortage by burning wood can figure,
roughly speaking. that TWO pounds OF
seasoned wood have a fuel value equal
10 one pound OF coal. according 10 Ell.
perts OF the Forest Service. While
different kinds Of wood uaYe differ.
ent fuel values. the foresters say that
in general the greater the dry weight
of 3 nonresin0us wood, the more heat
il will give out When burned.
For such species as hickory. oak,
beech, birch, hard maple. ash, locust,
lOngleaf, pine or cherry, which have
comparatively high fuel values, one
cord, weighing about 1000 pounds. IS
required to equal one ton OF coal.
II takes cord and half OF short
leaf pine, hemlock. red gum, Douglas
fir, sycamore, or soft maple, which
weighs about 5000 pounds cord, TO
equal ION of coal. while for cedar,
redwood. poplar, cataIpa, Norway
pine, cypress Eastwood, spruce, and
white pine, two cords, Weighing about
1000 pounds each, are required
Weight for weight, however, there
Is very little difference between yari-
Gus species. Resin affords about twice
rs much heat as wood, so that resin.
Gus woods. and this increased value
varies, OF course, with the resin con.
cent.
The available heat value OF cora
IT wood depends also on the amount
of moisture present. When the wood
IS green part of the heat which it II
capable of yielding is taken up in
eyaporating the wafer. The greater
amount Of water in the wood he more
heat is lost.
Furthermore, cords vary as 10 the
amount of solid wood they contain,
even when they are of the standard
dimensions and occupy l2S cubic feet
Of space. A certain proportion OF this
space is made up OF air spaces be
tween the sticks, and This air space
may be considered in 4 cold Of twist
ed crooked, and knotty sticks. Ont
of the lbs cubic feet, fair average
of solid wool is about 81 cubic teeJ.
This. however. applies 10 the stand
ard cord in which The sticks are cut
TO four-ioot lengths and piled feet
high and 3 feet long. Instead Of buy
ins The lour-toot lengths. however.
most people nowadays have The sticks
cut in two-foot lengths by gasoline
saw. This results in saving Of borh
time and labor. The purchaser
should. however, rake care 10 see that
he gels lull measurement when wood
is bought in This way. In paris Of New
England a sack of lG-inch wood 4
feet high and feet long is commonly
sold as q run, hut contains only one
third Of cord
Where wood is TO he burned in a
stove or furnace intended for coal, il
viii be found desirable the foreSters
say, TO cover rhe crate partly
with sheet iron or fire brick, in order
70 reduce the draugh. n this is not
done the wood is wasted by being
consumed 100 fast, and makes very
hot fire which in a furnace may dam
age the fire box.
II is pointed out, however, hat heat
value is not the only test Of useful.
ness in fuel wood and since ~ per
cent OF all wood used for fuel is cos
sumed for domestic purposes largely
in farm houses. such factors as rapid.
ty Of burning and ease Of lighting n r
important Each section Of he coun
Try has tIs favored woods and theSe
are said TO be- is general. The riel.t
ones 70 use. Hickory, Of the non-reS.
nous woods has the highest fuel val
ne per unit volume of wood and has
other advantages. II burns evenly.
and. a. housewives say, holds the heat.
The oaks come next followed by
beech, birch and maple. The white
pines have a relatively low heat value
per unit volume, hut have other ad.
vantages They ignite readily and give
out u quick hot flame, but one that
soon dies down. This makes them IA.
yor,tes with rural housekeepers ~ a
summer wood, because they are par.
ticularly adapted for no, days in he
Kitchen. The same Is true of gray
birch, or white birch as II is often
called in The regions in which Il
abounds. With the tesinous pines a
drawback Is their oily black smoke,