The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-11-01
HOW FARMS AND TOWNS GAN
HELP SAVE COAL.
Wood Is More Convenient and
Cheaper Fuel in Many Gases.


Cheaper Fuel in Many Cases.
Farmers who own woodlands and
people in cities, towns, and villages
who can purchace wood from near
by farms can help in the coming
winter-as last winter--to relieve
the demand for coal and the strait
on railway capacity by burning woot
in place of coal.
1t is not expected substitution o.
wood for coal will be complete or
universal, as for many purposes coal
is much more convenient. But for
heating many kinds of buildings
wood is the more convenient and
cheaper fuel. This is particularly
true in the case of churches, halls,
summer cottages, and other build
ings for which heat is required only
occasionally but then is wanted il
large volume at short notice.
Relative Heating Values.
In heating value, one standar,
cord of well-seasoned hickory, oak,
beech, birch, hard maple, ash, elm.
locust, or cherry is approximately
equal to one ton $4,000 pounds) Of.
anthracite coal. But cord and a.
half of soft maple, and two cords of
cedar, poplar, or Eastwood, are re
ouired to give the same amount of
heat One cord of mixed wood
we'll seasoned, equals in heating
value at least one ton of average
grade bituminous coal.
Methods of Making Cordwood.
The most common method OF
making cordwood is to cut the trees
into 4-foot lengths with the ak and
split the larger pieces. The pieces
are then piled in standard cord
which is s feet long, 4 feet wide
The contents are 1913 cubic feet, o
which about 70 per cent is wood AM
80 per cent air. Wood cut fee
long can be sold to brickyards, lime
kilns, Woodworking plants, ant
other industries, but is too large TO
household use. This method is useG
chiefly where the tree growth
comparatively small, as in secont
growth, because such wood splits
easily.
Another method, and one better
adapted for old growth hardwoods
which are difficult to split, is to say
of
lengths, say from 10 to Is feet
These are "snaked" out to the edg
Of the woodland and there sawed
ard split into lengths proper for the
stove or furnace. The saving is
usually done by machine, driver
either by gasoline or by electricity
The wood is piled feet high and !
feet long, such pile being called
''stove-wood" or running" cord OF
run" When the wood is sawed
into 16-inch lengths, as is customar!
with stove material, three runs are
theoretically equivalent to one cord
Actually they contain somewha'
more wood, since small pieces can bt
packed more closely than large
ones.
Wood a Profitable Farm Crop.
Firewood is expected to bring
better profit this year than ever be-
fore. 1t is a much less perishabl.
crop than many which the farmef
raises. When properly piled, the
better kinds of wood will last from
two to three years, although Woo
steadily deteriorates after the frs
year.
To have the best heating value,
we'll as to reduce the cost of hauling
Wood should be thoroughly season
ed, which means air-drying it from
81; to eight months. However,
when piled so as to get a good cir
culation of air, SO per cent of the
moisture may be removed in three
months. Wood cut in October ant
November, therefore, may be burned
the latter part of the winter.
The prices which cordwood likely
will bring this year offer the farme
an opportunity to improve his wood
land by wedding out the inferio
trees. In the past this has seldom
been practicable, for the inferior
wood was not marketable. With
the prices indicated for the coming
winter, Trimmings become practicable
over a wide range of country in tn
vicinity of good markets. The wood
land owner may secure specific in
formation from his State forester
his county agent, his State agricul
tural college, or from the United
States Forest Service, Washington
d. c.