| Show USE WOOD FOR FUEL Many Farmers Can Relieve Heavy Demand for Freight Cars NEEDED FOR WAR Witt SUPPLIES In Many States It Is Entirely Practicable Practicable cable to Replace Coal with Wood Saving Would Amount to Cars Prepared b by the United States Department Department Depart Depart- ment of or Agriculture Farmers frequently are situated so they can profitably ppl fuel from their woodlands and thus relieve tC to n rI considerable extent the heavy demand for coal A maximum price for coal has been fixed fired by the Government nt This does not mean however that the railroads railroad will be able to transport all of the I coal which the consumers may desire or want Every freight car Is performing performing per per- forming a heavy duty and the fewer the cars that are used for coal the greater greater- will be the number available a for tor carrying other war commodities Manufacturers of course cannot substitute wood for tor coal neither can city people because this would result In even greater railroad congestion Nor or Is it likely that in either the South or the West the use of ot wood for fuel can be gr greatly atly Increased But In tn Maine Dlaine New Hampshire Vermont Massachusetts Massachusetts Mas Mas- Rhode Island Connecticut New York y Ne Jersey Pennsylvania Ohio Indiana Illinois Michigan Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin Wis Wis- Minnesota Iowa and Missouri It ought to be entirely practicable Inmany in inmany inmany many cases to replace coal with wood for fuel In these 17 states Is a rural population of about which It is estimated uses annually about tons of coal If by substitUting substituting substituting wood quarter one-quarter of the coal burned by farmers and tenth one of the coal burned In villages mages could be saved the total saving would amount to nearly tons tons or between and carloads Reduce Coal Consumption It is where team-hauled team wood can be used In place of railroad hauled coal that the change should be made Farmers who own woodlands and people people people peo peo- In villages who can an purchase wood from nearby farms are the ones In the best position to reduce their consumption consumption consumption tion of ot coal It is not expected substitution substitution substitution sub sub- of wood for coal will be complete complete complete com com- or universal for tor many purposes coal Is is mush more convenient But for heating many kinds of ot buildings wood is the the more mor convenient and cheaper fuel This is particularly true In the case of churches halls summer cottages and nd other buildings for which heat Js Is required only occasionally but butIs butIs butIs Is then tIlen wanted in large volume at short notice e. e Furnaces a es are built especially for burning wood wood wood-In in 3 or 4 foot lengths Short lengths of c course course urse can can r readily be burned in an all an ordinary coal furnace or in a box stove though this is rather wasteful of fuel Many furnace manufacturers manufacturers manu mann however make a special wood grate for tor use In their furnaces One advantage In burning wood food Is that on moderately cool days the furnace can cnn be run at a lower elb than when coal is 18 used consuming only enough fuel to remove the the chill When wood woodIs Is la used in a round pot furnace care should be taken to have each ench piece lie Jle flat at If a stove gr grate te Is too coarse for forWood forwood forwood wood a sheet Iron cover over a good part of the surface will make it suitable suitable suit sult- able or a few fire bricks ca cap can be used Relative Heating Value of Wood and Coal In the matter of heating value one standard cord of well seasoned d hickory hickory hick hick- ory oty oak b beech ech birch hard maple ash elm locust or cherry Is approximately equal to one ton ton- 2000 poun pounds s of ot anthracite coal conI It takes a n cord and a ahalt half halt of soft maple and two cords of ot cedar poplar or basswood however to give the same amount of heat One cord of mixed wood well seasoned sea sen- equals in heating value at least one ton 2000 pounds of ot average average- grade bituminous coal If It the consumer can buy coal at 8 S a aton aton aton ton It would hardly be worth his while to burn first-class first wood at 8 3 a cord except in an open fireplace because coal coni Is a more convenient fuel If however coal oal becomes so scarce that it cannot be secured in sufficient quantities quantities quan quan- titles the consumer will in some cases have hue to burn wood at 10 or even 15 a cord Methods of Making Cordwood The most com common method of making cord cordwood wood is to cut the trees into 4 4 foot lengths with the ax and split the larger pieces The pieces are th then n piled in a standard cord which Is 8 feet long 4 feet high and 4 feet wide The contents are arc cubic feet of which about 70 per cent Is wood and 30 per cent air nil Wood cut 4 feet long can be bo sold to brickyards yards limekilns working metal-working plants and und other IndustrIes Industries industries Indus Indus- tries but is too large for household use This method Is used chiefly where the tree growth is comparatively small as In second growth because such wood splits easily Another method and one better adapted for old growth hardwoods which are difficult lt to split Is to the tree Into logs of convenient lengths say from 10 to 15 feet These are arc snaked out to the edge of the woodland and there sawed and split spilt into lengths proper for the stove or furnace The sawing ying Is usually done b by machine driven either by gasoline or 01 by electricity The wood is sawed Into Inch IG-Inch lengths as Is customary with stove material three runs are theoretically theoretical equivalent to one cord Actually they contain somewhat more morewood wood sin sint small small pieces can an be packed more closet closel closely ian an larger o ones es Wood aP a P a P Farm Crop I Firewood to bring a better profit this year tl U J ver before on account of the hll kr r prices which are likely to prevail rood Is a much less perishable crop than many which the farmer raises When properly I piled Ufe better kinds of wood will last from two to three years though It steadily deteriorates after the first year To h have ve the best heating value as well as s to reduce the cost of haulIng hauling hauling haul haul- ing wood should be thoroughly seasoned seasoned seasoned sea sea- which means drying air-drying It from six to eight months When piled so as to get het et a good circulation of air how however ver 50 per cent of the moisture may be removed in three months month Wood cut cat In ih October and November therefore may be burned the latter part of the winter Formerly It was common practice to have wood cut by contract for from 1 to per cord ord With the present high price of labor however the cost may exceed 2 a cord The great difficulty difficulty difficulty dif dif- In securing farm labor is durIng during during dur dur- ing the harvesting period If farmers can secure sufficient labor to harvest their crops they should be able to keep enough men to cut and haul wood later In the season In fact the profitable profitable profitable profit profit- able employment of one or two extra men on the farm during the winter may help to solve l labor bor difficulties during dur dur- lag ing the rush season The prices which cord cordwood wood will likely bring this yeas year year offer an opportunity opportunity opportunity for the farmer to improve hl his l woodland Improving the woodland means taking out the poorer trees In Inthe Inthe Inthe the past this has seldom been practicable practicable practicable for the inferior wood was vms not marketable With wood bringing only from 4 to 5 a cor cord there Is very little opportunity to secure a profit of ot even 1 a n cord But with the prices Indicated for the coming winter thin thin- become practicable over oyer a wide ran range e of country In the vicinity of good markets |
