Poem found on the `net and found it pretty relevant

[Laurent Cyr]

The Firewood Poem

Beechwood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year,
Chestnut's only good they say,...
If for logs 'tis laid away.
Make a fire of Elder tree,
Death within your house will be;
But ash new or ash old,
Is fit for a queen with crown of gold

Birch and fir logs burn too fast
Blaze up bright and do not last,
it is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould,
E'en the very flames are cold
But ash green or ash brown
Is fit for a queen with golden crown

Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke,
Apple wood will scent your room
Pear wood smells like flowers in bloom
Oaken logs, if dry and old
keep away the winter's cold
But ash wet or ash dry
a king shall warm his slippers by.

 

[pen]

But ash wet or ash dry
a king shall warm his slippers by.

nonsense found hereunto

 

[bholler]

There is some truth to it ash starts at a much lower moisture content than most other wood and dries much quicker. So not entirely true but not nonsense either

 

[pen]

There is some truth to it ash starts at a much lower moisture content than most other wood and dries much quicker. So not entirely true but not nonsense either

I'm aware of that. The suggestion of it being OK to use any wood that isn't properly seasoned is nonsense today.

In 1930, ah, it would be better than other stuff green and a heating appliance of that era wouldn't be so particular.

pen

 

[Kevin Dolan]

The Firewood Poem

Beechwood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year,
Chestnut's only good they say,...
If for logs 'tis laid away.
Make a fire of Elder tree,
Death within your house will be;
But ash new or ash old,
Is fit for a queen with crown of gold

Birch and fir logs burn too fast
Blaze up bright and do not last,
it is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould,
E'en the very flames are cold
But ash green or ash brown
Is fit for a queen with golden crown

Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke,
Apple wood will scent your room
Pear wood smells like flowers in bloom
Oaken logs, if dry and old
keep away the winter's cold
But ash wet or ash dry
a king shall warm his slippers by.

Load of rubbish, ash needs a year minimum to burn. Great poem though.

 

[pen]

Load of rubbish, ash needs a year minimum to burn. Great poem though.

Yep, not to mention, in 1930, the vast majority of people simply didn't keep ahead on the wood like many try to today.

My grandparents have told me stories of how much time they spent daily just to try and keep a few days of wood on the porch for the stoves ,,,, not very efficient stoves, coupled with no chainsaws, coupled with uninsulated homes, equal not being able to take a glass of water to bed,,,as one would have to clean up broken glass in the morning

.....and my family whines if it gets down to 65 in here!

 

[bholler]

I agree that it need to be dried with out a doubt.but it is based in some truth and no it doesn't need a full year it can absolutely be under 20% in 6 months.

 

[bholler]

Yeah the good old days were not always that good

 

[BrotherBart]

The good old days, weren't.

 

[oconnor]

Thanks for the poem. I've actually been looking for it for a while.

 

[Swedishchef]

Nice!

 

[begreen]

There's more here. Hearth.com is a regular poetry corner.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/the-woodstove-a-poem.120565/
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/woodheat-in-poetry-and-literature.43670
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/stories/articles/unrest_in_the_forest_a_poem/

 

[firefighterjake]

I still haven't won any awards for my "Wood is Good" poem.