The ultimate scrounge and diff between old wood and modern wood

[sstanis]

First off, I would like to thank the person from this board who guided me to FreeCycle (cannot remember his name). Posted an ad on there awhile back, and had a few people who offered wood. One posting I went to the lady tried giving me a "jesus sermon" as I was loading the wood, so I got out of there quickly. There another who answered for a friend, who had wood. Didn't really pay it any mind, already had purchased a cord and had 3/4 ton of biobricks. So, went there today, house was way back in the Holla, long tight winding roads. Went to the area and found approx 8 to 9 coards of unsplit rounds, each about 3ft wide and 20 inches long of Shagbark hickory and white oak, mixed with some beech logs. Loaded up what I could in back and front seats of my junky car. Got home, split with decent amt of work with maul. Loaded a few nice chunks on minimal coals into my hearthsone heritage, not alot of 2nd burn, but 6 hrs later, with no stirring my temp gauge is still reading 400 degrees, and there is still about 1/2 wood there with a few flames but bright orange glow. This stuff burns like coal, throwing off a constant amt of heat. 6hrs later and only went through 1/2 the wood. Mind you, 400 degrees on soapstone is considered a good burn. Looked at the wood later, noticed there was literally no spacing betwen the rings. So cut off a sliver and looked under microscope. I estimated the white oak to be 250 yrs old. Tight spacing-- a furniture makers dream. Never with newer hardwoods, say less than 80 yrs old could I ever this this long a burn. Understand that shading allows for slow growth and tight ring formation. Wish I knew about this wood pile along time ago. Sure doesn't make alot of nice fancy flames, but perfect for long overnight burns and day burns when I am at work. Gotta love this stuff