[AT] Firewood cutting

[Ralph Goff]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Bruce" <davidbruce at yadtel.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Saturday, March 27, 2010 4:42 AM
Subject: Re: [AT] Firewood cutting


> Ralph,
> Maybe the reason one hasn't heard of accidents (I haven't either) is
> those men knew the dangers and used great care around the operating blade.
> In those days the firewood came from trimming around the edges of the
> fields.  I barely remember my grandpa, a great uncle and a couple others
> doing that trimming every winter and piling the cut firewood in a fresh
> pile in the woodshed for use the next winter.
> David
> NW NC

Big difference in today's firewood requirements here anyway. In the old days 
that wood stove was used for cooking 365 days a year plus some wood for the 
big furnace in the basement to supplement the coal. Days were spent with the 
axe cutting logs down and hauling them home. My Dad (and grandfather before 
him) did this part by himself including loading and hauling the logs home by 
sleigh and horses. On the plus side they never had to go far to find 
firewood as the bushes grew up around here. Dry years produced plenty of 
deadfall which was easier picking.
Neighbours would get together for a wood cutting "bee" and spend the day 
cutting a huge pile of logs into blocks. I can still remember them from the 
1960s but around that time oil heat and electric stoves were taking over 
from wood.
At my brother's the firewood is only supplemental heat for the house and the 
modern airtight stoves are a lot more efficient at producing heat without 
sending most of it up the chimney. I've probably already showed this pic of 
my Uncle and his yearlly firewood supply. This was in "modern times", late 
nineties as he never did give up his wood stove. More than a days work for 
the three of us to make that wood pile.
http://hotimg23.fotki.com/p/a/142_165/24_199/Donaldwoodpile-vi.jpg

Ralph in Sask.