An Article from Garden Talk 1975, by Doc and Katy Abraham

Submitted by Joan Bittner Fry

Fireplace Wood

Seasoned wood of any kind will burn better than unseasoned wood. In other words, the percentage of water removed from each piece of wood determines the heat value and burning qualities of the wood. If left outdoors, seasoning takes place and you get wood with more heat in it. Any kind of wood is suitable for burning. Perhaps the best way to describe the burning qualities of wood types is by using this curious but factual poem.

Beechwood fires are bright and clear if the logs are kept a year.

Chestnut’s only good, they say, if for long it’s laid away.

Birch and fir logs burn too fast, blaze up bright and do not last.

Elm wood burns like a churchyard mold, even the very flames are cold.

Poplar gives a bitter smoke, fills your eyes and makes you choke.

Apple wood will scent your room, with an incense like perfume.

Oak and maple, if dry and old, keep away the winter cold.

But ash wood wet and ash wood dry; a king will warm his slippers by.

Don’t Waste Anything

Old timers have an expression, “Waste not, want not.” This is another way of saying, if you don’t waste, you’ll have enough to live on. Just a couple of years ago, someone figured that the average family threw out three-quarters of a ton of food annually. No doubt, with the high price of food, this figure is a lot more today.

Egg Shells — Break them into small pieces and put them in your bird feeder. Some bird people think other birds steal eggs to get the calcium, so use your egg shells. Some gardeners soak the shells in water and use the liquid on their African violets.

Coffee Grounds — There’s nothing better in the flower bed or vegetable garden than coffee grounds. They are also useful as a mulch around trees, shrubs, and evergreens. Very valuable as a soil conditioner, but they are low in nutrients (about 2% nitrogen, .4% phosphoric acid, and about .5% potash). They are acid and ideal around azaleas, rhododendrons, and other acid-loving plants. Tea leaves are also useful on the compost and in the garden.

Potato Peelings — They are great for the compost. In the spring, peel potatoes thicker than usual and plant the peelings in the garden. You’ll get a big crop of tubers in the fall.

Grapefruit and Orange Rinds — In fall and winter, they can be tossed on the compost pile; but, in summer, they’re great for trapping snails. Place them cup-side-down in the garden. Snails like citrus skins and will hide under them during the day. Then, gather and destroy the snails.