Valve of wood for heat....because we burn wood I found this very interesting.

image from Larry Litterer

      Good morning.  The temperature at 11:00 AM is still at 22 degrees.  AND it is really windy out, so the wind chill makes it feel like 6 degrees.  It is cold for us as it has been above average temperatures this month.   Tonight it is a low of 14 degrees.  If you look outside you will be fool because of the clear blue sky. Stay warm, stay safe.   

I have been doing the house wood stove since Larry had his knee replaced Oct 31.  He cut the wood smaller for me to handle, so I don't mind doing it.  There is an art to burning wood, and I am learning.  Temperature, weather and wind all play a part, but I am used to watching all of that with having the greenhouse open.  You might find it interesting the heat valve of some of the wood.  For some reason we are burning lots of ash trees.  BUT they work. Do you burn wood?  We have all of our married life.  

Interesting story...salesman here and said is that stove a smoker?  I said yes it has smoke but it is used to heat water for our house as heat and our water heater.  It is an outdoor wood burner.  He had a very puzzled look on his face.  We have burned wood for a long time.  Larry said doing wood is his exercise program.  He will be going back to it soon.  
​
What is the Best Firewood to Burn in your Woodstove?  By Catherine Boeckmann
Do you use firewood to heat your home? Here is a list of the best types of firewood to burn—sorted by high, medium, and low heat value—and a few important wood-burning tips.
What Makes Good Firewood?
What makes some types of firewood better for burning than others? It comes down to two factors: density and water content. The denser and drier the firewood, the better it will burn and the more heat it can produce in your woodstove, fireplace, or wood furnace.
Hardwood vs. Softwood
Hardwood generally makes for better firewood than softwoods because of their density and comparatively low levels of sap or pitch.
Kinds of Woods
Hardwoods 
Alder
Ash
Aspen
Beech
Birch
Cottonwood
Elm
Fruit trees (Apple, Cherry)
Hickory
Ironwood
Maple
Mesquite
Oak
Soft Woods
Cedar
Fir
Hemlock
Pine
Redwood
Spruce
Tamarack (Larch)

Best Firewoods by Heat Value
Not all hardwoods or softwoods are created equal; some burn far better than others or produce more heat. Below are some of the best firewood rated by their heat value, which measures how much heat they put off.
High Heat Value
1 cord = 200 to 250 gallons of fuel oil
American beech
Apple
Ironwood
Mesquite
Red oak
Shagbark hickory
Sugar maple
White ash
White oak
Yellow birch
Medium Heat Value
1 cord = 150 to 200 gallons of fuel oil
American elm
Black cherry
Douglas fir
Red maple
Silver maple
Tamarack
White birch
Low Heat Value
1 cord = 100 to 150 gallons of fuel oil
Aspen
Cottonwood
Hemlock
Lodgepole pine
Red alder
Redwood
Sitka spruce
Western red cedar
White pine
Firewood-Burning Tips
How much wood is in a cord? The cord is the standard measure of volume used for stacked wood. The volume of one cord of wood is 128 cubic feet of stacked wood. Generally, a cord is laid out in stacks measuring 4 feet wide, 4 feet tall, and 8 feet long (4’ x 4’ x 8’). Due to air space between the stacked wood, the volume of solid wood in a cord may be only 70 to 90 cubic feet.
What is a “rick” or “face cord” of wood? Usually, a cord comprises a few stacks of wood. One stack of a cord is called a “rick” or a “face cord. Generally, a rick is 4 feet tall by 8 feet long, and the width of a rick will depend on the length of the individual pieces of firewood. Because of this variability in width, a rick could be equal to 1/4 of a cord, 1/2 a cord, or more.
What is the heat value? Heat value refers to the amount of heat a wood produces when burned. Heat value varies based on the type of wood: A cord of wood with “high heat value” provides the heat equivalent to that produced by burning 200 to 250 gallons of heating oil. Other heat values are listed above.
Cutting wood: Freshly cut wood contains up to 50 percent moisture and must be seasoned (dried) to 20 to 25 percent moisture content before burning. Wood containing more than 25 percent moisture is wet (or green) and should never be burned in a fireplace or wood stove.
Splitting wood: Wet wood is easier to split than dry wood. Wood must be split into pieces and stacked out of the rain for at least six months to season properly.
Seasoning firewood: If steam bubbles and hisses out of the end grain as the firewood heats up on the fire, the wood is wet or green and needs to be seasoned longer before burning. Well-seasoned firewood generally has darkened ends with visible cracks or splits. It is relatively lightweight and makes a sharp, distinctive “clink” when two pieces strike each other.
Burning pine: Limit the amount of pine you burn. It’s a resinous softwood.
Buy local: Only buy firewood from local sources. Buying and moving firewood from elsewhere (especially from state to state) is not only frowned upon, it may also be illegal. Transporting firewood from one place to another increases the chance of spreading invasive pests and diseases.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/content/best-firewood-heat-values-wood-burning-tips
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365