By STACY CAMPBELL
Cottonwood Extension District
Not all firewood is created equal. Some species of trees are able to produce much more heat per cord of wood. A cord is the amount of wood in a well-stacked woodpile measuring 4 feet wide by 8 feet long by 4 feet high.
Following are heat values (in million BTUs) per cord for various species of trees. The higher the value, the better the wood.
The Kansas Forest Service has a publication titled "Managing Your Woodland for Firewood" that is quite helpful. See http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/bookstore/pubs/mf773.pdf
Remember to obtain firewood locally. Emerald Ash Borer has spread in Kansas primarily because of transported wood.
Stacy Campbell is a Crop Production Extension agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact him by e-mail at [email protected] or by calling 785-628-9430.
