I LIVE WITH A COOKSTOVE AND LOVE IT

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Next, I open the damper all the way so the air will draw and I lay my fire by taking one single sheet of newspaper (dry leaves, pine needles or tar paper will do if no newspaper is available), wadding it loosely and placing the wad in the front of the firebox. On top of this I crisscross some splinters. Then, on top of' it all I place a few sticks of dry wood and "light her up". In no time at all she's ready for the coffee pot and kettle.

The damper, by the way, regulates the blaze (and, therefore, the heat) by controlling the flow of air (oxygen) through the fire box. You want the damper wide open when starting afire. Once it's burning nicely close the damper a bit to hold the heat in the stove or to slow down the blaze.

One afternoon, I was busy and called to my teenage daughter, Bonnie, to turn the chicken for me. She yelled, "How you turn this darn thing off?" We had a good laugh (one of many) before I introduced her to the indispensable damper. I explained there was no ON or OFF per se, only an UP and DOWN, which is controlled with the damper. When you need OFF, you simply remove the pot; when you want to hold the heat DOWN, you turn the damper or push the pot to the side of the stove away from the heat. Simple! Bonnie grinned and shook her pretty head.

I never use kerosene or gasoline as a quick starter. They are highly dangerous and they really don't help. If the wood is dry enough to burn at all, it will start with a little encouragement from newspaper, pin: needles or dry leaves. If it's not dry enough, kerosene or gas won't help. Once the fluid burns itself out you're right back where you started. I do keep a little hatchet handy, though, to tailor-made splinters when they're brought in too big.

FUELS AND FUELING

To each his own about flee kind of wood to burn in a cookstove. You'll probably want to experiment until you find your favorite In my opinion, ash makes the hottest fire and hickory is best for steady heat. Now that we live most of the year where cedar is plentiful, I cook quite a lot with it and enjoy the added benefit of a nice aroma.

If you live where you can't afford to be choicey, don't fret: Any wood will give a good, substantial fire once you get it going. And, if you have no wood at all, most of the old-time cookstoves will cheerfully accept hard coal, soft coal, coke or even corncobs.

While we're on the subject of wood, I should mention—for those who don't know (and I was among them until two years ago)—the difference between green and dry wood. Well do I remember the first time I sent our youngest daughter out to bring me a turn of green wood. She came back empty-handed and said sadly, "There is no green wood . . . only brown and sort of blackish."

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