alternative to having the
glowing embers become discouraged and give up the fight.

[Illustration: There is a splendid opportunity for home
craftsmanship of a high order in making the copper hood for an
example of this type]

First of all, there is the need of having fuel that is really dry. It
is not essential that the woodpile be kept indoors, but it should at
least have shelter above it and on three sides. The woodsheds of New
England farmhouses offer a practical and efficient solution of the
problem. Usually you will find these as an extension to the house, a
shed open only to the south, in which the cord wood is piled neatly to
the roof with sawn ends to the front. Two long logs are laid on the
floor or ground, at right angles to the firewood, so as to encourage a
circulation of air for drying.

In addition to the heavier logs which are cut to fit the fireplace
opening, there should be almost an equal quantity of twigs, brush and
smaller pieces, or else split kindling, to serve as starting fuel.

To lay a fire on the hearth, select first a heavy log which should be
placed close against the back of the fire chamber on the hearth and not
on the andirons. This is the traditional "backlog." It will serve
through several fires and is intended mainly as a protection of the back
brickwork. Stand the andirons with their rear ends close up against the
backlog, and if the latter is of the best size its top will be well
above the horizontal bars of the andirons. Now select a smaller
log--preferably not a split piece--and lay it across the andirons. If a
big fire is desired, keep this log--the "forelog"--well to the front,
just back of the andiron upright posts, leaving plenty of space between
backlog and forelog for the main body of the fire. The distance between
these two logs will govern the size of the fire. In this space put a few
crumpled sheets of newspaper, some of the lighter twigs and small
branches, and one, two or three logs or split pieces, as may be required
to fill the space. The diagrams will make clearer this arrangement for a
small fire or a large one.

[Illustration: Section showing the arrangement of andirons and
wood for a large fire (at the left) and a smaller one]

As the central portion of the fire burns away, keep the forelog pushed
back against it, unless a less active fire is desired. It is well to
remember that where one isolated log will not burn, two close together
prob