"LOGS TO BURN."

"Logs to burn; logs to burn;
Logs to save the coal a turn."

Here’s a word to make you wise
When you hear the wood-man’s cries;
Never heed his usual tale
That he has splendid logs for sale,
But read these lines and really learn
The proper kinds of logs to burn.

Oak logs will warm you well
If they’re old and dry;
Larch logs of pine woods smell,
But the sparks will fly.
Beech logs for Christmas-time,
Yew logs heat well;
"Scotch" logs it is a crime
For anyone to sell.

Birch logs will burn too fast,
Chestnut scarce at all;
Hawthorn logs are good to last
If cut in the Fall.
Holly logs will burn like wax,
You should burn them green;
Elm logs like smouldering flax,
No flame to be seen.

Pear logs and apple logs,
They will scent your room;
Cherry logs across the dogs
Smell like flowers in bloom.
But Ash logs, all smooth and grey,
Burn them green or old;
Buy up all that come your way,
They’re worth their weight in gold.

---

Published unattributed in Punch Magazine, Volume 159, October 27, 1920 (click - large file). On this page (click), the page author claims that the poem was written by his/her grandmother, Honor Goodhart, during the 1926 (sic) coal strike in England. The writer claims the poem was set to music by Golden Bough, a Northern California Celtic group. I don't know how much of this to believe. I learned the song from the Golden Bough recording, but their CD says the song is traditional. Seems we need more research. Discrepancies in the details raise a question as to the credibility of the whole - so did Honor Goodhart write the poem in Punch? I dunno - apparently, nothing published in Punch at the time was attributed.
Anybody have the Johnny Collins recording? How about the one from Kevin Adams?
-Joe-