4. Fuel - buying wood by the cord

In countries with a woodburning tradition, wood is typically sold by volume. The standard unit used is the 'cord' which is 8'0" x 4'0" x 4'0"
XXThere is little point in buying wood by weight since you would then pay more for wet wood than for dry wood!
XXAll the same, buying by volume has its drawbacks since sections that are twisted and mis-shapen obviously don't compact into a neat pile as readily as long, even sections of the type shown in the diagram at right. This of course offers plenty of scope for haggling, but experienced buyers can generally "guesstimate" what is on offer with an acceptable degree of accuracy. This approach corresponds roughly to the Forestry Commission's practice of buying and selling timber by cubic measurement.
XXAs was noted earlier, hardwoods and softwoods have different densities and can be expected to fetch different prices when bought by the cord.