The Foxfire series of books started with "The Foxfire Book" with later editions becoming "Foxfire 2" etc. I bought the original through Foxfire 6 as a set & later bought Foxfire 8. I do not know how high they go but do recall seeing #10. They were originated by Eliot Wigginton, who in 1966 had just completed 5 yrs at Cornell with an A.B. in English & an M.A in teaching. He then located to a 240 pupil, Raybun Gap-Nacoochee school where he taught 9th & 10th grade English & Geography & in his words had about 10 other "Side Resposibilities". Raybun Gap is located in North Eastern GA in the southern end of the Appalacian range close to the NC border. In his words his first few weeks of a "Cornell Hotshot" teaching Mountain kids was a catastrophic "Flop". Realizing if he was going to survive the year he had to come up with something different, he walked in the classroom one day & asked "How would you like to throw away the textbook & publish a magazine". After due consideration "Foxfire" was chosen. For those not familar, not a too scientific description, but Foxfire is a fungus which grows on rotting wood, containing phosphourous I believe & glows in dim light, Basis for many a good "Mountain Ghost Story". Anyway the magazine became a sucess & led to the books. Mr Wigginton, carried his students throughtout the mountains of North GA, NC & I believe into Eastern TN interviewing the folks there & taking notes.
Foxfire 5 is the one to procure for iron making, blacksmithing, gunmaking (including BP) etc. The BP here as I recall was traditional with saltpeter, charcoal & sulphur, I was not familar with using Sugar. During the "War of Northern Agression" the people of Atlanta were encouraged to use a "Bedpan" for urine collection for the purpose of making "Southern BP", I do not believe it was stored for a year, before propelling "Many"-balls at them Yanks.
Incidently my Mother made Lye soap, but she bought "Merrywar or Red Devil" lye in a can. My Grandmother had a hopper & leached her own lye from ashes.
Anyone wants to read more of the squirrel shooting Granny it can be found in the July-August, 2007 issue of a little mag entitled "the Backwoodsman".
