Growing up on a farm, we learned early on that whenever we cut anything of any size to it that grew in the open or in a fenceline, that wood most of the time would be difficult to split because of the twists and turns. On the other hand, when cutting inside the woods, most wood will be straight grained. Quite naturally there are exceptions. One being beech and then there are blue beech, cherry and elm, etc. Also, box elder we've always found only in yards or along creeks out in the open.
