The brotherton Reservation begins at a pine knot on the west side of Atsion Road. Like Al, I never knew what a pine knot was. I thought maybe it was the hole in the trunk where a branch once was. I know the area around the hole is very hard and the last part of the trunk to rot. I have heard of putting a pine knot in the fireplace to start a fire, now I know why.
While in Blackman (1880: 185), I found this reference to pine knots that reminded me of your post! She's talking about the first European settlers of Egg Harbor (early eighteenth century), a territorial designation that included Little Egg Harbor.
At this stage of time the farmers had plenty of fire wood and a stout ox team to haul it home, and it was the custom with them to cut down large oak or pine trees, and then cut them up into what they denominated back-logs. These logs were three or four feet long and often two or three feet in diameter, and when wanted to burn, the kitchen furniture was moved back and huddled together in another part of the room so as to allow ample room for the ingress of the back-logs. The big logs were rolled up and the monster logs carried or rolled into the house, and placed one at a time into the fire place. There were usually three sizes of back-logs, the largest in diameter forming the foundation, then the second in size was placed on the first, and then the third and smallest log on top; this the first great feat accomplished, the fire builder laid three or four splintered pitch pine knots on the coals, which had been placed against the base logs, then a small log (called a fore-stick) was laid on the strong bars of iron called the and-irons, thus forming a fore-stick, and then between the fore-stick and back logs was heaped up an armful or two of smaller, round or split wood; this done, the farmer soon had a pile which would last a considerable time, and suffice to warm and illuminate the ample room. Those who were blessed with such fires had but little use for candles or lamps, for the blazing pine knots and wood afforded sufficient light for all the work or reading going on in the apartment, and to be added to this first fire of the evening, there were an armful or two of nicely split pitch pine knots heaped up within the jams ready to be added to the fire whenever the light decreased. This split pine was put on, one piece at a time, and when that ceased to give the required light another was thrown on to keep up a successive blaze. For some generations the forests were full of those old pine knots, they being the relics of old pine trees that had fallen, and all except the knots had decayed; but the pine knots would have lasted forever, if people had not gathered and burnt them. At this time, a real old-fashioned pine knot is a rare sight.
According to Blackman old growth pine knots were incredibly decay resistant, apparently without modern analog.
1880. Blackman L. History of Little Egg Harbor Township, Burlington County, N.J., From its First Settlement to the Present Time. In Order of the Society [of the Surveyors; Association]. Proceedings, Constitution, By-Laws, Lists of Members, &c., of the Surveyors’ Association of West New Jersey. With Historical and Biographical Sketches Relating to New Jersey. Camden, NJ: S. Chew. pp. 173–400.
S-M