Site Discussions

Firewood: What a shameful use of larch!

I have been watching with interest the activity around a red maple which we felled last year. The tree probably would have survived, but I didn’t realize this process of what was ‘killing off’ the tree, fungus & borers, but this is a splendid creature & fascinating. Thank you for this information which was sourced by a member of our Gardening Group.

I use a handy reference book published by Reader’s Digest called Book of North American Birds. I have been able to recognize over 25 species using it. No more, “they all look alike” for me!

I struggle with this duality every day so am glad to see someone capture it, as I’ve been unable to express it coherently.

Today I left a badly high-graded Woodlot feeling sick from what I’d seen, but on the way home I helped a spotted turtle across the road into a pond and I found some peace of mind…“Domineering” when it comes to ticks and mosquitos and “a cooperator” in the case of turtles…thanks for your thoughts Dave.

Thanks for the informative article.  I’m surprised the writer didn’t mention ironwood or hop hornbeam, because it retains its leaves as well in the forest understory, much more so than oak, at least in Ontario. I tell hikers that if they see leaves persisting in the forest in winter, then the tree is either beech or ironwood.

What an excellent article!  I remember Euell Gibbins and some people joking about eating the weeds.  But the interest in wild foods, wild-crafting is definitely on the rise.  Just stay away from the poison ivy!

Right on, Dave Mance. The woodlot/farm philosopher within us. I don’t read a lot of blog musings, but I always make time for yours. Write on.

Hey! Anyone could explain me if there is any difference between “structural diversity” and “structural complexity”? And if there are, what they are? Thanks!

My sense, Jason, is that a burn would provide some short term relief. Ticks thrive in deciduous leaf litter, so burning off the duff layer would probably help. The catch is, as soon as the next crop of leaves fell, and the shrub layer grew back, the ticks would reappear. In fact, the burn might eventually help them, by stimulating a thick layer of growth on the forest floor.

I would like to know if controlled burns would aid in the reduction of the tick population.

This article helped me sort out my problems. I was looking for tips on how to install a wood boiler into my existing oil boiler heating system with 4 heating zones and using the oil boiler as an back up which will automatically jump on if the wood boiler fire goes out.

I was so happy to come across this article. I have so much respect for my Grandmother Helen L. Burns and miss her terribly. To see her in this article and be able to share a story about her past with her Great Grandchildren is just the best feeling. Thank you!

Please describe the easiest way to determine the volume of lumber in a given stand of either 5 or 10 acre increments.

Michael Caduto was such an inspiration to me as a fourth grade teacher AND human being! I read his books to my students and we implemented as much of his philosophy as possible in a public school system which was overburdened with state and national requirements.

Loved this article and hope you will have more by him.

Thanks Andy for the question.Yes, certain wasps (most or all in family family Cynipidae) can induce swellings or galls in plant tissues. The most commonly seen example is probably the so-called “oak apple”. Yes, the wasp locally stimulates tree metabolism which provides habitat for the wasp larvae. Now this won’t sound very scientific, and it might just be my personal usage, but I use the term “gall” for smaller, fleshier or softer growths and “burl” to mean something large enough and firm enough for a woodworker’s saw. I know, we still say that large burls are caused by the “crown gall” bacterium, honoring several centuries of usage. Nature doesn’t always fit into our neat categories, but here is a good example of convergence by very different organisms to affect tree physiology to meet their own needs.

I have often heard that certain non-stinging wasps can induce burls when they lay their eggs in or under the bark. Is this true, and does it correlate with the viruses, fungi or bacteria mentioned in the article?

There is also a fascinating link between deer ticks carrying lyme and invasive species. Good article here: http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/more-findings-on-the-link-between-japanese-barberry-and-lyme-disease/

Yet another reason to battle invasive species!

For me an obvious question would be if anything like this exists in Quebec. If Native Americans built these chambers in New England, they logically would have built them north of the present VT/NH border as well - as it didn’t exist at the time.

But if these Chambers are only found on one side of that line, then its evidence colonial people built them as there were distinct colonial era cultures on either side.

Hi everyone,
This is Ross, I wrote the article, and found out there were responses, sorry to be so late.  Thank you for the comments, some answers follow:

Ryan. I store many handles by suspending them from a rafter with a string and a nail or hook in the end out of sun, cool if possible.  If they warp, burn ‘em.

Mr. Ball, Yes, it is the first, you want to have a larger piece of wood as the piece of wood you take will have “flatter grain” less arc this way. 8 inch diameter is minimum.

John Santi, checking or cracking centers on the pith or center of limb. Split out center and use sides of limb. Sluicebox uses vaseline, and I often use white glue, thinned with hot water on ends.

Adam, if that is all you have, use it, but might be better looking for larger wood, a firewood cutter or logging contractor might help.  On a 3 inch diameter you have to split the center out to keep it from checking, and then cut the bark off, and the rings will have a short arc, all problematic on a 3 inch sapling for an axe handle.  Time spent looking for good materials is not wasted; time spent trying to make something of quality out of small trees and branches may be a waste of time.

Good luck with axe handles and thanks for you comments.
Ross Morgan