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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

Robert Walton wrote:

> I ran across two or three dead trees today in this new area. Nothing
> big, but still good for firewood. I'm going to get them this weekend.

How large of an area do you work at a time? Do you set aside a goal, 
like an acre a year or how do you decide?


> I do that also. Some areas that make sense, i bring the goats in and
> they wait for me to pull the vines down. It's a good bonding exercise
> :>)

I was wishing I had girls around to enjoy it, for sure.  I actually 
thought about how excited they would become.

> I had some survey tape. I can reuse it. When I ran out, I blazed them
> with a machete.
>
> I just kind of wing it on spacing. I found a good old maple tree with
> 4 or 5 shoots or whatever growing up form the base. About 6 to 8
> inches, I'll cut that out. If two trees are within arms reach or so of
> each other and 8 inches or so, I'll cut out the lessor tree. Straight
> trees with good bases are pretty safe other than gum trees. I'll leave
> a lot of tree for next pass in a few years. Oaks, maples, hickory,
> birch I prefer over all.

I've got several different kinds of birches-and would you believe I 
found a 4 trunk river birch 100 feet up the hill and 200 feet away from 
the dry creek?  I was amazed that it would be so far from the creek 
area.  That tells me that there is a spring there...<bev files away for 
future reference>

I need to remember to take my tree ID book with me when I walk the 
woods.  Most I know, but there is always that one tree that you can't 
quite identify because you can't see the leaf canopy.

B

Bev

--
"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from 
the government and I'm here to help.'"  Ronald Reagan