Homestead mailing list

[bob ford <bobford79 AT yahoo.com>]

I'm not being a smart aleck, I'm being serious when I ask: If you know this, 
then why don't the botanists at Tex DOT know this, and stop?

p.s.  Your initial message, below, came to me rather than the list


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--- On Wed, 11/5/08, eureka AT hctc.net <eureka AT hctc.net> wrote:

> From: eureka AT hctc.net <eureka AT hctc.net>
> Subject: Re: [Homestead] Beetle Invasion in N.E.
> To: bobford79 AT yahoo.com
> Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 10:30 AM
> http://www.texasinvasives.org/Invasives_Database/Results/Detail.asp?Symbol=BOISS
> 
> It's just as bad as bermuda, an aggressive spreader. It
> comes from Africa, and was introduced by the King Ranch of
> Texas for erosion control in the 1930's because of
> it's drought tolerance, but oddly it has little value as
> forage or hay. King Ranch Bluestem (or KR for short) is
> perennial bunchgrass, not even a true bluestem. It's
> considered invasive by many noteworthy national agencies but
> is still being seeded by the TXDOT and pushed by agencies
> with holes in their heads. The best way to get rid of it is
> tillage, but good luck tilling our gravel soil. Fire
> suppression is helpful, but you must burn in the summer and
> most of the time we are under a burn ban then. BTW, it's
> in your state too, and throughout the south.
> 
> --Sage
> 
> 
> 
> On Wed, 5 Nov 2008 09:05:11 -0800 (PST)
>  bob ford <bobford79 AT yahoo.com> wrote:
> > What is KR, is it like bermuda in the city, growing
> everywhere you don't want?  I don't know how things
> are nowadays, I just remember different people making
> suggestions to my father and his friends.  Some they
> trusted, some not.  Building trust is essential. Someone, at
> some time, convinced people to bulldoze their yards.  I
> don't understand it either .....bobford
> > 
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > 
> > 
> > --- On Wed, 11/5/08, eureka AT hctc.net
> <eureka AT hctc.net> wrote:
> > 
> >> From: eureka AT hctc.net <eureka AT hctc.net>
> >> Subject: Re: [Homestead] Beetle Invasion in N.E.
> >> To: bobford79 AT yahoo.com,
> homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
> >> Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 9:53 AM
> >> The problem here is nobody--not even the
> government--is
> >> telling them not to clear everything. In fact, as
> far as I
> >> can tell the extension agents and soil
> conservation
> >> districts are the ones actually encouraging this,
> and there
> >> are financial incentives for land owners to do so.
> I
> >> don't understand why these agencies don't
> see the
> >> impact this has on erosion and water quality. The
> only
> >> agency I know that is very concerned is the river
> authority
> >> and their hands are tied, as the majority of their
> funding
> >> is for cleaning up messes rather than educating
> and
> >> pre-empting them.
> >> 
> >> My neighbor and I have had many good conversations
> about
> >> ecology over the years, and I do so admire his
> ability as an
> >> alternative builder to think outside the box, so I
> was (as
> >> you recall) extremely floored when he cleared the
> land
> >> around us, including bull dozing the creeks,
> destroying a
> >> lot more than just our privacy. Although he
> bounces a lot of
> >> ideas off us about future projects, he did not
> once ask what
> >> we thought of this idea before he began, and
> continued the
> >> destruction well after we let him know our
> thoughts and gave
> >> him oak wilt information. As an afterthough he
> asked me what
> >> kind of grass he should plant along the denuded
> creek, and I
> >> gave him some native suggestions, and begged him
> not to use
> >> invasive KR. He swears he did not plant KR, but it
> is
> >> suddenly all over our property and his. It's
> heavily
> >> promoted by the aforementioned agencies.
> >> 
> >> He recently asked my husband if we have forgiven
> yet, and
> >> my husband said no. We all remain friends. But I
> will not
> >> hesitate to sue him if his erosion causes my land
> to erode,
> >> or if my oaks contract oak wilt from his mistakes.
> And I
> >> have never been a litigious person.
> >> 
> >> --Sage
> >> 
> >> On Wed, 5 Nov 2008 08:26:59 -0800 (PST)
> >>  bob ford <bobford79 AT yahoo.com> wrote:
> >> > I forgot to add in my first reply.  Where I
> grew up ,
> >> most of the country people would have listened to
> you and
> >> followed much of your instructions, IF :  You
> didn't
> >> tell them the gov't was making them do it. 
> And, you did
> >> not condescend to them  (and having a southern
> accent would
> >> be helpful) :-) ....bobford
> >> > > > >
> >>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> > > > --- On Wed, 11/5/08,
> eureka AT hctc.net
> >> <eureka AT hctc.net> wrote:
> >> > >> From: eureka AT hctc.net
> <eureka AT hctc.net>
> >> >> Subject: Re: [Homestead] Beetle Invasion
> in N.E.
> >> >> To: bobford79 AT yahoo.com,
> >> homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
> >> >> Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 9:06
> AM
> >> >> We have Oak Wilt, carried by a beetle
> dangerously
> >> close to
> >> >> us, about 15 minutes away. It is also
> often spread
> >> through
> >> >> firewood, some idiot cutting down an oak
> >> that's died
> >> >> from it and selling the wood, or using
> the same
> >> chain saw
> >> >> afterwards without cleaing it. If
> you've
> >> visited my blog
> >> >> you understand the size of our oaks and
> concern
> >> around here.
> >> >> >> Another thing the article brings
> up is the loss of
> >> property
> >> >> values in the area where the destruction,
> and
> >> preventative
> >> >> destruction is taking place. One thing I
> am big on
> >> as a
> >> >> botanist is encouraging people to have
> trees of
> >> all ages,
> >> >> including babies and teenagers, so to
> speak since
> >> landscapes
> >> >> are dynamic. This helps in maintaining
> property
> >> value. I am
> >> >> so often amazed that people's
> landscapes
> >> include only
> >> >> the mature (because everything else has
> been
> >> cleared away,
> >> >> such as my neighbor's place) or in
> new
> >> subdivision built
> >> >> on scraped ground, young trees of the
> same
> >> relative age
> >> >> brought in for landscaping. Diversity
> isn't
> >> just limited
> >> >> to species, but should involve life
> stages as
> >> well.
> >> >> >> Maybe those of you managing
> woodlots have an
> >> understanding
> >> >> of this, but in Texas very few do. Large
> ranches
> >> go to great
> >> >> lengths to take out what they see as
> undesirable
> >> underbrush
> >> >> through controlled burns. I understand
> they want
> >> grass and
> >> >> have little need of firewood, but they
> don't
> >> even
> >> >> protect their riparian areas. We make
> sure on our
> >> property
> >> >> we have trees of all ages.
> >> >> >> --Sage
> >> >> >> On Wed, 5 Nov 2008 05:15:53
> -0800 (PST)
> >> >>  bob ford <bobford79 AT yahoo.com>
> wrote:
> >> >> >> From this am Wash Post.  This
> sounds like
> >> a
> >> >> significant pestilence in Susan
> Jane's neck of
> >> the woods
> >> >> ....bobf
> >> >> > > >
> >> >>
> >>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> >> > > > Authorities Hope Beetle
> Invasion
> >> Can Be Ground to a
> >> >> Halt
> >> >> >  Crystal Franciosi, a U.S.
> Department of
> >> Agriculture
> >> >> tree climber, records her findings after
> checking
> >> for Asian
> >> >> longhorned beetles in Worcester, Mass.
> (Stephan
> >> Savoia - AP)
> >> >> >> > > WORCESTER, Mass. -- A
> wood-devouring
> >> beetle has gained
> >> >> a foothold in New England, and
> authorities plan to
> >> cut down
> >> >> large numbers of infested trees and grind
> them up
> >> to stop
> >> >> the pest from spreading to the
> region's
> >> celebrated
> >> >> forests and ravaging the timber, tourism
> and
> >> maple-syrup
> >> >> industries
> >> >> > > > > >
> >> >>
> >>
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/04/AR2008110403574.html?hpid=sec-nation
> >> >> > > >    
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> > 
> >