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[Clansgian AT wmconnect.com]

> >That could be the foundation of the true problem. Introduced species may 
> thrive, but often succumb to something in the end.

There's a North Star and Queen Anne and Lambert cherry trees in the other 
orchard.  They began to moss and lichen up and I sprayed them with a weak 
copper 
solution.  The epiphytes subsided (did not disappear entirely) and the bark 
healed up and the trees are fine.

I just came from the middle of my woodlot cutting a couple of dead standing 
trees for firewood.  The living trees all have lichens and moss on them, but 
only a little.  That is probably normal and healthy.  Not so the fruit trees 
in 
question, they are covered with it.

I am going to replace all the Montmorency trees this spring from a local 
nurseryman.

> >Our area had native cherry trees once but 
> they all succumbed to the German immigrant furniture makers at the turn 
> of the century.
> 

We still have whole groves of them, massive trees 70 feet tall.  Right beside 
me is a piece of my work done all in local cherry wood (and three more in 
black walnut).  But these furniture cherry trees are not the same as our 
fruit 
cherries.  The fruit of these are small and mostly seed and sour beyond 
description.  

I only need very small irregular shaped pieces of wood stock so the leftovers 
from the veneer trade and even trees that are not timber quality at all do 
fine for me.  This last cherry wood (#2 grade and #3 grade) I paid $1.50 a 
board 
foot kiln dried and in the rough.  I got maybe 40% to 50% good yield.