The Evil Of Balled And Burlapped Trees

I got a call from a homeowner that said his pines were all dying of a blight.  He had taken out six already, and a seventh had just died.

This tree is newly dead and the upper needles had not turned brown.  I parked by it and I could see the ground moving around it as the wind pushed the tree around.  It was not well-rooted.  The movement would be obvious to anyone who works with trees.

 It is sincerely dead; no coming back.  The man has one more live white pine tree.

Here is the problem.  It was a balled and burlapped tree; the kind people plant when they want instant trees and immediate gratification.  We don't know how long they sat in a nursery bed with chopped roots that circled new growth in the burlap wrap, but these trees looked good when they were planted.  The circling roots do not straighten and extend radially.  They are stuck in the shape that was forced on them, and soon the trees are starved and strangled.  I see this  problem over and over, and I don't make many friends in the nursery industry.  I tell people to stay away from balled and burlapped trees, and to plant seedlings or potted trees with good root systems.  Landowner will argue that they want a big tree right away and buy the big one.  They will be replacing it in a few years, and they sometimes call me and ask for my blessing.  I tell them they screwed up and are screwing up again if they do another balled and burlapped tree.

Meanwhile, Susan and I have great trees all around the homestead because we plant small trees with good root systems.  I just stuck a swamp chestnut oak in the ground last week that is only 8" tall, and I am 65 years old now.  If I don't screw up and do something stupid I may get to enjoy shade from that tree in a few years.

Quick Dry Your Small Wood For Winter

Trees around the yard have to be totally cleaned up when we cut them, so it's waste not, want not, and the small wood comes to the house for the firewood stack.  We want the pieces to dry fast, so we use this technique to accomplish that.  Unless it's elm.  Haul the elm out in the woods and let it molder away!

We cut firewood year-round it seems.  We have a big pile of split wood downstairs, and a humongous pile of wood in the barn. We have been cutting black locusts lately in the oak patch we planted in 1993.  Locust dries fast if you split it, and it is hot firewood, so we are stacking it under the eave to burn during the upcoming winter.  It will burn well in four or six weeks.  We also have some dead pin oaks and black oaks spotted, so we will be busy until Christmas making wood.

Oh, Groundhog!

I got lucky again today.  I like groundhogs, and this one is a beauty!

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Light Foundation

You can't go wrong with this week's offer by Ruger if you are looking for a shooter.  This is a P85 Decocker made in 1990, and these usually don't go terribly high.  This fine pistol will sell mid-day, October 19, 2016.  100% of the proceeds of this sale will go to benefit the Light Foundation. Click Here for the description and to place your bid.  $630.01

Tuesday Torque: We've Come A Long Way

What a difference a century makes.  This is a 20 HP IHC Titan tractor that is basically a stationary hit-and-miss engine dropped onto a primitive tractor chassis.  It's a wonder tractors ever caught on, considering that farmers were expected to replace a steam engine with this barely-able outfit.  Tractor technology advanced rapidly, and it must have been painful to the purchasers to see how quickly their machines became obsolete.  Fun to watch, though!



Video by Gary Bahre at Pinckneyville this past weekend.

Pick And Prep Those Walnuts Now!

Here are a couple of easy methods for de-hulling your freshly dropped walnuts.  Wear your rubber gloves, or you will have stained hands for a long time.  Wash, dry, (Onion bags are good for storage.) crack and pick as Thanksgiving approaches.  We will get out the rack-and-pinion cracker and have a look inside our treasures after they have had a little time to mature.

Mountain Whippoorwill, Stephen Vincent Benet, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Boonville and Pinckneyville: Two Great Shows This Weekend!

If you live near Southern Illinois or Southern Indiana this weekend promises to be a great time.  Two of our favorite shows are going on this weekend, and the weather is going to be beautiful.

Here is a little gas engine action at Boonville a few years back.



At Boonville you can rest your bones on a bench and watch the sawmill operate for as long as you want.

Pinckneyville will have many similar sights, but the show is not under trees for the most part, and there is a totally different feel to this fine show.

Are They Waiting For It To Cry Out In Pain?

They must be, because there are clues aplenty being ignored.

This blue spruce is 95% dead from Rhizosphaera Needle Cast.  They will call me when it is totally bare and tell me they don't want to lose this tree.

This maple was broken or topped, and the resulting top is attached weakly, with rot in the middle.  One fork has fallen.  The remaining tops are going to fall on the mobile home on the left, and the carport on the right.  There is also a car parked just out of the picture.

A Glimpse Of Our Future

This is a list of statistics from Israel for 2015.  Study it and learn.  Go to Google Earth and look at all the mosques in this country.  Pay attention; be prepared.