Yesterday I was talking with Jim Blodgett about how much we were looking forward to the Fest at his place and how it would be great to see some “real” trees for a change. (There really is a big difference in what we commonly see in Florida and the northern half of the US of A).
Certain trees that were common in my youth are virtually extinct (American Chestnut, Elm) but on another forum I read of efforts to bring back the American Chestnut.
Guess what!! Made in China.<G>
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They've also developed a bug resistant American elm tree has all the attributes of the American elm which graced our parkways for so many years without risk of damage from the dutch elm disease that killed so many.
By the way isolated stands of American chestnut trees still stand.
According to the scientists behind the cross breeding- there are isolated stands of American Chestnut in the western US. The trees in these stands are not resistant to the blight- it just hasn't found them yet.The cross breeding with the Chinese trees holds great promise for breeding in resistance to Chestnut Blight while maintaining all favorable characteristics of the native tree. At a local environmental center there is a test plot where there are about 100 test saplings being studied. Pretty interesting stuff.
There are strands over in Wisconsin of chestnut trees (not available to the public) and an occasional one here in Minnesota is discovered..
The stand I'm thinking of was featured in Tauton's press's book on wood
the real deal http://www.americanelm.com/ and not a cheap Chinese knockoff.
I've got several growing here.
Developed right here at Princeton Nurseries -
Jeff
and the nursery is up around Atlanta somewhere, not too far from here.
I've got a few form them and they're good trees.
It is rather difficult to imagine just how important it may be to preserve this genetic diversity. And not for just the pleasing effect that the trees have on us or the inherent workability that the woods possess. These species represent far more in possible value in numerous other ways. The next time that you read of a seed bank or a similar effort to vault this gene data away, or a replacement program think twice. As persons deeply involved in a livelihood that depends in great part upon these plants we can more fully appreciate the need for such work. Here in N.Y. we also have the Asian Long Horn Beetle, and he is no friend....
All our Ash trees are dying out now.
There are several stands of 'Princeton' elms here in rolling the hills of Bucks Co. Pa. They're a beautiful tree the way they grow up & out. Not the easiest thing to grow from what I understand.
There are also some chestnut trees growing that are being very carefully guarded.
It would be nice to see a reemerging of both.
I live in the very low foothills of the Appalachians in Dawson County, GA. Was talking to a neighbor in his back yard a few weeks ago & saw some trees I could not name - except "Chestnut," which, everyone knows, no longer exists. But, that's what they are. They are fairly large, mature trees that drop nuts all over the place every fall. By golly, they are chestnuts - & very beautiful, at that. he said there a lot of them around his place.
Don
The Glass Masterworks
"If it scratches, I etch it!"
This fall would you mind boxing up a few of the chestnuts and sending them my way at my cost?
I used to hike the Cohutta pretty often and you can still see stumps and remains of equipment from when it got logged after the chestnut blight way back when. Some of the trails follow the old logging roads/railbeds and yhou can see the jist of the operation even after all these years.
John: See what I can do. It's not too far from here to where you live.DonDon Reinhard
The Glass Masterworks
"If it scratches, I etch it!"
thanks Don. The road between us goes North & South and I get up to Dawsonville and points beyond often enough so a meet somewhere would be easy.
John: I gotta laugh. I live in Dawson by address only. Like a lot of GA counties, we have only one PO address, but the cty is fairly large. I live on the far western edge of the Cty. When I look out my window, I look into Cherokee! We get over to that part of civilization frequently - like about every day!Not a problem meeting up if I can get the nuts.DonDon Reinhard
The Glass Masterworks
"If it scratches, I etch it!"
I'll have to be careful to not say "Show me your nuts."
Yeh - you might get banned!Boy, a lot has transpired in the Tavern while I've been gone. Musta been a great fight - & I missed it all. Oh, well...DonDon Reinhard
The Glass Masterworks
"If it scratches, I etch it!"
twas the same old, same old. didn't miss anything really.