Kveldssanger

Got a few trees locally I'm keeping an eye on, and there's a sweet chestnut woodland nearby so will take a trip up there. WIll also see if the G. lucidum is coming out on the hornbeam up that way as well, as Martin at Kew asked me to keep a tabs. Just hoping the chickens don't end up in a pan before I get there.

Paul told me about that, albeit briefly. I'm looking forward to seeing fungi on the trees at Kew, if Paul's accounts are anything to go by.

Don't speak too soon! Looking forward to it. Shame you couldn't get to this one!

I must begin to search for my arch nemesis again... chicken.

Turkey oak?

Oh absolutely!

See some of you tomorrow. I'll be in a shirt and tie, as a heads up for those that may be looking for me. Grey tie.

So someone who is (subjectively) 'overly positive' is of a questionable mental state? Bullshit. I'd rather not be dragged down into the bleak mire where many people lurk. We are not crabs in a bucket; at least, some of us are not. If I have misinterpreted this comment of yours then please do enlighten me.

I can agree with that, too. We're all still mastering the art of calibration!

Got probably two more for the Canada one. Are people enjoying this dive back into history? Personally, I think it's really cool. And I don't just mean the exchange rate!

14/05/16. Fact #202. I’m going to skip right in to this post, so if you didn’t read the previous section you can do so just above (literally!). New Brunswick On climate: “The snowfall varies in different parts of the Province from two to six or more feet in depth, which, when frozen, makes not only excellent roads for sleighing, but is of inestimable value for those engaged in getting timber out of the woods.” On agriculture: “The possibilities of the Province as a fruit-growing district are being more and more realised, and horticulture may be said to be only in its infancy. It has been demonstrated that the soil and climate in the St. John Valley will produce apples second to none grown in any part of the world; and this statement applies also to the smaller fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries, etc. Several kinds of plums do well.” A farming scene in the Province of New Brunswick. On lumbering: “Of the forest lands of New Brunswick approximately 7,500,000 acres are owned by the Crown, and 4,500,000 acres by private owners. The timber from these lands is of many kinds, the chief of which are spruce, fir, birch, cedar, maple, pine, beech, and hemlock, with many other less common varieties. The manufacture of these woods into sawn timber, laths, shingles, pulpwood, poles, railway sleepers, and so forth, finds employment for a very large number of mills, and their total annual output is valued at about $30,000,000 (£6,000,000). The annual revenue of the Province derived from stumpage, bonuses, and ground rents is approximately one million dollars.” Quebec On agriculture: “Apple, plums, and melons are produced in large quantities, together with many varieties of small fruits. Over $3,600,000 (£720,000) is realized annually from the maple trees in sugar and syrup.” The maple syrup and maple sugar industry is a profitable one in the Province of Quebec. The trees are tapped about the end of March. On lumbering: “Next in importance to agriculture and manufacturing in Quebec is the lumber trade. In the north the predominating trees are spruce, fir, and other evergreen varieties, while further south appear maple, poplar, basswood, oak, and elm trees, with many other hardwoods. A large part of the timber is cut for the purpose of being manufactured into pulp, and subsequently into paper. Large pulp and paper mills have been erected at several points in the Province. The value of the lumber cut including pulpwood in Quebec amounts annually to over $64,770,000 (£12,954,000).” Ontario On agriculture: “In the Niagara fruit belt Ontario possesses one of the most beautiful and fertile fruit-growing districts in the British Empire. Here peaches and grapes are grown extensively in the open air, and cherries, apples, plums, pears, and small fruits yield bountiful crops. Electric railways radiate in all directions, linking up the orchards with the cities. Probably nowhere else in the Empire are scientific cultivation, exceptional soil and climate, easy transit, co-operative marketing, and near-by markets, found in such favourable combination as in this section of the Province, where the highly specialized industry of fruit growing and market gardening has reached such a stage of development.” Dairying is an important industry in Ontario. Some of the best herds in North America are to be found on the farms of the Province. On lumbering: “Though Quebec has larger untouched timber areas, the lumbering industry of Ontario exceeds that of any other portion of Canada. The forest lands are estimated at 102,000 square miles, a territory equal in size to one-half of France. Nowhere else on the continent are found such great areas of white pine, and of almost equal value, in the marketing of pulpwood, are the magnificent spruce and poplar trees which occupy large districts of Northern Ontario. The total amount of red and white pine still standing on lands belonging to the Province is estimated at over 12,000,000,000 feet, while there are more than 350,000,000 cords of pulpwood on lands still in the hands of the Government. “The quantity of pulp available is past calculation”. One of the largest pulp mills in the world is in operation at Sault Ste. Marie, and several other almost equally large are scattered over the northern section. The numerous rivers throughout the lumbering district are of great help to the lumberman in floating the logs to the sawmills, located at convenient points. A Country Road in one of the Fruit Districts in Ontario. There are many other valuable trees besides those already mentioned; oak, beech, maple, elm, and basswood are plentiful. The most important lumbering districts are on the Upper Ottawa, west of Lake Superior, and north of Georgian Bay. Finished lumber is exported all over the world. When it’s fruit picking time in the Ontario Orchards, girls find pleasant and healthful employment. Hasty clearing of the land for farming, and forest fires, have caused great destruction of timber, but the Provincial Government is awake to the necessity of forest protection and reforesting. A fire-patrol service is helping to protect the forests. Five areas, totally 17,860 square miles, have been set apart as reserves for timber conservation and the preservation of the water supply. In addition, Algonquin Park, with an area of 2,000 square miles, contains uncut timber of great value.” Source: Anon. (1930) Canada: Descriptive Atlas. Canada: Houses of Parliament.

Good post. Always set the benchmark high, too. Stretch yourself.

Oh wow - that's really quite interesting! Will have a little read up.

Whilst it's still moist and bright yellow, I think. Perhaps a week or so in? Depends on growth rate but before the brackets start to 'sag'. Watch out for eating wood-decay fungi near sources of air pollution, by the way.

Scenes of utter devastation today, on a willow stem. Bear in mind this stem is around 0.75cm in diameter at most. Ants + very small bug (aphid?) + bigger bug. Ants looked like they were predating upon the tiny things, and perhaps that other insect is as well was feasting? Anyone able to tell me exactly what's going on, here? Ta.

I forgot about that video. Ta!

Indeed!

12/05/16. Fact #201. For this post, I’m doing something a little different – I’m quoting directly from a source, extensively. The reason for this is that the publication I am quoting from is the 1930 publication entitled “Canada: Descriptive Atlas“, which was issued by direction of Hon. Robert Forke, who was, until 1929, Minister for Immigration and Colonization in Canada. If you’re wondering where I obtained it, I was lent this publication by an old lady who had kept hundreds of old publications, ranging from old Post Office magazines to World War I and II publications. This text was among them all. Here be the publication! The publication is split into sections for each region of Canada, and I have picked out parts that relate to trees and have included them below, though within their wider context – I have not cut out any parts of the sub-sections quoted, and instead they are quoted in full (this means some bits aren’t directly related to trees). I may do them over the course of a few posts spanning a few days, as there is a lot to write! All below images are taken from the publication, and the captions below are the same as in the publication itself. The Dominion of Canada On lumbering: “The forests of Canada are among the largest in extent in the world, and are a correspondingly great source of wealth. When the early French explorers first sailed up the St. Lawrence River and endeavoured to penetrate the interior, they found the surface of the country virtually a huge forest, and rivers were the only routes into its vast recesses. Much of the forest, especially in the southern section, has been cleared away to make homes for the settlers, and still greater areas have been destroyed by fire, but sufficient still remains to make Canada one of the greatest potential lumber producing countries. Not only are those forests great for the lumber and pulpwood they contain, but they are also of immense importance in supplying fuel, in tempering the climate, and in conserving the water supply. For these reasons they are carefully guarded against fire and wanton destruction, and reforestation is being conducted in a scientific manner. Large areas in almost all the Provinces has been set apart as forest reserves, those in the hands of the Dominion Government alone, including parks, amounting to 43,710 square miles. With proper care, there is no danger of the forest wealth of Canada being depleted for centuries to come. Government House, Ottawa, the residence of the Governor-General in Canada. The production of pulp and paper is the most important manufacturing industry in Canada. It leads in gross value and also in the amount of wages paid. Canada produces more newsprint paper than any other country. The latest available figures show that 2,360,000 tons or about 990,000 tons more than the United States, the next largest producer. The lumber industry is the fourth most important industry in gross value of products. It ranks first in the total number of employees, second in wage and salary distribution and third in value of capital.” Prince Edward Island On industry: “As there are no minerals and no large forests in Prince Edward Island, neither mining nor lumbering is carried on. Manufacturing is connected chiefly with the preparation of foods, such as butter and cheese. Port-packing and lobster-canning are large and growing industries.” Prince Edward Island is known as a Million Acre Farm or “The Garden of the Gulf”. Farm and Meadow mingle in a Charming Way on Prince Edward Island. Nova Scotia On climate: “The climate of the Province is remarkably healthy and invigorating. The sea modifies the temperature both of summer and winter. Lack of extremes of heat and cold tend to the rapid growth of vegetation. The rainfall is abundant, averaging about 44 inches a year.” On agriculture: “Agriculture is a leading industry of Nova Scotia, the annual value of the production being over $40,000,000 (£8,000,000). Along the northern side of the Province, a valley, 100 miles in length, yields one of the best apple crops in the world, while peaches, pears, plums, and cherries are also grown. The dyked lands are exceedingly rich and produce enormous crops of hay and cereals. Oats is the leader followed closely by wheat and barley. All root crops in the Province are healthy, the potato far outranking the other both in quality and quantity. The beauties of Nova Scotia were sung by Longfellow in his “Evangeline”. Above is a picture of the Experimental Farm at Kentville, which is greatly aiding agriculture. Along the southeastern shore of the Bay of Fundy is a range of hills. Sheltered between these hills and the central heights of the Province lies the famous Annapolis Valley, which, with its continuations, is about 100 miles long, and is sometimes as much as 10 miles wide. Here the early French immigrants planted their apple trees, and laid the foundation of Nova Scotia’s famous apple industry. This great industry supplies about half a million barrels of apples every year to the British Isles, besides a very large quantity the the apple-consumers nearer home. The apple is the king of fruits in Nova Scotia, where indeed it grows to a high standard of perfection. Plums and pears grow exceedingly well also; and at Digby, in the southwest corner of the Province, the cherry orchards in blooming time are a delight to the eye, and in picking time an enrichment to the pocket. The Nova Scotia Apple is known the world over. Dairying is becoming an important industry. Travelling dairy schools supported by the Provincial Government visit all parts of the Province to give instruction to the farmers. The hilly country ensures good pasturage, and the products from the dairy industry have an annual value of over $10,500,000 (£2,100,000). This does not include the large quantity of domestic butter produced on the farms. Stock farming is also receiving a great deal of attention, and by the importation of better breeds of cattle and horses promises to take a leading place in the agricultural interests of the Province. Agricultural education is receiving stimulus from various agricultural societies, which provide addresses by experts at the meetings of farmers, and devote much attention to improving the standards of stock. The Provincial Government has established thirty-five model orchards throughout the Province. At the Provincial Agricultural College, Truro, practical training in all departments of farm work may be obtained.” On lumbering: “Pine has practically disappeared from Nova Scotia, but there still remains much larch, spruce, and fir, as well as beech, ash, birch, and maple. It is estimated that the Province now has about 12,000 square miles of good timber land, well looked after by a thorough system of fire protection. A large export trade is carried on with Great Britain, the United States, the West Indies, and South America.” More to come in the following few days, in separate posts! Source: Anon. (1930) Canada: Descriptive Atlas. Canada: Houses of Parliament.

Keen to see how that one grows over the next week!

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. Much appreciated! Alec, I'll drop you a PM.

Hi guys, I know someone who is keen to find out about individuals who have experience in working with old fruit trees, and managing them, within the Essex area. The apple tree in question is a 70 year old Bramley apple, with a lot of dieback in some sections of the crown, though some epicormic growth has appeared from near the base and along a few of the branches around old wounds. The owner really loves the tree, and if there's a means of increasing its longevity then they'd likely be open to having some work done. Some images:

A few I have come across during recent weeks that I am unsure about: Bjerkandera adusta / Chondrostereum purpureum / Trametes? On Prunus sp. (tree is largely dead) - On Acer platanoides (around old wounds) - On what looks like a dead Carpinus betulus - Pardon the probable level of ignorance on these ones. I should be knowing these, but unfortunately not in this instance. The last set has some that looks like Trametes versicolor, but others don't so much. Thanks in advance.

Fair points

The only thing British invading Luxembourg these days are big businesses. Vatican City, eh? All roads lead to Rome.

I was thinking along the lines of to provide the tree with a nutrient boost, principally. Of course, feasability is not a given if there are shrubs around it.