[MassChestnutOrchards] Tree in Conway

Wed Jul 8 21:30:43 EDT 2009

 From the ground, they did not look like they had bushed out yet - 
just long lumpy green strings.

At 11:13 AM 7/8/2009, you wrote:
>P.s. The picture of the crown that you include doesn't seem to show 
>expressed male catkins?  If they still look slim and not like a 
>chenille stem, it's still possible for this year  I think...
>
>
>On 7/8/09 11:11 AM, "Yvonne Federowicz" 
><<Yvonne_Federowicz at brown.htm>Yvonne_Federowicz at brown.edu> wrote:
>
>Hi Brian, sounds like a wonderful tree!
>
>We had hoped for more western MA/higher elevation mother trees, I 
>believe; Charlotte can say for sure.
>
>Re. using it this year:  are the male catkins bushing out yet? If 
>they are far along, it's too late to bag this year.  You can see 
>some good pictures of the stages at:
>
><http://www.acffarms.org/pollination/pollination.html>http://www.acffarms.org/pollination/pollination.html
>
>It's probably too late in the year to start though for 2009, 
>although perhaps the higher trees are behind.  Sounds like getting 
>access for next year might be a very worthwhile project in any event.
>
>
>
>
>On 7/8/09 10:53 AM, "Brian Clark" 
><<brianeclark at hughes.htm>brianeclark at hughes.net> wrote:
>
>I looked at a tree about 2 miles from the center of Conway last 
>night (attached pictures).  The owner called a couple days ago, 
>referred by a local state forester.  The tree is on top of a hill 
>that was heavily logged about 2 years ago.  My GPS indicated about 
>885 ft elevation.  It is 8" DBH and about 45-50' tall, with heavy 
>blossoms in the crown (all above 30' unfortunately) and quite a bit 
>of old mast on the ground.  I could not find any sign of blight. I 
>did not find any indication of viable nuts in the mast I examined 
>but only looked at a dozen or so - a thunderstorm was moving 
>in.  Owner said the tree has had a lot of burs the last 2-3 years 
>since he found it.  There was what appeared to be a seedling (3-4' 
>tall) about 30 feet away and a small tree (2-3" diameter) at another 
>spot 30-40 feet away (maybe sprout, but not obvious) - no blight 
>evident in these either.
>
>We have apple picking ladders up to 24' tall, but I don't think 
>these would work here, even reaching from the top with a hook as the 
>tree doesn't have any branches in the middle (below the crown) to 
>set a ladder into to hold it away from the trunk far enough to be 
>able to reach up into the edges of the crown.  By the way - I can 
>provide one of these ladders if there are other places they would 
>work out - they are quite light (about 20 lbs) with long spikes on 
>the bottom (drive into ground for stability) and can be set into 
>fairly small limbs by an experienced user.  It does take some skill 
>and nerve to use these around the edge of a big tree as they must be 
>set close to vertical when the supporting branches are small.
>
>The woods in the area (same owner) are being logged now (thinning 
>under forest management plan guidance) and access to the tree was 
>about a mile in from town road, mostly uphill on a logging 
>road.  The road is being used by heavy logging equipment now so most 
>of the way to the tree was quite wide and driveable although greasy 
>due to rain earlier in the day.  I had no trouble in my 4 wheel 
>drive pickup and I think a 2 wheel drive with good ground clearance 
>could make it in dry conditions.  However the last couple hundred 
>yards is a branch off the main logging road, up a steep hill and the 
>brush has grown in some since it was used a couple years ago to log 
>the top of the hill. The owner is very interested/supportive and 
>suggested doing some road improvement if needed.  I have not had any 
>experience with bucket trucks so don't know if the hill was too 
>steep or not.  I currently don't have any contacts for a bucket truck either.
>
>The GPS coordinates for the tree are: 42 31.020, 72 41.186 and the 
>owner is Jack Lochhead, 130 Reedsbridge Rd., Conway.
>
>I have more, higher resolution pictures I can send to individuals on 
>request.  I also collected some leaves, a small branch and burs.  Is 
>this something we are interested to pursue for this year (or next)?
>
>
>Brian Clark
>42B Clark Rd.
>Ashfield, MA 01330
>413-625-2791, cell 507-269-4249
><brianeclark at hughes.htm>brianeclark at hughes.net
>www.applevalleyapples.com 
><<http://www.applevalleyapples.com/>http://www.applevalleyapples.com/>
>
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>
>
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Brian Clark
42B Clark Rd.
Ashfield, MA 01330
413-625-2791, cell 507-269-4249
brianeclark at hughes.net
www.applevalleyapples.com  
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