[MassChestnutOrchards] Tree in Conway

Wed Jul 8 22:14:12 EDT 2009

The pollens are all with Kathy Desjardin in Uxbridge, which you would need about 10 days after bagging.  Also you would need bags and ties if you don't have any, quite soon. 

Typically we also have the trees confirmed as pure American via a leaf sample before doing any work on them also. If you can find one on the ground that can help - you can mail them to Kendra, I believe, while arranging a bucket truck.

It sounds like there is a chance that you can get a bucket truck up there; however I'm not sure who has contacts out there with utility companies.   Maybe you could call Mike Novack?  Perhaps he has worked with someone. The Cormiers also.

Using this tree this year will require some quick work!  Depends upon whether your time permits etc. plus some luck.

Please talk to Charlotte first as this work will likely be difficult - I'm hoping she will take another look at the list of orchard needs plus John Emery's existing tree finds.

-----Original Message-----
From: masschestnutorchards-bounces at masschestnut.org on behalf of Brian Clark
Sent: Wed 7/8/2009 9:30 PM
To: masschestnutorchards at masschestnut.org
Subject: Re: [MassChestnutOrchards] Tree in Conway

 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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