[MassChestnutOrchards] Trees near Goshen, MA

Tue Jul 21 11:05:07 EDT 2009

Are there any other blooming trees Œnear¹ the one with females?  I couldn¹t
quite tell, it sounded like the answer is no.

With Charlotte out of town, does anyone here know whether any MA orchards
are short of nuts for next spring?  What were/are we going to use the Conway
tree for?

Thanks very much for getting the pictures, the tree could still probably be
used for part of a line. I have done that with a few larger sprouts this
year.

On 7/21/09 10:42 AM, "Brian Clark" <brianeclark at hughes.net> wrote:

> 
> I looked at these trees on Hyde Hill Rd. (think they are the same ones -
> directions are inconsistent) this morning.  The one I found that was flowering
> was about 30 ft. tall with heavy male flowers starting at 15 ft.  Could not
> see many females but the males were so dense and bushy it was hard to see.
> Flowers all on one side, hanging over the road.  Found one old bur on ground
> at base of tree.  Could have been more but it was a gravel road with big ditch
> that had recently been dug out and scraped and most would have fallen into it.
> Tree is heavily blighted with largest canker right at the base, about 300
> degrees of the trunk involved.  Many smaller ones visible up the main stem.
> 
> There was another tree nearly as large about 20 ft. further down the road,
> upper half dead from blight and no blossoms.  There were several small trees
> along the road side within a couple hundred yards of these, those with any
> size showing blight.  I drove the road as far as the Williamsburg town line
> (1+ mile) and saw numerous small chestnuts along the road side (no flowers
> visible).  The whole area is heavily wooded, so could be more off the road.
> 
> I started getting excited when I first saw all the blossoms hanging out over
> the road, relatively low, but after seeing the extent of the blight and seemly
> small number of females, I concluded it was a marginal tree at best.  Although
> I didn't find a 2nd tree with blossoms, it was a pretty cursory search.
> Considering the abundance of trees I saw along the roadside, it seems like a
> good chance there is something blossoming in the woods somewhere nearby.  All
> of the Chestnut trees I looked at closely appeared to be American.
> 
> Attached 3 low resolution pictures.  Have more, higher resolution (including
> leaves) if anybody is interested.
> 
> Problem with the directions: it is a left onto Hyde Hill Rd. from South
> Chesterfield Rd.  Right is Pond Hill Rd.  I also drove along Pond Hill Rd. for
> a ways but did not see any large chestnut.  Probably worthwhile going back
> when I have more time (and its not starting to rain) to do more thorough
> search, with the person reporting them involved.
> 
> Brian
> 
> At 11:32 AM 7/20/2009, you wrote:
>> These sound like potentially very nice trees, has anyone ID'd the leaves?
>> 
>> The unfortunate thing about there being two is that if it's past the time to
>> bag them this year, they might have pollinated each other so I'd think we
>> would want to wait for next year.
>> 
>> Anyone up there want to check them out?
>> 
>> Yvonne
>> 
>> 
>> On 7/20/09 11:21 AM, "Kathy Desjardin" <kathydesjardin at verizon.net> wrote:
>> 
>>> > As I was reading these e-mails, the phone rang and I conversed with an
>>> elderly
>>> > woman from Goshen, MA who was intent on reporting two American trees in
>>> bloom
>>> > along Hyde Hill Rd.  She's been watching these trees for years and just
>>> found
>>> > them in bloom this year.
>>> > They are approximately 40' - 50' tall.  I asked how many clusters of
>>> catkins
>>> > she sees and she thinks about 50 - 100.
>>> > 
>>> > Helen notice the bloom within the last few days.  Actually she's at her
>>> > cottage there.
>>> > Normally she resides in Wakefield, RI.  She apologized for not calling
>>> sooner,
>>> > but indicated that her husband has been ill and just passed away this
>>> week.
>>> > In the midst of all this, she took time to call us.  She will be available
>>> > today in Goshen.  Tomorrow she is going to R.I. to make funeral
>>> arrangements
>>> > for a memorial service in August. She will be back in Goshen on Wednesday.
>>> > She said she'd be happy to meet anyone who wishes to check out the trees
>>> or
>>> > feels that with the directions she gave we can easily find the trees,
>>> which
>>> > would be accessible by bucket truck.
>>> > 
>>> > Coming from the north, Rt.9 you would turn onto S. Main St., then a right
>>> on
>>> > West Chesterfield Rd. and then a right onto Hyde Hill Rd.  She said the
>>> trees
>>> > are right alongside the road and in bloom.  Her contact info is Helen
>>> Behrens
>>> > - 413-268-0309.
>>> >  
>>> > In Rhode Island she resides at 127 Firelane, #1, Wakefield, RI.  Her phone
>>> > there is
>>> >  401-783-1133.  Helen uses a computer, but while in Goshen must unplug it
>>> and
>>> > go to a neighbors picnic table to pick up a signal.  Her e-mail is
>>> > Hbehrens1 at cox.net
>>> > 
>>> > Kathy
>>> > 
>> 
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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 <http://www.applevalleyapples.com/>
> 
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