Struck Gold Today

[MossRoad]

We have Osage here as well as Hawthorne. Most of the hawthorne are fenceline annoyances in that they have long thorns, lots of branches and no nice firewood. This year though there was a blowdown in a tree lot that I cut up. Base was about 18" and it was about 80' tall. In a tree lot they have to grow up to live so when you find one it is great. I think they are harder and more dense than the Osage with a lot of heat in them but they do not burn real well - it works better to burn them with some Oak or something whereas Osage burns great by itself.

You sure that's hawthorne and not honey locust?

 

[airbiscuit]

The Firewood Poem

Beechwood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year,
Chestnut's only good they say,
If for logs 'tis laid away.
Make a fire of Elder tree,
Death within your house will be;
But ash new or ash old,
Is fit for a queen with crown of gold

Birch and fir logs burn too fast
Blaze up bright and do not last,
it is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould,
E'en the very flames are cold
But ash green or ash brown
Is fit for a queen with golden crown

Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke,
Apple wood will scent your room
Pear wood smells like flowers in bloom
Oaken logs, if dry and old
keep away the winter's cold
But ash wet or ash dry
a king shall warm his slippers by.

by Celia Congreve

 

[AchingBack]

Its sometimes called hedge apple. Here's a picture of the fruit. You'll know it when you see it.... its the size of a grapefruit!

It was originally from Texas/Oklahoma/Arkansas area, but was transplanted to every state for use as windbreaks. That's where you'll find it mostly... along farm fields. Its really an interesting wood. It was prized by native Americans for making bows and clubs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maclura_pomifera

View attachment 455887

A late friend of mine brought me one of those hedge apples. He said when he was a kid growing up in Oklahoma those were called spider apples because it was said if you put them around the foundation of your house they would keep spiders out of the home.

 

[/pine]

Around here white oak is the most abundant wood that is high on the btu/chord list...lots of black locust but anything straight is usually used for other purposes...(better than PT)...also lots of Ironwood (American Hornbeam) and Holly...but their general size limits the quantity...hickory, maple, birch and beech are also available but there are so many big white oaks that go rootball up (from growing on top of bedrock) so there is no need to cut healthy standing trees for firewood...

 

[MossRoad]

A late friend of mine brought me one of those hedge apples. He said when he was a kid growing up in Oklahoma those were called spider apples because it was said if you put them around the foundation of your house they would keep spiders out of the home.

Old wive's tale.

From what I've heard, they do a heck of a number on a mailbox from a moving car. Just don't throw them at road signs as they may come back hit the thrower in the face, or so I'm told by those darn kids....

 

[/pine]

Old wive's tale.

From what I've heard, they do a heck of a number on a mailbox from a moving car. Just don't throw them at road signs as they may come back hit the thrower in the face, or so I'm told by those darn kids....

Sounds like the car was moving too slow to me...!

 

[MossRoad]

35mph car vs 45mph throw at bent road sign = BANG! BONK! OUCH! or so I was told....

Anyhow, they'll kill spiders if you drop them on them.

 

[polo1665]

The Firewood Poem

Beechwood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year,
Chestnut's only good they say,
If for logs 'tis laid away.
Make a fire of Elder tree,
Death within your house will be;
But ash new or ash old,
Is fit for a queen with crown of gold

Birch and fir logs burn too fast
Blaze up bright and do not last,
it is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould,
E'en the very flames are cold
But ash green or ash brown
Is fit for a queen with golden crown

Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke,
Apple wood will scent your room
Pear wood smells like flowers in bloom
Oaken logs, if dry and old
keep away the winter's cold
But ash wet or ash dry
a king shall warm his slippers by.

by Celia Congreve

Nice poem..................thanks for posting.

 

[k0ua]

35mph car vs 45mph throw at bent road sign = BANG! BONK! OUCH! or so I was told....

Anyhow, they'll kill spiders if you drop them on them.

A 12 gauge with birdshot does a number on them balls. Pretty spectacular. I suppose a 12 gauge with birdshot would do a number on most spiders too:laughing:

 

[2ndhalf]

Holy cow....I'm sitting on a gold mine of firewood and didn't know it! We used these trees for fence posts on the farm. There are posts around easily 75 years old. I've hit them with a front mount dozier blade on a 1486 tractor and most of the time they will grab and pull out of the ground without breaking!

Yep, we used them for fence posts too.. they will outlast anyone living and on this site. You have to be ok with crooked fence posts though since it is hard to find a straigt limb on the tree. The wood is sringy and hard to spit. I have split a ton of it as a kid.