A new disease....Beech tree bark disease:

https://www.unh.edu/unhtoday/2021/07/beechbarkdisease

^^^
What they described in the article is exactly what I see in my woods.
No towering mature beech trees.
Many small beech saplings.
Just about the time the small beech trees are old enough for producing beech nuts as a mast crop, they die.
It isn't anything new or freshly discovered, the beech bark blight has been around for at least 100 years.

The deer/bear/turkey populations lost significant food sources with the beech and chestnut blights.
Beech is near/at the top of the list as far as BTU output per cord when used for firewood in the Northeast.
Chestnut was a very popular wood for home interior trim usage 100 years ago. Now, almost all home interior trim is soft pine.
So in addition to the forest animals food source losses, people have lost two premier wood choices.

In a more recent time frame, there are several other forest blights in play now.
There is a bark beetle blight for some of the hemlock species.
Also, a black bark growth that encircles branches in many cherry species, which ultimately kills the cherry tree.
Ash is going the way of beech and chestnut here as well.

It was new-to-me tractor day today!

I got a phone call from the salesman early this morning.

The instrument cluster was replaced and the tachometer works.

The salesman said they could deliver the BX 2370 around noon.

The BX arrived on schedule, and they took the traded in John Deere away.



I immediately removed the three point hitch. (no need on the tractor with a mid-mount deck)

I pulled the battery from it's hole and wired in the permanent pigtail for the Harley Davidson battery tender. Somebody at the dealership had attached the positive battery cable clamp upside down,

(slight taper on the battery post/inside the cable end clamp) and the battery post was squashed out of shape. Using a utility knife and a file, I got that fixed up and it is all reassembled.



As you can see from the photos, I won't need a machine for mowing for several months.

When warmer weather arrives, I will pull the deck, address the light surface rust in a few places, and paint the deck with Rust-Oleum Kubota orange paint.



IMG_20250226_123633091_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr



IMG_20250226_123554979_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr



IMG_20250226_123813268_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

Stark has the Arkansas Black apple tree:

https://www.starkbros.com/prod...arkansas-black-apple

My beech trees at the lot and the two I planted here at the house are still disease free. The wood is hard as a rock and you don't want to back into one of them.


Be glade you don't have a home owners association. I bought this lot in 1980 to build my dream house. It was a Deck House with a Solarium that stored heat in a slab honeycombed with tiles. They wanted me to more the building site which was approved as a condition of the sale. They threatened me with a court injunction resulting in the builder backing out.

There are more Karen's in this neighborhood that it is a wonder it doesn't tip over. One neighbor didn't want any part of the noisy neighbors and sold out. Dogs run loose chasing deer, anything not secured is stolen, plants dug up, trees poisoned, survey stakes pulled up, trespassing, poaching, etc.

Only one Deputy out of five has tried to do anything. Too bad they didn't have the game cameras in the early days.

Not having a HOA has advantages and disadvantages. At my home, I have corn fields on one side and across the street. The other side is a neighbor with farm animals.
I don't mind the farm animals as long as they don't jump the fence. In the past, I have resorted to shooting them in the hindquarters with a low powered BB rifle. (Daisy Red Ryder)
It doesn't cause any damage, doesn't draw blood, it stings a bit. It's a constant battle with the neighbor lady to get her to keep the fence repaired so the animals stay inside her fence.
The State Police, local Sheriff, and Animal Control have all been useless regarding the farm animals escaping.

Some years past, a local became enraged with a similar type neighbors animals escaping. He got out his deer rifle and killed three horses. He's in state prison now.

Out behind the house property is a small stream. I do have another neighbor out behind the house, about 5/8 of a mile.

At the recreational property, it's narrow dirt roads, almost no neighbors. Extremely rural. Mostly woods.

quote:

.....Some years past, a local became enraged with a similar type neighbors animals escaping. He got out his deer rifle and killed three horses. He's in state prison now.....

I hope for a long time.

Corn feeder bucket has a dowel through the bottom that allows the deer to hit the stick to drop more corn. Two different families and yearlings fight for possession.

Go to YouTube, click on olebluebird bottom left corner, then VIDEOS at top ...bears, foxes, turkeys, trespassers, and even the UPS guy watering the grass in front.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 41,

Feeding deer here in New York is a strong NO. Some years back, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) discovered Chronic Wasting Disease in a herd of captive/fenced deer. Also in some nearby native deer outside the fence. They slaughtered 100's of deer, and then claimed that the CWD had been totally contained/eliminated. CWD had never been successfully contained/eliminated anywhere else in the world before.

CWD is very similar to Mad Cow Disease, the brain turns into porous "mush" and is always 100% fatal. It is transmitted by "prions" which can exist in the soil for at least a decade.
You have to consider this, here you have a state government agency telling you that a wildlife disease is contained/eliminated.
Wild native (unfenced) deer are significantly more difficult to track/test than beef cattle in a barnyard or in the beef supply chain system.

Similar to when a federal government agency told the USA population that they tracked every single beef cattle that was in the "food chain" prior to slaughter.
They told us that Mad Cow Disease just wasn't possible here in the USA due to the controls in place for tracking every single beef cattle all the way from birth to packaged steaks in the supermarket. This was quite a while ago when Mad Cow Disease was on a upswing in the United Kingdom.

Yeah, the same federal government that has "lost" hundreds of thousands if not millions of illegal immigrants and illegal migrant children.

The "takeaway" from the CWD investigations was that deer that are crowded together have a much better chance of ingesting prions from the soil when at deer feeding stations.

I get an Outdoors Hunting/Fishing/Trapping newspaper delivered every other week. The last issue had a headline of CWD being discovered in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. In the vicinity of Scranton.

>>> HUMOR <<< Joe, oh Joe, did you lose some prions the last time you visited Scranton, PA during the election campaign?

Overall in the USA and Canada, CWD containment/elimination has proved very difficult, if not impossible.

This link: https://www.usgs.gov/centers/n...onic-wasting-disease

The above link states that CWD has been identified in 36 US states and five Canadian provinces in free-ranging cervids and/or commercial captive cervid facilities. CWD has been detected in free-ranging cervids in 36 states and four provinces and in captive cervid facilities in 22 states and three provinces.

I use to shoot the does and give them to Hunters for the Hungry. I have given them over 40+ deer and one year gave them nine.

I took a typewriter and a vacuum cleaner to them one year that I didn't need. The Founder wanted me to donate money and was arrogant even when I told him I had been laid off.

https://h4hungry.org/

The CWD is one reason I don't hunt them anymore. I have read that the deer urine is one way the CWD can spread. The does usually have two or three young a year. Loudoun County extends the season for does into April:

https://dwr.virginia.gov/hunting/regulations/deer/

One neighbor feeds them year round. That conditions them in a habit that they will check even though there may not be any feed. I think the CWD is here to stay and not worth the risk of your health.

Looks like your NY Forestry Service sells trees but most varieties of oaks are sold out:

https://dec.ny.gov/nature/fore...spring-seedling-sale

Looks like the VA Forestry has plenty of trees:

https://buyvatrees.com/product...ardwood-species/oak/

Walmart has posted the delivery:
3 Gallon, 7 Gallon.....chestnuts, persimmon, mulberry, and crabapple and number each per store.

https://chestnuthilltreefarm.c...r-Website-Feb-24.pdf

Looks like the stores in GA will get their trees in March.

Thank You 41!
Looks like sometime in May for my location.
Nothing but Chestnut.

Are any of the New Jersey locations near you?

The VA Forestry trees are $2/each if you order 10. The oaks will take at least 10 years to bear acorns.

Looks like I must have bought a single chestnut tree in 1987. I also was trying to get pecan trees established but the deer did the number on them with a total loss. Deer will even stand on their hind legs to reach higher in a tree.

Now, you will notice that Stark has finally got smart and uses a 4x4 by 12 inch pot which eliminates cutting the roots on nut trees plus they are using them on other trees. Therefore, the planting loss should be eliminated.

It is a great enjoyment owning a piece of land that you can grow stuff. I also had a grape vineyard using the Geneva Double Curtain trellis system which doubles production. I had three rows with 18 plants per row, wine and seedless eating grapes. Wine is easy to make and the white wine is ready in six months. Then one year the stealing got worst and they about cleaned out everything. So I got the chainsaw and cut all the vines since it was a lot of work pruning, spraying, and watering.

Yeah, New Jersey...
It's 150 miles or so to northern New Jersey.
If they were selling beautiful buxom blondes at a penny each in New Jersey, I still wouldn't drive there.
In years past I've done quite a bit of motorcycle interstate touring east of the Mississippi River.

There are the usual suspects (states) where they highly discourage legal concealed carry.
I live in one of those states.

The other east coast anti-gun states, as a non-resident, I can't change their politics.
So I "vote" with my wallet, and will not spend a dime within those state borders.
CT, MA, RI, NJ, MD.

When my Mother was still alive about a decade ago, I had to go to CT and help do paperwork for some of her financial affairs. She had suffered a stroke, and was beginning the process of moving to NY & closer proximity with family. I then rode to Allentown, PA on my Harley Davidson touring bike for a family activity, and rode across New Jersey without stopping for gasoline, and arrived in Easton, PA just across the NJ border on fumes.

You can go to any Walmart store and buy a tree and have it shipped to your local store for free.

About four years ago, one local store had a big supply of the 2.2 cubic feet peat moss. They marked it down to $2.00. At the time I was driving the 1990 Buick Roadmaster so I got two bales in the back seat and three in the trunk. I went back several times with the pickup and got 40 bales total.

The same bales of peat moss are now $40+.

^^^
41,
What is the size of the Chestnut seedlings?
And how long should they be "grown" in a pot before planting them in their final location?

I do understand that they will need "supreme" protection when they are small.

I search for Walmart in GA and select a store website in that area and search for chestnut trees:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ame...REGULAR&from=/search

You could search a NJ Walmart and have the trees delivered to your local store.

I think they have two sizes...1 year-2-3 feet, 2 year-5-6 feet.

The ones I saw in the Staunton store 5 or 6 years ago were 6 feet tall.

There are nuts on ebay to plant: 3/12/25...Removed seller due to order received and sellers address leaves questionable integrity and nuts may not be Dunstan chestnuts.


I would plant the potted trees as soon as possible.

I get 2"x2"x8 feet pressure treated poles and cut them in half. I mount these poles to the T-post to get 7 feet. I drill two holes in the T-post to secure the 2x2 using deck screws and then wrap in two places with wire. The screws hold it in the vertical direction and the wire in the horizontal direction. An eye bolt is placed at the top for the horizontal wire to hold up the fence.

I use 3 foot pipe to get a pilot hole for the T-post...1" pipe straight and vertical.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 41,

While New York has not yet adopted a purple paint law, the practice is becoming more common across the United States. Purple paint on trees is a widely recognized "no trespassing" symbol in many other states.

Explanation
In states that have adopted the purple paint law, it's legal for homeowners to mark their property with purple paint.

Purple paint is a cost-effective and durable alternative to traditional "no trespassing" signs, which can be easily stolen or damaged.

In New York, trespassing on posted areas can result in a fine of up to $250 and/or 15 days in jail.
Landowners or lawful occupants who witness a trespass should:

Write down as much information as possible to help identify the trespasser.

Contact an Environmental Conservation Officer or the police.

Related legislation

New York State Senate Bill 2017-S3994 proposed allowing private property owners to mark their property with purple paint to prevent trespass.
https://www.google.com/search?...sclient=gws-wiz-serp
..................
In New York, landowners are authorized to post “no trespassing signs” and give written notice to those trespassing on their property. However, the purple paint trend is starting to gain traction in New York with people painting trees and fence posts, however, the law doesn't carry weight in the state.Aug 10, 2022


.........

Looks like they start the seeds in 4X4 inch pots in two greenhouses and some time later plant them in 3 or 7 gallon pots.

The trees are not dormant but have leafed out. I would transfer the trees from the 3 gallon pot to a larger pot like 25 gallon for future planting.






Here is a picture of their suggested 5 foot fencing of the tree which would be a gourmet offering for my deer. It would be reduced to a central leader in one day. The fence needs to be 7 feet high.

I assume their persimmon trees are grafted and self-fertile and don't need another tree for pollination.

https://chestnuthilloutdoors.c...ies/persimmon-trees/

41,
Thank You for the tree photos/info.
In May, I will stop at my local Walmart and see what arrives.

In reference to trespassing/posted signs/purple paint, my recreational property is properly/legally posted. My posted signs are closer together than state law specifies for sign separation. After the power company/tree trimming company trespassing problem, I added even more posted signs along the road frontage, they are now even closer together.

But all of it is completely meaningless, if you have a county district attorney like mine.
I was never able to completely determine what his major malfunction was. (other than being a dickhead)
This dickhead/jackass hid behind a locked door at the county district attorney's office and categorically refused to see me in person.

Even with "pressure" from law enforcement, lawyers, politicians, private and state foresters, and uncountable phone calls/written documents from me, that county da refused to prosecute the offenders. I don't know if the da is best buddies with power company people, or owns power company stock, or is a george soros type/mindset person, or has family that works for the power company. If the local da won't prosecute, criminal charges for criminal trespassing just won't happen. Criminal trespassing is a more serious offense than simple trespassing. The da did run on the Republican ticket.

I hired a lawyer here in my small town, and that lawyer did absolutely nothing on my case. The lawyer I hired just happened to be an assistant county da, her boss is the county da.
Did the local county da tell the assistant da (his employee) to do nothing on my case which was in her private practice realm? Who knows, nothing I can prove.

But if it smells like shit, it likely IS shit. I eventually hired the lawyer I am using now, in a different county. Hopefully out of reach of my local county da.
Law Enforcement won't write tickets/file charges if the da won't prosecute.

That's all I am able to write on the matter in a public forum as the case is progressing to the point of subpoenas/depositions, which are now being scheduled.

The lack of capitalization (da vs DA) was intentional. It's my way of showing my complete and total lack of respect for both the office, and those occupying those positions.
Also, the next time those elected positions are up for "toilet flushing" if there is a candidate running against the present da, I will be a VERY willing supporter for that candidate.
I won't even care if the candidate is an avowed leftist. It's simply that the toilet needs to be flushed.