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#97 ~ AMERICAN ELM

1967 Views 2 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  Rodney, 
norson
5
I've mentioned here previously finding sticks laying on the ground at a property here in town that appears to have been zoned "Residential" at one time . . . there are "cuts" in the curb for future driveways but the property has never been developed so ancient and HUGE trees are still on the property. So I've picked up many sticks (just ahead of the chopper) and found most of them useful.

This past week, looking for something else, I snooped around on Google maps and found it - this is the place where I drive in/part and pick-up-sticks. The tree closest to the curb is the American Elm - and it's in very sad condition - stricken with Dutch Elm disease - many of the even large limbs have lost their bark. It really should be taken down but I'm doing my best to get my pick of the litter first. :cool:

This cane needed much-more-than-the-average stick because of the lichen and a rather deep split - but in spite of that the piece was SOLID . . . so I figured it had potential. I hope I never come to the place where I feel I must "time" the work I put into these canes. . . or it would no longer be fun. (Does that make sense? I KNOW I could not make a decent living doing this.)

Here's five pictures - Only three more to go until that Magic Number - :cool:

-neb

ps - I hope you have a SUPER Sunday.

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gdenby
Ended up way better looking than I would have imagined from the starting pics.

There's still some slippery elm around me, lots of Chinese elms which was brought in when the American elms began dying almost 60 years ago, but no more than 1 or 2 American left where there were streets lined with them for miles. Too bad. I'd seen pictures of furniture made w. the wood, and it always looked nice.

When the weather warms up, you might check back to the lot and look for morels. Morels thrive in elm root systems, but when the tree begins to die from the disease, the morels are forced to fruit, producing the tasty fungus that is so prized.
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Rodney
As far as I know Elm isn't native where I live. Morels tend to live under cottonwood here. They're supposed to like burned areas too but I haven't found them there.

Nice job on the stick Neb. It turned out far better than I would have thought.

I think you've mentioned that property before. Not at all what I pictured it to be. Usually vacant property here is a lot more neglected looking.

Rodney
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