[AT] firewood

Mark Greer greerfam at raex.com
Sat Nov 25 16:58:34 PST 2006


I'd like to see your part of the continent some time. I'm a bit of a tree
nut and I like studying the woods. Our woods here in Ohio and Pennsylvania
are very different from what you have up there. We have lots of what is
generically called Poplar here but it is the Yellow Poplar variety
(Liriodendron tulipifera) and not a true Poplar but a member of the Magnolia
family of trees. We do have some Black Poplar and Cottonwood here but
neither is fit to use as firewood. By the time Cottonwood dries enough to
burn there is almost nothing left of it. It weighs almost nothing dry and
burns like paper (instantly). Black Poplar here (also called Lombardy
Poplar) is a fast growing, short lived tree which has loads of small
diameter short upright brittle branches that form a narrow column-like
crown. The trunk is the only part that ever gets big enough to use as
firewood and with all the limbs the tree produces it is miserable to split.
The limbs are usually 2" diameter or less before they break off in the wind.
It was often densely planted in rows to create windbreaks and shelterbelts.
Black Poplar (Populus nigra) is a true Poplar (part of the Willow family)
and is not native to North America but was introduced here from its native
Western Asia and part of Europe.
Mark

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ralph Goff" <alfg at sasktel.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Friday, November 24, 2006 3:23 PM
Subject: Re: [AT] firewood


> Its all poplar wood here Mark. That in the picture was all dead fall wood
> pretty well and his farm has many acres of it still. As a person ages
those
> logs just get heavier and heavier. I can recall years ago when he had some
> huge logs in that woodpile that took at least three of us to pick up and
get
> on the saw. We do grow some big poplar here if they are left long enough
> without drought or fire. I have some pictures of a tree I helped remove
from
> a local churchyard. A huge black poplar or maybe cottonwood that must have
> been over 4 foot diameter. The tree must have been 80 years old at that
> time. Not the greatest firewood though.
>
> Ralph in Sask.
> http://lgoff.sasktelwebsite.net/




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