My Managed Forrest plan in SW Ontario

^^^ I would NEVER touch that tree or any similar tree. That is one for the ages. But I would continue to nibble away at the pine stand in the background and let it go back to it's native mixed hardwood forest.
 

againstthegrain said:
^^^ I would NEVER touch that tree or any similar tree. That is one for the ages. But I would continue to nibble away at the pine stand in the background and let it go back to it's native mixed hardwood forest.
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I think I will take your advice on that ATG but as it is right on one of the more popular trails I am a little concerned with falling branches, not that such is anything new as I already pick up a load of fallen wood from under it each year. I'm more concerned with what to do with those pine sections that nobody want to deal with but some sections where I have trimmed lower (dead) branches and take the odd tree for personal use are gradually returning to mixed bush (Ash and Maple mostly)
 
The pine- a question-
My neighbor started a tree farm about 30 years ago- to grow and sell good quality Christmas trees. It was lots of work to maintain them, but when they were ready to sell as trees he barely got a few of them down. They kept growing and I asked him a few years ago what his plans are now and he said he could sell them by board feet.

I dont think he ever did. Is there a difference in pine trees for Christmas ? If one wants to sell them as timber by the foot? I think they were Scotch Pine trees, their branches were very tightly packed.
 

I dont think there is substantial difference I have mostly Pine with a few Spruce, I do know that for those types if selling for lumber they are more desirable (for lumber) if the lower branches are trimmed after a few years to give knot free wood. Mine are not, the few hundred I did trim around 20 yeas back may be a bit better but either way they are good to saw for siding and shed building 'as is'. The only reason I did not build my house from them was because wood for such use must be 'approved' here, most of that pine is inferior IMHO but I had to build my house out of it anyway!
 
RuralKanuck said:
There has not been a huge reaction to this thread but that is hardly surprise as there cant be too many 'seniors' with forested lands they are caring for, I most certainly will be much less active back in the bush in my remaining years. I imagine many of the limited number of rural folks who own woodlands retire into the citys in their latter years, I for one will stay out here where I can enjoy the variety of wild life to be seen once spring arrives.
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My wife & I are on 8.5 acres in mountain country. Mostly-sloping land, with our homesite & gardens on a fairly flat ancient sand bench, and remaining mixed-conifer stands upslope to the west, and also downslope to the north. Doug fir, red cedar, spruce, and larch mostly... a bit of Douglas maple. I stopped even minimal logging in the stands for firewood, to preserve desired functions: the trees provide us in the west with a windbreak, and in the north some privacy. In our clearing, outside of gardens, fruit trees, and some lawn, we've allowed shrubs, leafies/flowers, and grasses to continue (both native & naturalized).

It's challenging to keep up with house & outbuilding maintenance, fencing (for deer & bears), food-garden health & productivity, small-engine mechanics, and all else. We have some neighbors and friends we can exchange energy with, and have had a slim parade of helpers who like us and who work here (like one person one day per week, spring through fall) for a reasonable wage. But most of our helpers have not owned property, and understandably they usually need to move on to try to establish themselves someplace.

RK, I can visualize your land & lifestyle. I feel I know the challenges you're dealing with.
 
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RuralKanuck said:
I think I will take your advice on that ATG but as it is right on one of the more popular trails I am a little concerned with falling branches, not that such is anything new as I already pick up a load of fallen wood from under it each year. I'm more concerned with what to do with those pine sections that nobody want to deal with but some sections where I have trimmed lower (dead) branches and take the odd tree for personal use are gradually returning to mixed bush (Ash and Maple mostly)
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I wouldn't be afraid of falling some of those pines and leaving them to rot, if you can't use for fuel. Have you ever done a controlled burn or burned slash?
 
Some of them are dieing off due to overcrowding and being outgrown they eventually fall and are generally left to rot, Have never been involved in a burn and it would be totally impossible to do safely here. Some have been used for fuel but hardwood is much more suitable (and safer) for my smaller stove.
 
JBR said:
It's challenging to keep up with house & outbuilding maintenance, fencing (for deer & bears), food-garden health & productivity, small-engine mechanics, and all else. We have some neighbors and friends we can exchange energy with, and have had a slim parade of helpers who like us
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Challenging indeed, its a bit harder without folks around to help and encourage, I do have my son here but he works long hours during the summer and I have reached to point on not wanting to do much in winter weather (or anytime else it seems of late). As a bit of an aside I started life as an Electrician but moved over to small engine repair towards my latter years!
 
Early Settlement and Development of Grey Bruce
It occurs to me that many folks from across this continent and the world reading this whole thing may not realize that the land I am referring to here was untouched forested land just 200 years ago, the first European settlers taking up portions of this area around 1830. As far as I can tell this little piece was taken up around 1870 perhaps because of the many limestone rocks that must have just covered the hill judging from the rows of rocks on the fence line and the remains of a lime kiln on the property! My steps up to the woodshed are two large slabs of granite found on site but moved here from way up north by those glaciers mentioned previously, those rocks along the fence line came from all over also!

Rather than drone on about our local history I will just add a couple of links which briefly tell some of the story but if you want to know more about any part of my little hideaway just ask!

History of Grey Bruce

Bruce Peninsula Land Claim: Historical Perspective
 
So interesting- In NJ it took me very little time to prepare my garden area. The dirt was like soft butter and few stones. No one in my neighborhood used a tiller.

Here in NY I have uncovered many stones full of sea shell fossils from the glaciers. I have to till and rake my garden sometimes two times every year, to plant with success. The soil gets very hard.
 
My wife and I previously had a small garden on a portion of the area cleared by the 'pioneers' but the top soil was poor and very shallow, when building our house we had to raise the intended basement floor height in one area as unable to move the huge bolder!
 
RuralKanuck said:
Early Settlement and Development of Grey Bruce
It occurs to me that many folks from across this continent and the world reading this whole thing may not realize that the land I am referring to here was untouched forested land just 200 years ago, the first European settlers taking up portions of this area around 1830. As far as I can tell this little piece was taken up around 1870 perhaps because of the many limestone rocks that must have just covered the hill judging from the rows of rocks on the fence line and the remains of a lime kiln on the property! My steps up to the woodshed are two large slabs of granite found on site but moved here from way up north by those glaciers mentioned previously, those rocks along the fence line came from all over also!

Rather than drone on about our local history I will just add a couple of links which briefly tell some of the story but if you want to know more about any part of my little hideaway just ask!

History of Grey Bruce

Bruce Peninsula Land Claim: Historical Perspective
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My Father's ancestors came to Canada from Ireland in 1801. Three brothers, all of whom had served for ten years in the army of the East India Company, in India. As a reward for finishing their service enlistment, they were each granted 120 acres of free land in what was then known as Upper Canada ( now known as the Province of Ontario).

Each of them was a skilled tradesman, having been trained by the EIC. A blacksmith, a saddle and harness maker, and a wagon and wheel maker. The entire party numbered 14, three wives, the three brothers, and 8 children. They sailed to Montreal, arriving in April of 1801. They bought a wagon and loaded all of their "tools of the trade " onto it. They saved money by not buying a horse, instead they walked and pushed that wagon 350 miles to the tiny town of York ( now the city of Toronto ). It took them almost 4 weeks to do that.

At York, the brothers presented their land grant titles. They were granted 3 lots side by side in Chingacousy Township, on the third line. These lots were virgin hardwood forest land. They built one 20 foot square cabin that first summer, and all 14 of them lived in it the first winter. One of the babies died, as did their cow. Eventually they built a water powered saw mill, and a blacksmithy.

They were amongst the very first Europeans to settle in that part of the township . It took them more than 8 years to get to the point where they knew they were not going to starve to death, each winter. My Father was born in 1898 on the home farm. He served in the Canadian Army during the Great War, from 1915 to his return to Toronto in July of 1919. I was born in 1946, from his second marriage. He lived to age 81, dying in Toronto . A typical Canadian pioneer family, long before any type of Government benefit programs, where you lived or died, based on your own abilities and hard work. JimB.
 
RuralKanuck said:
Challenging indeed, its a bit harder without folks around to help and encourage, I do have my son here but he works long hours during the summer and I have reached to point on not wanting to do much in winter weather (or anytime else it seems of late).
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In my area, there are many homesteads & small farms that have been cultivated organically since their establishment or at least for the last 40-50 years. Hence, a lot of landowners have been able to draw on a system called Willing Workers On Organic Farms. WWOOF. It's international and, in my observation, has been very active in Canada for at least 35 years. WWOOF

I have nearby neighbors who are stewarding 30 acres, with hay & food-crop fields, vegetable gardens, and native-tree groves. They've had helpers who've stayed with them & given good help, people from elsewhere in Canada, from the U.S., Europe, and New Zealand. I've observed their helpers to be typically cheerful, energetic & eager to learn. Some of them have been of substantial help with tree management & with building or maintenance.

But I mention this because I'm guessing it's not the only system, with an online means of communication, offering more or less this sort of option for assistance. Shelter & simple meals are the main things the property owner must provide during the stay.
 
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The picture looks like Carex plantaginea, Carex sp. are sedges, on first glance but the flowers don't match. Sedge leaves are usually grass-like w a key difference being the triangular seed stem, which is impossible not to feel when inspecting the plant.

My botany classes and field id are about 40 years out of date and the plants I know are about 2500 miles away from your location.

Any better pictures of the flowers?

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This “Double” Sharp Leaved Hepatica found near one of our trails in the spring of 2003 seems to be quite unusual, I can find no reference to one with this many “petals”. Sadly it did not emerge the following year.

“It’s definitely Hepatica acutiloba. So far as I can see, the stamens have become petaloid, which is what usually happens in doubling. It is normal for Hepaticas to have up to 12 petaloid sepals.”

DoubHpatica09.JPG

hepaticacu.jpg
 
As briefly mentioned previously this property is a rugged area of drumlins and glacier till and as such has a variety of rocks and boulders moved here from way up north during the ice age. Although the underlying rock is limestone many of the rocks poking up through are from far away, here is a picture of one such boulder that caught my eye!

Materhorn.jpg
 
As far as I can tell this 30 acres has not been logged out since the early 1900s when the front 10 acres or so (planted with pines in 78) was cleared, there is now no signs of any previous logging or stumps anywhere in the hardwood section but the remains of the pioneers house and barn can still be seen near the previously cleared section.
One of the structures on this property left over from the original pioneers in the late 1800s is the remains of a lime kiln. Building lime kilns was essential for pioneers as without lime they could not make mortar to build their stone or brick homes. The kiln was built at the side of a ravine so that it could be loaded from the top and emptied from the bottom. The one on my property is aprox 8' across inside and would have been about 20' high, to make the lime it would have been filled with wood and limestone rock piled on top. The wood would have been set alight and let burn for several days the heat breaking down the rock and producing lime used primarily for building.

The remains of a stone foundation of a large barn is just 20' or so from the bottom of the kiln where presumably they kept the horses needed to haul both the limestone rocks to fill it and the finished lime away to where needed to build. The good sized stone cellar of the original house still stands around 30' from the top of the kiln. One of my 'hobbies' is genealogy and in researching the history of this property I can say that it was first settled in 1884 by a German family who first came to Canada around 1863, at that time there was no road directly to this part of the property.
 

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