Green Horizons
Volume 19, Number 3
Fall 2015


The Chickadee's Guide to Gardening
In Your Garden, Choose Plants That Help
the Environment

By: DOUGLAS W. TALLAMY | New York Times
MARCH 11, 2015

OXFORD, Pa. - I GREW up thinking little of plants. I was interested in
snakes and turtles, then insects and, eventually, birds. Now I like
plants. But I still like the life they create even more.

Plants are as close to biological miracles as a scientist could dare
admit. After all, they allow us, and nearly every other species, to
eat sunlight, by creating the nourishment that drives food webs on
this planet. As if that weren't enough, plants also produce oxygen,
build topsoil and hold it in place, prevent floods, sequester carbon
dioxide, buffer extreme weather and clean our water. Considering all
this, you might think we gardeners would value plants for what they
do. Instead, we value them for what they look like. When we design our
home landscapes, too many of us choose beautiful plants from all over
the world, without considering their ability to support life within
our local ecosystems.

Last summer I did a simple experiment at home to measure just how
different the plants we use for landscaping can be in supporting local
animals. I compared a young white oak in my yard with one of the
Bradford pears in my neighbor's yard. Both trees are the same size,
but Bradford pears are ornamentals from Asia, while white oaks are
native to eastern North America. I walked around each tree and counted
the caterpillars on their leaves at head height. I found 410
caterpillars on the white oak (comprising 19 different species), and
only one caterpillar (an inchworm) on the Bradford pear.

Was this a fluke? Hardly. The next day I repeated my survey on a
different white oak and Bradford pear. This time I found 233
caterpillars on the white oak (comprising 15 species) and, again, only
one on the Bradford pear. Why such huge differences? It's simple:
Plants don't want to be eaten, so they have loaded their tissues with
nasty chemicals that would kill most insects if eaten. Insects do eat
plants, though, and they achieve this by adapting to the chemical
defenses of just one or two plant lineages. So some have evolved to
eat oak trees without dying, while others have specialized in native
cherries or ashes and so on.

But local insects have only just met Bradford pears, in an
evolutionary sense, and have not had the time - millennia - required
to adapt to their chemical defenses. And so Bradford pears stand
virtually untouched in my neighbor's yard.

In the past, we thought this was a good thing. After all, Asian
ornamentals were planted to look pretty, and we certainly didn't want
insects eating them. We were happy with our perfect pears, burning
bushes, Japanese barberries, porcelain berries, golden rain trees,
crape myrtles, privets, bush honeysuckles and all the other foreign
ornamentals. But there are serious ecological consequences to such
choices, and another exercise you can do at home makes them clear.
This spring, if you live in North America, put up a chickadee nest box
in your yard. If you are lucky, a pair of chickadees will move in and
raise a family. While they are feeding their young, watch what the
chickadees bring to the nest: mostly caterpillars. Both parents take
turns feeding the chicks, enabling them to bring a caterpillar to the
nest once every three minutes. And they do this from 6 a.m. until 8
p.m. for each of the 16 to 18 days it takes the chicks to fledge.
That's a total of 350 to 570 caterpillars every day, depending on how
many chicks they have. So, an incredible 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars
are required to make one clutch of chickadees.

And chickadees are tiny birds: just a third of an ounce. What if you
wanted to support red-bellied woodpeckers in your yard, a bird that is
about eight times heavier than a chickadee? How many caterpillars
would that take? What we plant in our landscapes determines what can
live in our landscapes. Controlling what grows in our yards is like
playing God. By favoring productive species, we can create life, and
by using nonnative plants, we can prevent it.

An American yard dominated by Asian ornamentals does not produce
nearly the quantity and diversity of insects needed for birds to
reproduce. Some might argue that we should just let those birds breed
"in nature." That worked in the past, but now there simply is not
enough "nature" left. And it shows. Many bird species in North America
have declined drastically in the past 40 years.

Fortunately, more and more gardeners are realizing that their yards
offer one of the most empowering conservation options we have, and are
sharing their properties with the nature around them.

By the way, you might assume that my oak was riddled with unsightly
caterpillar holes, but not so. Since birds eat most of the
caterpillars before they get very large, from 10 feet away the oak
looked as perfect as a Bradford pear.

Douglas W. Tallamy, a professor of entomology and wildlife ecology at
the University of Delaware, is the author of "Bringing Nature Home:
How You Can Sustain Wildlife With Native Plants."


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What's All the Buzz About Native Plants?

By: KIM YOUNG | Forrest Keeling Nursery
By: WAYNE LOVELACE | Forrest Keeling Nursery

The White House recently released a "National Strategy to Promote the
Health of Honeybees and Other Pollinators". This initiative calls for
the installation of one million 'pollinator' gardens and the expanded
use of native plants in the landscapes of federal properties.
Consumers are alarmed with the use of certain pesticides, which may be
linked to a decline of the honeybee population and other pollinators.
The loss of native habitat to support critical pollinators and other
wildlife is also a growing concern.

The impact of the introduction of exotic species to our landscapes has
never been more evident or relevant. We are painfully cognizant of the
threat to our natural ecosystems from the uncontrolled spread of
invasive plants. The challenge to eradicate species such as bush
honeysuckle, callery pear, kudzu, lespedeza, multi flora rose, and the
list goes on, is difficult and costly. At some point these exotic
plant introductions seemed like a good idea, offering solutions for
erosion control and sources of abundant wildlife food. These
'solutions' now threaten the health and diversity of our native
ecosystems. Consumers desire local and healthy food choices. Tolerance
of higher costs associated with safe and thoughtful food production is
evident from the expanded shelf space dedicated to organically grown
produce. There is a growing trend toward the inclusion of edible
plants in our landscapes. Native fruits and nuts such as pawpaw,
chokeberry, elderberry, pecans and walnuts provide a multitude of
health benefits and are creating local niche market opportunities.

Native Plants

Recently, we have experienced dramatic climate extremes such as the
severe drought during the summer of 2012. When the dust settled, we
looked around and noted that what had survived were our native
species. Native genotypes have evolved to withstand the extreme
fluctuations we can experience in weather patterns. A real and growing
concern over the availability of water has us rethinking what we are
planting in our lawns and landscapes, shifting us to use drought
tolerant and low maintenance native species.

Most major cities now require the use of best management practices and
green solutions to reduce and control storm water. Developers are
required to build systems designed to keep storm water from leaving
the property. Homeowners are encouraged to install rain gardens and
native plants to filter nitrates and other pollutants from entering
our water sources. Farmers are incentivized to install native plant
buffers to control stream bank erosion and mitigate the introduction
of antibiotics and other agricultural by-products into our riparian
systems.

Additional motivation for using native plants comes from the trend to
build using sustainable construction, materials and practices. Green
building programs such as LEED certification, encourage developers to
employ sustainable landscape designs, including the use of native
plants. Corporations are installing native landscapes on their
campuses and planting native trees to offset carbon footprints,
demonstrating their commitment to protecting the environment.

In 1934, Aldo Leopold said, "Conservation will ultimately boil down to
rewarding the private landowner who conserves the public interest".
Today, we see his visionary prophecy coming to light with the
implementation of market-based and voluntary programs developed to
compensate landowners for preserving our natural ecosystem services.
Landowners can prosper from providing wetlands, wildlife habitat,
pollination services, bioremediation, and improving water and air
quality, through the use of native plants.

The use of native plants has achieved a foot-hold in today's landscape
industry. Native plants that once lacked prestige are now desirable
and in demand. When used with thoughtful design, native plants provide
our landscapes with unrivaled beauty. More importantly they are the
life support of our critical native ecosystems.

To learn more about native plants and their uses in farm and home
landscapes or to find where to purchase native plants visit
www.grownative.com.


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Manage What You Have First

By: EUGENE L. BRUNK

I've talked a lot about planting trees in my professional life, and
it's usually a good thing. In fact, I've found it is much easier to
get a person to plant a tree than it is to convince them that trees
will need management along the way. Harder still, has been trying to
convince folks that they can get the most "bang for their buck or
time" by taking care of trees they already have, regardless of the
source.

Taking care of what we already have growing is not a glamorous part of
forestry, but it is probably the most productive, be it out in the
woods, or out on the town. Photos of kids planting trees makes for
better news copy than photos of work crews caring for trees. When I
was a young forester, just starting to work with private landowners, I
was sent to inspect a proposed Soil Bank project that was to be done
by a lawyer who had bought an old farm and was going to "improve" it
by planting 30,000 walnut seedlings in a 30-acre, fescue grass field.
I knew this was too many walnut seedlings to plant per acre, but the
program parameters called for 1,000 seedlings per acre.

When I looked at the proposed planting, I also looked at the rest of
the farm, and was astounded to discover thousands of
naturally-established walnut trees ranging in size from seedling to
saplings to even small poles and a few large trees. The potential for
immediate improvement was great, and I tried my best to encourage the
lawyer to put his efforts into the existing trees, but to no avail. He
insisted on going ahead with the planting. I did everything I could to
disqualify his proposal, but all the Soil Bank requirements were in
place, so I had to approve the project. After he finished, I inspected
the job, and they had done an excellent job of planting. I still
encouraged him to manage what he had out there and he said he would
(eventually) but really needed to make sure this planting "worked." I
later found out he needed the government payment to pay off a mortgage
payment on the property.

About 15 years later, I ran across this lawyer at a Walnut Council
field tour, and he made a point of telling me that I had been right.
The planting had failed because there was very little follow-up on
weed or fescue control or anything else. The Soil Bank Program didn't
have a very long time period for maintaining a tree planting, and no
re-inspection requirements after the first year or two. He said he had
started managing the existing regeneration within the past 5 years,
and lamented losing ten years of accelerated growth, and apologized
for not listening to me. His pursuit of a government payment got in
the way of making a proper long-term management decision that would
have paid off much better than a failed plantation.

What does this story have to do with urban tree care? I believe it can
be used as an analogy to things we see happening in urban and suburban
settings throughout the state. How often do we see trees left unpruned
because it's easy to put off, with a promise to "get to it later?" Or,
how about the homeowners association that wants to clear out all that
"brush" (natural regeneration) in the common part of the subdivision
so they can plant some really nice trees to make it look more
"natural?" The same thing may be true of the individual homeowner who
sees some funny looking leaf on a woody plant right in the middle of a
place where they want to establish their favorite redbud tree. So,
he/she pulls out the naturally-occurring redbud seedling and replaces
it with a potted redbud seedling (seed source unknown) from the local
"parking lot lawn and garden center", then has a difficult time
nurturing it through the first year — just to get it to live.

There are probably many more examples out there concerning the value
of managing what you already have growing; many of which are probably
better than those I've mentioned. Being aware of the opportunities to
manage existing vegetation, and following through with required
treatments, can lead to a home site that is comfortable and appealing,
an urban forest that exemplifies community pride and appeal, or even a
rural forest that is as productive as it can be for recreation,
watershed protection, wood production, and wildlife habitat
enhancement.

Good stewardship of any asset requires that you first take care of the
basis handed you before trying to add to those assets. Trees are no
exception.


********


OSAGE ORANGE: 'One Tough Tree'

By: DUSTY WALTER | University of Missouri Ag. Experiment Station
By: GENE GARRETT | University of Missouri , Center for Agroforestry

The University of Missouri, Center for Agroforestry prides itself in
developing and introducing specialty crops for the family farm. It has
conducted successful research and outreach on species like Chinese
chestnut, black walnut as an orchard species, long-needled pine
species for producing "pine straw", a valuable landscaping mulch, and
even gourmet mushrooms. But occasionally, the Center takes on a real
challenging species. While some refer to it as one of "Natures
Wonders", most landowners see Osage orange as a thorny, very
undesirable tree with few redeeming qualities! In spite of this, Osage
is actually a very versatile tree. Its utility and potential was
realized early by settlers who first came upon it as they made their
way westward.

The many names of Osage orange reflect its diversity of uses. The
scientific name is Maclura pomifera. However, early in its history the
term bois d'arc was used to describe the tree which Native Americans,
and specifically members of the Osage Nation, prized for wood to make
bows and clubs. This French term has also been stated as "bodark" or
"bodarc". "Hedge" is another name often used. This highlights not only
its widespread use in the 1930's as the tree of choice for windbreak
plantings across the Great Plains states, but also the fact that early
settlers would use rows of the tree as a "living fence", capitalizing
on the species thorniness and dense branching habit to contain their
livestock. And, because it produces a softball-sized green fruit, some
will know the tree by the name "hedge apple". So, does the word
"orange", in Osage orange, refer to similarities between its fruit and
an orange? Possibly, but it may also reflect the fact that the wood is
a golden yellow color which may contain unique chemicals of unknown
value for wood treatment, pest control, or even medicinal purposes?

Osage Orange Tree fruit

While the native range of Osage orange is relatively small, it will
grow almost anywhere. Occurring natively in parts of Texas, Oklahoma
and Arkansas, it was nonetheless widely planted as a part of the Great
Plains Shelterbelt initiative, which was designed to control wind
erosion and prevent soil loss. It can now be found growing from Canada
to as far south as Florida and Texas and even on the west coast.

While not a typical timber species, Osage does produce multiple
products of value. One such product is the hedge post. A fence built
with hedge posts will last several generations. Typically, hedge posts
can be purchased that range in price from $8 - $25.00/each, depending
on size. Historic documentation indicates that fence posts could be
harvested every 15 years. Depending on the site (soil and moisture),
fence posts most likely can be harvested every 15-40 years. It is also
valued as a firewood. Osage has the highest BTU (British Thermal Unit
- - a measure of heat produced) output of any North American tree. The
propensity of Osage to sprout back after cutting makes it a very
renewable farm resource.

Osage, or hedge, also may have other uses. Though science has failed
to validate the claims, hedge balls are nonetheless still used by many
households to repel insects and spiders. Although the hedge balls are
of minimal wildlife value, the tree itself is excellent escape cover
from weather extremes. Many a successful pheasant or quail hunt has
taken place along hedge rows.

Because of its site adaptability and value of products, Osage offers
opportunities for Agroforestry plantings-especially if a method can be
developed to grow straight stems. When open-grown, the tree tends to
branch heavily and develop poor/crooked form. At the University of
Missouri, trials are underway to identify the value of planting Osage
at tight spacings, (e.g., 6 X 6 feet) to enhance straightness. If
straight stems can be grown, agroforestry plantings with Osage, such
as windbreaks and forested riparian buffers, can create effective
conservation practices while yielding valuable commercial products.

Perhaps Osage orange, hedge apple, bodark, bois d'arc or whatever name
you wish to call it, really is one of "Nature's Wonders"! Maybe it
even holds promises that have not yet been realized by the scientific
world and can only be realized through extensive chemical analyses and
clinical trials. Perhaps such tests might even be inadequate to reveal
the secrets of this plants physiology. Who of you out there know of a
tree that can be purchased from the Department of Conservation
Nursery, loosely re-wrapped in its paper packaging, cast into the edge
of a woods, endure the extreme weather conditions of a summer and
winter and yet be viable the following spring? Not only viable, but be
capable of being planted, surviving and growing vigorously! This is
not fiction, it happened!! So in addition to all the other names that
have been bestowed upon this species, the authors would like to add
one more, it is "one tough tree"!!!


********


By The Numbers - The National Woodland Owner Survey in Missouri

By: STEVE WESTIN | Missouri Department of Conservation

The voluntary National Woodland Owner Survey is conducted by the U.S.
Forest Service on a periodic basis to assess the characteristics and
attitudes of the owners of America's private forest land. The last two
surveys were completed in 2006 and 2013. The results of the survey
help the Missouri Department of Conservation and other agencies and
organizations understand and better assist Missouri's private forest
landowners.

Selected results from the Survey will be periodically highlighted in
this, and future, issues of Green Horizons. Due to differences in the
number of surveys sent to Missouri landowners in the different years,
some results can only be reported in a general way, while others can
be more specific.
•83% of Missouri's 15.4 million acres of forested land is privately
owned. 92% (11.8 million acres) of that private ownership belongs to
individuals and families. The remaining million acres of private land
is owned by companies and other miscellaneous owners such as
conservation organizations, clubs, etc.
•There are about 438,000 Missourians who own at least one acre of
wooded land. This number is up significantly from the 339,000 owners
estimated by the 2006 survey. Of the 438,000 forest owners estimated
by the 2013 survey, 52% (about 226,000 people) own less than 10 acres
of forest each. This is an increase from 43% (about 145,000 owners)
estimated by the 2006 survey. While making up over half of Missouri
forest owners this group only owns about 6.6% of the family-owned
forest area in the state, up from 4.6% ownership in 2006.

The 2013 Survey shows that of the 212,000 Missouri landowners who own
10+ acres of forest:
•40% own 10 - 19 acres
•28% own 20 - 49 acres
•18% own 50 - 99 acres
•14% own 100+ acres, which totals 51% of the family forest area in
Missouri.

In 2013, of Missouri landowners who own 10+ acres of forest:
•10% are less than 45 years old
•19% are 45 - 54 years old
•32% are 55 - 64 years old
•39% are 65 or older


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"Creating a Woodland Silvopasture Using Small Ruminants"

By: CHARLOTTE CLIFFORD-RATHERT | State Extension Specialist-Small
Ruminants Lincoln University, Jefferson City, Missouri

The practice of silvopasture can increase the versatility of land and
increase farm incomes. It is of interest to many landowners and
particularly relevant to the limited resource farmer. Silvopasture is
defined as the practice of integrating timber production, forage
management, and livestock production. The result: landowners gain
potential annual income from trees, forages and livestock on acreage
likely not in production. Additionally, the amount of fertilizers,
herbicides, and feed are reduced. The practice of silvopasture also
provides benefits such as reduced moisture loss in comparison to an
open pasture, shade and protection for livestock, and soil fertility
improvement for tree and forage growth. While most silvopastures are
designed with cattle in mind, both goats and sheep can be used. Goats
are considered beneficial "herbicides" as they prefer to browse from
the top of a plant and work down. This makes goats ideal for
controlling unwanted vegetation that would compete with trees and
other desirable vegetation for nutrients and water. Using livestock to
control specific vegetation is also termed "targeted grazing".

A plant inventory conducted by a professional botanist can be helpful
in the early planning stages of establishing silvopasture. Many of the
woody plants that are native to Missouri are also sources for tannins
which can serve as an important factor in the natural control of
intestinal parasites of small ruminants.

A Forest Management Plan or Timber Stand Improvement Plan can be
helpful in determining the trees to be retained and those to be
removed. The Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri
Consulting Foresters Association can identify professional foresters
to conduct surveys, create plans and assist landowners in implementing
their plans.

When designing a silvopasture for any type of livestock, one should
consider the location of trees that can serve as a shelter from the
weather. The placement of shaded areas and windbreaks can be included
in the design. Small ruminants, in particular, need shelter from wind,
rain, and snow. For instance, a grove of cedar trees can function as a
shelter and windbreak and should be retained in a small ruminant,
silvopasture design. Goats will eat cedar for the tannin content
during certain times of the year, so this also must be taken into
consideration. Providing or leaving other tannin-containing plants
could reduce the stress on the cedar trees. If the forage base is
weeds and grass rather than woody material, sheep would perform better
than goats. Sheep tend to prefer weeds and grass, while goats prefer
woody material.

Fencing is another important aspect to be considered and will be an
investment. Five-to-seven strand high tensile electric fence works
well as an exterior fence to contain goats and sheep while keeping
predators at bay. Barbed-wire fence is workable if it is 5-7 strands
or installed with 2-3 offset electric polywire strands in-between the
barbed wire. Temporary fencing works well for interior fences to
establish rotational grazing paddocks and to protect young trees.
Access to water is a priority when establishing any silvopasture. The
NRCS has publications available that show a producer how to assemble
different types of fencing as well as waterers.

Stocking rate for goats and sheep in a silvopasture is dependent on
whether the goal is vegetation management as a forage or for
elimination. To manage vegetation for sustainable browsing, start
browsing late spring, rest vegetation for at least 6-8 weeks and do
not defoliate in the fall. The area should be divided into paddocks of
no more than 1-2 acres. The number of goats or sheep per acre is
determined by the amount of vegetation present and the animals are
rotated into the next paddock after 75-80% of the vegetation is
consumed. Vegetation requires at least 30-60 days for foliage to
return to browsing status under ideal conditions. Under drought
conditions, more time is required for the vegetation to return to an
amount that can sustain the animals, and in extreme drought
conditions, the vegetation may not recover fully. Not all paddocks
will contain the same amount or quality of vegetation, so the time of
browsing and recovery will vary. To control parasites in small
ruminants, it is recommended that vegetation be rested a minimum of
30-60 days and allowed to recover to a height that parasite larva will
not be consumed by the goats or sheep. If the goal is to eliminate
vegetation, a greater number of animals may be required and browsing
will start in early spring, rotation rest period shortened to 6 weeks,
and vegetation defoliated through the fall. Each successive year, the
returning vegetation will decrease and the stocking rate must be
adjusted. It may take 3-4 years to eliminate vegetation using goats or
sheep. Word of advice: have an alternative plan to feed the animals in
case of drought! In winter, most foliage will be dormant or missing,
goats and sheep will need supplemental feed and hay. This is a
critical time since the females are usually pregnant during the winter
months.

Today's economics forces us to look for alternative ways to diversify
agricultural production and be more resourceful. The primary
constraint to adopting silvopasture practices is a lack of
familiarity. By integrating goats into forested areas to transform and
integrate a developing silvopasture onto managed farms, environmental
and economic benefits can be realized. This is especially important
for the limited resource farmer.


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The Bid Box

By: HANK STELZER | MU Forestry Extension


PIKE COUNTY, MISSOURI
 25 acres
 281 mixed hardwoods

Doyle tree scale
used, 42,720 bd. ft.

•35,380 bd. ft. white oak
•1,880 bd. ft. red oak
•960 bd. ft. black oak
•1,980 bd. ft. hickory
•2,520 bd. ft. other mixed hardwood species

Forester valued sale: $15,500
 2 bids: $11,500 and $19,500

Landowner took high bid
 Return: $780/acre

Another issue of Green Horizons, another installment of The Bid Box!
This sale shows you do not have to own a lot of timber to generate
significant revenue.

If you are thinking about selling your timber, contact your
professional forester now! Fall is an excellent time to prepare your
timber tract for sale. And if you have never sold timber before, check
out the following MU Guides:
•G5051 - Selling Timber: What the Landowner Needs to Know
•G5057 - Basic Elements of a Timber Sale Contract
•G5056 - Managing Your Timber Sale Tax


These Guides will help you better understand the ins and outs of
marketing your timber and help you help your professional forester!


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Planning a Successful Timber Harvest

By: HANK STELZER | MU Forestry Extension

A successful timber harvest lies in working with a professional
forester and your logger before the first tree is cut. The following
abbreviation of a ten-step approach developed by Lynn Barnickol
(Missouri Consulting Foresters Association) and Jason Jensen (Missouri
Department of Conservation) provides an excellent framework for the
planning process. Emphasis on each step may vary with site and
location in Missouri.
1.Safety first. Safety must remain a constant consideration throughout
the harvest planning process. Every decision made will have safety
implications.

2.Recon. Using aerial, topographic and soil maps, your forester will
conduct on-the-ground reconnaissance of the area to be logged. Noted
are: the slope, aspect, soils, timber stands to be harvested, streams,
access to the timber, boundaries, and old logging roads.

3.Identify streamside management zones (SMZ's). SMZ width is site
specific and is determined by factors such as stream classification,
soil type, and percent slope. An SMZ should be a minimum of 50 feet
wide or as determined in Missouri Watershed Protection Practice.

4.Locate log decks. Location of the log decks depends on road building
cost, skidding cost, timber volumes, skidder payload, and
environmental impact. The size of the log deck will depend upon the
type of logging equipment to be used, topographic constraints, landing
layout, amount of timber skidded to the deck, and environmental
impact. Log decks should be kept as small as feasible, be slightly
sloped, facilitate drainage, and have stable soils that do not easily
rut.

Timber Harvest Legend

5.Locate logging road entrances. In some areas, highway entrances must
be approved by the resident highway engineer. Generally, the law
requires 300 feet of visibility in either direction when pulling onto
the highway. Truck turning radius, angle of approach, and direction of
travel loaded and empty must be considered. Entrances should always be
located on well-drained, stable soils and road rock may be needed to
keep mud from being transferred onto the highway.

6.Locate logging roads. New roads should be located on a topo map
prior to locating on the ground. Your forester will take the map to
the woods and flag-in the proposed road. Road grade should be kept at
8% or less and the roadbed placed on well-drained, stable soils. As a
general rule, haul roads should be 1-« times as wide as the equipment
utilizing the road, allowing the truck driver to address any ruts or
soft places in the road. Harvesting trees adjacent to the road will
improve drying and snow melt in the winter. Most primary haul roads
are county roads. Secondary haul roads connect the harvest site to the
county road or highway. Typically, secondary roads aren't graveled
except for possible soft spots. Drainage can usually be handled
through a few well-placed water turn-outs or broad-based dips. Your
forester will consider cost, volume of timber to be hauled over the
roads, time of year that the roads will be used, type of trucks using
the roads, length of road to be built, available road construction
equipment, the need for rock surfacing, time it will take to construct
the roads, and how the road will be retired when harvesting is
completed.

7.Locate stream crossings. Stream crossings can be expensive, hard on
equipment, and a source of environmental and water quality problems.
If it is determined that a stream crossing is necessary, your forester
will choose a location that will minimize the chance of stream
sedimentation resulting from logging or hauling operations. The common
types of stream crossings, from least to most expensive, are a ford, a
culvert with dirt fill, a "low-water" bridge, and an elevated timber
bridge. The "best" choice depends upon the cost, stream
characteristics, amount of use anticipated, load bearing requirements,
area of forestland drained by the stream, previous "high-water" mark,
time of year the structure will be used, and environmental impact.

8.Locate main skid trails. Properly located skid trails will minimize
damage to the residual stand. Loggers can utilize undesirable trees as
"bumpers" to prevent damage to higher quality crop trees. Main skid
trails will also be located away from SMZ's or other sensitive areas
and placed so they can be drained with water bars when harvesting is
completed. A general rule of thumb is to keep skidding distance less
than Ό mile to maintain productivity and profitability.

9.Determine the schedule of operations. The most efficient schedule of
operations depends on the tract topography, time of year, current and
anticipated weather conditions, road construction requirements, and
cash flow.

10.Specify tract "close-down" requirements. Included are: re-grading
ruts, installing water bars on abandoned roads and skid trails,
reseeding certain landings and roads, removing temporary stream
crossing structures, cutting spring poles, slashing tops, removing
trash, opening ditches or water turnouts, and any clean-up necessary
to leave the tract in acceptable shape. To help reduce time and costs,
many of the operations can be scheduled as harvesting is completed on
various parts of the tract.


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Know the Facts Before Buying,or Selling, Firewood

By: BOB SCHULTHEIS | Natural Resource Engineering Specialist, Webster
County Extension Center

Many people who buy cordwood for their home wood stoves admit they
don't understand the transfer process. Some sellers talk in terms of a
"rick," a "rank" or a "pickup load."

Others mention a "face cord" and still others talk in terms of a cord
or fractions of a cord. Sometimes the definitions vary from seller to
seller and from locality to locality.

"We would like to think that most sellers are honest and the
transaction is fair. However, this is no way to run a business," said
Bob Schultheis, natural resource engineering specialist with
University of Missouri Extension.

Schultheis shares here the most common questions he receives about
buying and selling firewood, along with his answers to the questions.

Q: Homeowners with wood stoves are stocking up on firewood for their
winter heat supply. I understand there is a state law governing how
firewood is bought and sold?

A: Yes, by state law, firewood must be sold by the cord or fraction of
a cord, and it must be accompanied by a bill of sale in accordance
with requirements of the Missouri Department of Agriculture's Division
of Weights and Measures. Rick, rank, face cord, truckload, and pile
are not legal units of measure for sale of firewood.

Cord of Wood

Q: How much is a cord of wood?

A: A cord of wood measures four feet high, four feet wide and eight
feet long, totaling 128 cubic feet. Any combination of these
measurements is fine as long as they total 128 cubic feet when the
wood is stacked in a compact manner.

Q: What's the easiest way to measure a stack of wood?

A: A simple way is to measure the length, width and average height
(all in inches) of the compactly-stacked pile of wood. Multiply these
three figures together and divide the result by 220,000. The answer is
the number of cords. Multiply this number by the dollar cost per cord
to get the price the buyer should pay.

Q: Any other tips on getting a fair deal when buying firewood?

A: First, don't pay for the wood until it has been stacked and
measured by both the buyer and seller. Second, get a receipt with the
seller's name, address, phone number and vehicle license number, along
with the price, amount and kind of wood purchased. Third, if a problem
with a seller cannot be resolved, contact the Missouri Department of
Agriculture's Division of Weights and Measures at 573-751-5639.

Q: Where can I get more information on buying and selling cordwood?

A: Contact the nearest University of Missouri Extension Center and ask
for MU Guides G5452 and G5450, which give details about buying and
selling cordwood, and about the burning characteristics and heat
content of various woods. These guides are available free online at
http://extension.missouri.edu/publications. For more information,
contact Schultheis at the Webster County MU Extension Center at
417-859-2044, or by email at schultheisr@missouri.edu.


*******


Editorial Board

Mike Gold, Research
Prof., co-editor
MU Center for Agroforestry Gene Garrett, Emeritus Professor, co-editor
MU Center for Agroforestry Taylor Wanbaugh
co-editor
MU Center for Agroforestry
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Joe Alley, Resource Conservationist,
NRCS, MO SAF Scott Brundage, Consulting Forester Eugene L. Bank, MDC
Retiree
 
Donna Coble, Executive Director
Forest ReLeaf of Missouri Lynn Barnickol, Executive Director,
Missouri Consulting Foresters Association Shibu Jose, Professor,
Director,
MU Center for Agroforestry
Rebecca Landewe, Current River Project Manager,
The Nature Conservancy-Missouri Francis Main, chair,
Missouri Tree Farm Committee Dennis Evans, chair,
Missouri Walnut Council
Steven Westin,
MDC Private Land Forestry Programs Clell Solomon,
Mo. Christmas Tree Producers Association Hank Stelzer, Professor
MU Forestry Extension
Robert Stout,
Mo. Department of Natural Resources Kim Young, Vice President/General
Manager
Forrest Keeling Nursery Bob Ball, Woodland Landowner

Contributors


*******


Contact Green Horizons

Send story ideas, address
 changes and subscription requests
 for Green Horizons to:

Mike Gold, Gene Garrett
 Green Horizons
 University of Missouri
 203 ABNR
 Columbia, MO 65211
 email: goldm@missouri.edu | phone: (573) 884-1448
 email: garretth@missouri.edu | phone: (573) 882-3647

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work Acts of May 8 and
June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of
Agriculture. Dr. Michael Ouart, Vice Provost and Director, Cooperative
Extension, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211. University of
Missouri Extension does not discriminate on the basis of race, color,
national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability or
status as a Vietnam era veteran in employment or programs. If you have
special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act and
need this publication in an alternative format, write ADA Officer,
Extension and Agricultural Information, 1-98 Agriculture Building,
Columbia, MO 65211, or call (573) 882-7216. Reasonable efforts will be
made to accommodate your special needs.


*******


Calendar of Events

October 5th - The Emerald Ash Borer and Urban Wood Utilization
Workshop
 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Meet at the KC Zoo Parking Lot, 6800 Zoo Drive
Kansas City, MO.
 $10 registration http://www.forestandwoodland.org/eab-workshop.html

October 17 - Missouri Chestnut Roast
 10 a.m. - 4 pm. Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center, New
Franklin, MO.
 Roasted chestnuts, cooking demonstrations, fresh chestnuts and nut
trees for sale, farm tours, music, children's activities, Hickman
House tours, many producers and exhibitors.
www.centerforagroforestry.org

October 24 - Great River Road Chestnut Roast
 10 a.m. - 4 pm. Forrest Keeling Nursery, Elsberry, MO.
http://www.fknursery.com