Green Horizons News for people who take their trees seriously Vol. 3, No. 3 Summer 1998 Forest conservationist of the year For more than 20 years, Gene Garrett has served as professor of forestry in the University of Missouri School of Natural Resources. He has nearly 200 papers, book chapters and articles to his credit in addition to teaching several university courses, including the distinguished capstone course for graduating seniors majoring in forestry. Yet, it is for his service to Missouri and Missourians that the Conservation Federation of Missouri recently honored Gene Garrett. Many years ago, Gene saw the potential in black walnut as a valuable natural resource, especially for Missouri landowners and farmers. He embarked on an extensive research and teaching program that has led to national and international acceptance of the Missouri system of agroforestry. Over the years, Gene has shown time and time again that black walnuts in combination with row crops for farming systems can be a highly profitable and practical approach to agriculture while being good for soil and water conservation. His ideas have been widely accepted and are now recommended practices in federal conservation programs. In fact, Gene helped write the language for the federal farm bill's agroforestry provisions as well as legislation that led to on-farm agroforestry demonstration projects. During his career, Gene has also served as president of the Association for Temperate Agroforestry and as president of the Walnut Council International. He has worked closely with the Missouri Chapter of the Walnut Council and the Missouri Nut Growers Association to establish cooperation with landowners actively participating in black walnut and agroforestry practices. Through the University of Missouri, he has established one of the most renowned agroforestry research sites in New Franklin where work is being done on tree improvement of black walnut among other studies. And, his efforts to establish a Center for Agroforestry at the University of Missouri were realized on May 26 of this year when Chancellor Wallace signed the papers signaling the official status of the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry. Woodland appraiser Missouri timberland values One of the most undervalued Missouri commodities may be its timberland. At least the perception of value by lenders, appraisers and extension workers would indicate it may be. Each June, Ron Plain, ag economist at the University of Missouri takes the pulse of the farmland values around the state by asking 1,000 real estate professionals what they think is happening to land prices. In 1996, the average timberland estimated value for the state was $370 per acre. By June of 1977, that figure had jumped to $419 per acre. That's a 13 percent increase. Prime cropland in 1996 was averaging $1,113 an acre. This class of land jumped to $1,240 in 1997 for an 11 percent increase. As would be expected, highest timberland values are in those counties surrounding St. Louis ($608 per acre) and lowest prices are in the southeastern Ozarks ($265 per acre). It must be remembered that these figures are estimates and averages. It is rare that a tract of land is sold for the timber value and is marketed as such with timber appraisals included. When that type of sale is made, however, the per- acre price often is in the thousands of dollars, not hundreds. New plants released The USDA Plant Materials Center at Elsberry, Mo. is released three new plant varieties including two trees and a trefoil. The new plants are: "Union" tulip poplar, "Corinth" roughleaf dogwood and "Alexander" showy tick trefoil. These plants will be used for woodland revegetation, timber production, landscape and riparian area plantings, windbreaks and wildlife food and cover. All three plants were released in the fall of 1997. Looking for a place to hold your organization's next meeting? Consider the University of Missouri Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center in New Franklin. The Center has approximately 600 acres devoted to research in agroforestry and horticulture. Tours can be provided, including tour wagons for larger groups. Hot meals can be catered for a cost of $8.50 per person. For more information, contact Nancy Bishop at (660) 848-2268. Recent visitors to HARC The 27th class of Graduate Institute of Cooperative Leadership, sponsored by MU agricultural economics recently had dinner and a tour at the University of Missouri Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center in New Franklin. During the 41/2-day program, 48 mid-level managers from cooperatives (primarily agricultural) scattered throughout the United States, focused on some of the unique challenges that firms organized as cooperatives face which investor-owned firms do not. Mercedes Smith True steward of the land In 1993, Mercedes Smith, was named Missouri's Tree Farmer of the Year. Throughout her life, Smith has worked tirelessly as a Missouri tree farmer and contributed her expertise to preserving the state's urban forests as well. In 1964, Smith, a nurse, and her husband Jack, purchased a 120-acre plot, 10 miles southwest of West Plains in Howell County. This was something they wanted to leave to their grandchildren. The Smiths were interested in tree planting and watershed maintenance and began to get involved in managing their land. One of the newest stewardship practices in the 1960s involved planting pine trees. The Smiths were quick to offer their land for use in the venture. The land now contains 30 acres of pine plantations. Over the years, Smith has continued to actively manage her forest even in the face of adversity. In 1979, her husband passed away. A year later, disaster struck when a severe forest fire destroyed or damaged most of the hardwood and pine. Another fire of lesser damage occurred in 1992. Regardless of her hard luck, Smith never lost sight of her husband's desire to improve the land. When the Forest Stewardship program began in Missouri, Smith was one of its pioneers in the West Plains Forest District. The 120-acre tract is currently managed for timber, mostly oak, hickory and pine, wildlife and watershed protection. The tract has been classified as Forest Crop Land since 1965 and in 1974, it earned the distinction of Missouri Tree Farm. Smith, now 84, moved to Columbia in 1988 to the Lenoir Retirement Community, although she continues to make semi- annual visits to her farm. MDC foresters regularly update her on the condition of her acreage and the land continues to flourish under Smith's guidance. The Tree Farm is part of a trust in Smith's name that she will pass on to her nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Her stewardship spirit is still strong and evident by her activities at Lenoir. She headed a grounds committee that organized the improvement of the community's only forested land, a 20-acre plot donated through an endowment. In addition, she initiated a project to install a half-mile walking trail that weaves through the small plot of timber. Smith and her fellow residents also replanted a 100-foot corridor of trees along a half-mile stretch of a stream. Executive Director of Lenoir, Daniel Kem said, "She (Smith) has provided us with education and connected us with key people in conservation and forestry. Her contributions have been many and they have yielded outstanding results in nature". - Amber Cox From CRP to agroforestry A friend of ours has a 7-acre field of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) tree plantings that will come out of the program this fall. He is thinking of switching it to an agroforestry system that would fit into his primarily livestock farming operation, but is not sure just how to go about it. The planting was made in 1989. He planted black walnut and green ash in rows 12 feet apart and 12 feet within the row. The walnuts were planted solid in every third row. He put herbicide on the rows during the first three years and a couple more times since then. The trees (all of them) have grown well as the soil is deep and well drained. The walnuts are now about 15 feet tall and average about 4 inches in diameter. The ash are slightly larger and are beginning to shade each other and the walnut rows. He would like to remove the ash trees and save as many walnuts as possible for nut production and eventual timber production. He is considering using the alleys between the rows for hay production and maybe even grazing eventually. The alternative is to re-bid the field into the CRP for another seven years for about $60 an acre. This farm has been in the family for four generations and most likely will stay in the family for another generation or two. He asks what I would suggest. Committing yourself to an agroforestry system, even one with immediate cash flow such as from hay or grazing, requires long-range planning. Economics are a major part of that planning, of course, but some personal plans must be made, too. For instance, how old are you? That may seem an impertinent question, but with a long-term investment some thought must be given to who will continue to take care of the trees, at least until they reach an age that they have market value as a nut-producing plantation or as timber. In this case the decision is easier because of the continuity provided by the intention to keep the farm within the family for at least another generation or two. Assuming that the decision has been made to make the conversion to an agroforestry system with black walnut nut production, forage between the rows and eventual salvage of the mature trees as timber, we can make some observations. The first is: if you are going to do it, do it now. You have nearly 300 stems growing per acre and you need to remove nearly 250 of them. The job won't get any easier the longer you wait. One of the standards that has been established over the years is that 50 trees per acre in a 40- by 20-foot configuration is sustainable for up to 25 years. They will then have to be thinned to about 25 trees per acre because they will begin to crowd each other and nut production will be diminished. With the 12 by 12-foot spacing and walnuts every third row, you have the potential for an initial 36- by 24-foot spacing which will give you right at 50 trees per acre. At or before the 25th year, you will remove half the trees for a 36- by 48-foot pattern. The first thing to do is eliminate the ash. Chainsawing is a possibility. So is a hydraulic shear on the front of a Bobcat or a shearing blade on a dozer or tractor. A critical part of this operation is treating the stumps with herbicide (Tordon RTU) or disking the ground to make sure the stumps do not resprout. Disking may be necessary anyway because grass and legumes likely will need to be overseeded. Orchardgrass, lespedeza and red clover are preferred. If fescue was originally seeded in the field, it may be necessary to kill it with Roundup and reseed with a more desirable mixture. Fescue is not compatible with black walnut trees. The next move is to go through each walnut row and pick out the best trees. Selection will be done on the merits of growth and stem form or straightness. You are looking for a good tree that will grow a good top for nut production and have the potential of making a quality lumber log, even a veneer log. If you have to skip a tree in sequence to get the best tree, do it. Fast growing, healthy trees are more important than perfect geometry in the plantation. Cut the cull walnut trees with a chainsaw and treat the stumps with Tordon RTU. Now you have the makings of a black walnut nut production plantation. But not quite. Native black walnut trees grown from randomly selected seeds will not come into nut production early enough to be economically practical in most cases. Some native trees produce almost no nuts. Nut quality also is questionable. So, the next step is to assure the production of the quantity and quality of nuts that will make the whole effort financially worthwhile. That means grafting each of the 50 trees per acre (350 total) to a variety of known nut production value. These varieties or cultivars have the potential of producing 2,000 pounds or more of nuts per acre (under top management) when the trees reach maturity or about 30 years of age. They also have high percentages of kernels, up to 35%, which makes them more valuable to the processor. During the first three weeks of May next year, it will be necessary to graft the remaining trees. It is possible for one person to graft up to 350 trees during the three-week grafting season, but it may be necessary to hire or beg some help from experienced grafters. The varieties to be grafted could be the three most recommended by the Missouri Nut Growers Association (Sparrow, Emma-K, Kwik-Krop). These could be grafted on two acres each, leaving one acre for experimentation with at least a dozen other cultivars that are less proven. Grafts should be made as high as possible, especially if area is to be grazed. Eventually, over a period of years, the tree would be pruned up to a 9-foot clear trunk to accommodate machinery and to provide a more valuable sawlog or veneer log. From that point, a full crown is necessary to promote good nut production. There is some concern that grafting these larger trees will result in flawed logs which would keep them from becoming veneer quality. One possibility is to graft at the 9-foot height which requires working from a ladder. Follow up the next spring, and every spring thereafter, with a herbicide band (Roundup and Princep) 4 feet wide on each side of the row or a sprayed circle with a 4-foot radius. Fertilize the field for top hay production according to regular soil tests. Splitting the applications between April and August 1 may benefit the trees the most. Fertility recommendations likely will change once the trees begin to bear commercial crops of nuts which should be in about six years. - Larry Harper Busloads of business What does a busload of smalltown Iowa tourists do to make life interesting on the trip from Branson, Mo. to their next entertainment highlight in Kansas City. They drive 9 miles off the beaten path to Byrd's Pecans, of course. And it's not the first time, either. Last fall, Mary Ann and Vernon Byrd who own a pecan processing operation and farm west of Butler, Mo. in the little crossroads village of Virginia, were contacted by a touring company that needed to fill in its itinerary. The touring company specializes in taking busloads of mostly retired folks to the Ozarks and Branson. However, they needed to fill in some time on the return trip with an interesting side trip. They had heard about Byrd's Pecans. They asked if the Byrds would provide snacks and drinks and give a short tour of the processing plant and perhaps the pecan farm. The Byrds obliged, and so did the tourists. They bought pecans by the sacks. And they learned a little bit about the industry as well. In May, the tour company called again and the Byrds obliged. They asked neighbor Larry Harper to join them and he gave the group a quick review of black walnut production as they cruised by his farm on the way to the Byrd's farm. Grafting was in full swing and quite visible from the bus windows which prompted many questions. Beauty and the timber beast Many landowners are reluctant to consider a timber harvest because the ones they have seen resemble the aftermath of a tornado. They may hike in or live next to their forest and have to live with what they see the rest of their lives. Professional foresters are trained to help landowners determine forest objectives, including aesthetic objectives. The use of before and after timber sale photos can help landowners judge a satisfactory sale appearance. Touring managed, completed timber sales also can assist in choosing a preferred after-harvest appearance. Be as specific as possible when communicating with your forester. Ask some of the following questions so you will know what to expect when the harvest is completed. l. Will there be openings created and, if so, how big will they be and how many can I expect? How will they look in 5 or 15 years? 2. Do you have pictures of past sales or can we visit one of your completed timber sales? 3. What unavoidable damage should I expect? What clean-up activities can I expect loggers to do? 4. How will your services increase the aesthetic quality of my harvest? 5. Would I be happier if there were buffer areas to soften the edges of the harvest? 6. What benefits will the sale have for wildlife? If we expect to rely on private forests to supply wood products in the future we must meet more landowner aesthetic objectives. Foresters and loggers alike need to accumulate timber sales that retain some aesthetic values, to showcase the ability to combine product demand, economic need and environmental sensitivity in a form that is acceptable to a greater number of landowners. - Skip Stokes (Skip Stokes is a consulting forester who lives in rural McDonald County. "Creating a photo album of my sales with before and after pictures has given me a whole new way to communicate harvest appearance to my clients," she says.) Let the customers do the selling A tour down Highway 5 through Lebanon, Mo. will give you a view of this most unusual combination of manufacturing plant decor and product advertising. Independent Stave Co. of Lebanon displays the super-size logos of all its customers who use oak barrels to age and store their distilled spirits and wines. Because Missouri oaks are slow growing, the flavor contributed by the oak to the spirits is more desirable than oak from other areas. Missouri forest notes New directory The 1998 directory of the Missouri Consulting Forester's Association now is available by writing to the association at: 611 East Capitol, Suite 1, Jefferson City, MO 65101 or call: 57-634-3252. It's size not age We've often heard that black walnut trees usually begin producing nuts between the ages of 12 and 15 years. That may be true, but age has little to do with it. It's size that counts. A walnut tree begins bearing when its trunk diameter reaches 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Under good growing conditions, that usually falls within the 12- to 15-year range, but not always. If you are going for nuts, the trick is to get your trees as big as possible in the shortest time. Two best methods are to plant on the best site and use herbicides. Of course, some trees never will bear nuts. Timber crop insurance IGF Insurance Company introduces TIMBERPLUS, a new insurance plan designed to protect owners of standing timber from the losses associated with wind, ice and fire. Owners of northern hardwoods, southern pine, black walnut, Christmas trees and many other species will be protected against loss due to specific natural hazards. This low-cost crop insurance product recognizes timber as an agribusiness commodity crop with the same perils and risks as traditional agricultural commodity crops. The plan has been approved for sale in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin. IGF Insurance Company is owned by the Symons International Group, Inc. and offers a wide variety of agricultural risk-management insurance products. Contact: Eric Pugh at (515) 276-2766. Who uses the wood? After the tree is cut and the log is cut into lumber, who uses the wood and for what products? The Missouri Forest Industries Directory of Secondary Wood Processors will tell you by name, address and phone number who those folks are. This directory was compiled in 1995 by the Missouri Department of Conservation and is available through that agency. From barrel staves, to pencil blanks, to hammer handles you can locate wood users in any county in Missouri. Write Missouri Department of Conservation, Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102 or call (573) 751-4115. Trees in sustainable ag grants At least two Missouri Tree Farms are involved in state sustainable ag grants for research and demonstrations. The first is on the Jim and Florence Wilson farm at Nevada, Mo. where several grasses and legumes are being tested for best pecan orchard floor cover with grazing. The second is at HarperHill Farms at Butler, Mo. where ginseng and goldenseal will be planted as companion crops in the shade of black walnut trees. Both plants require up to 80 percent shade to produce. 25 years of tree farming At the recent Tree Farm/Stewardship Days, six Missouri Tree Farms were recognized with Silver Certificate Awards for participating for 25 years. The farms included: Boy Scouts of America of Columbia, Mo. for a farm owned in Randolph County; Leland B. Womack of Rolla, Mo. for a farm owned in Phelps County; Thomas P. Vogt, Jr., Fenton, Mo. for a farm in Madison County; Edith Lyne, Bakersfield, Calif. for a farm in Crawford County; St. Louis Council of Boy Scouts of America for a farm in St. Francois County and Howard Blevins, St. Louis, Mo. for a farm in Crawford County. Black walnut Top 10 Long-time black walnut nut growers Earl Williams of Windsor, Mo. and Bill Lane of Fair Play, Mo. were asked to list their favorite varieties in rank order. There was much agreement on the varieties, but the ranking often differed. Combining the two lists with a weighted index produces what might be called Missouri's "Top 10" list of black walnuts. The first three listed varieties also are the three varieties officially recommended by the Missouri Nut Growers Assn. The Top 10 list includes: 1. Sparrow; 2. Emma-K; 3. Kwik-Krop; 4. Sparks 127; 5. Football; 6. Thomas; 7. Surprise; 8. Sauber; 9. Tom Boy; 10. Brown Nugget (Mintle). Who needs luck? In the last three years, competitive grants totaling $13,770 from the American Forest Foundation have been awarded to the Missouri State Tree Farm Committee. The grants are intended to promote statewide awareness of the Missouri Tree Farm Program. With this money the Committee has been able to: * Produce a series of 10 photo-illustrated magazine articles for the Missouri Ruralist which featured individual Missouri tree farmers and their tree farm operations. * Reprint the 10 magazine articles in a booklet format for distribution at Tree Farm functions. * Develop and print a 4-page brochure covering the Missouri Tree Farm Program. * Send camera-ready copies of the brochure to all 114 Soil and Water Conservation Districts for use in their local newsletters. * Hand-carry a copy of the new brochure, a copy of the 10- article reprint and list of tree farmers by legislative district to all 197 state legislators during the last week of the most recent legislative session. * Order seven new modular display boards for use in each of the Tree Farm regions with new photo layouts featuring the Missouri Tree Farm Program. The Missouri Tree Farm Committee hopes that with these activities and promotional items, the Tree Farm Program can reach new landowners, new supporters and help spread the word about good forest management throughout the state. With this tremendous track record, the only regret the Committee has is not buying a lottery ticket for the last $190 million Powerball jackpot. - Doug Wallace Leaving a bad taste Lots of complaints have been voiced this winter about wildlife damage to tree plantations. One particular problem most often heard is rodent damage to newly planted trees. One western Missouri Tree Farmer reports losing 50 of the 60 nursery-grown seedlings he planted last fall. He asks if there is any remedy. Excellent reports have come in on a new repellent that protects trees from deer damage. The product is Nortech Tree Guard and has virtually eliminated deer browsing, but not buck rubbing. The compound contains Bitrex which is reputed to be the most bitter substance in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Will it work on rodents and other animals? We have no reports, but the product is being tested by the University of Missouri Agroforestry Center in its walnut grazing trials this summer. It may allow agroforesters to plant trees and graze the plantations immediately. The product is available from Nortech Forest Technologies, Inc., 7600 West 27th St., St. Louis Park, MN 55426. Phone: (612) 922-2520 or FAX (612) 922-3865. Pulse of the public The Conservation Monitor was a telephone survey of 855 Missouri adults first conducted in 1994 by the Gallup Organization for the Missouri Department of Conservation and repeated in 1995 and 1996. Results from the three surveys revealed high satisfaction among Missourians with the care given their fish, forests, wildlife and natural environment. In 1994, 78 percent agreed with the statement: "Missouri is making good progress in protecting its wild animal and plant species." Nearly all approved of hunting for food (88 percent). Over two-thirds (69 percent) agreed with the statement: "Trapping is okay as long as it is regulated." A bare majority (53 percent), however, approved of "cutting trees in Missouri to make lumber, furniture and other wood products," with 78 percent agreeing that: "The amount of forested land in Missouri is shrinking." In fact, it is expanding! Beyond the Horizons Joe Vale and Lisa Tilly are key players in getting each Green Horizons newsletter out to the public in both printed and electronic format. Joe, a publications editor and extension instructor at the University of Missouri, has been involved in Green Horizons since it first began. Joe's role in the publication of these materials begins when he receives written copy for the publication. He then designs and lays out the issue, editing it and sending the copy to the printer. Lisa Tilly, who has been involved for about a year, is a University of Missouri extension research specialist and is responsible for posting information to the Agriculture Electronic Bulletin Board (AgEBB). The Agriculture Electronic Bulletin Board (AgEBB) was created in 1986 as a standard bulletin board on a dial-up system designed to provide farmers with current, relevant information on agriculture-related topics. Today, it also has an internet site and the Green Horizons newsletter can be accessed at the following World Wide Web address: http://etcs.ext.missouri.eduhttp://agebb.missouri.edu/agforest/ Newsletter deadlines Because your newsletter must be in the mail at least 30 days before the next organization meeting and another three weeks is needed to get it ready and through the printing process, the deadline for the Fall 1998 issue is: September 1, 1998 Send your newsletter material to: Sandy Hodge, 203 Anheuser- Busch Natural Resources Bldg., Forestry Program, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211. Phone (573) 884-6729. Your management tips, ideas and experiences are most welcome! A timber sale saga Let The Buyer Beware doesn't apply to timber sales, it's the seller who should watch out. As a conservation department forester, I hear many sad stories of timber sales gone bad. The following is a good/bad example that happened last fall. A timber buyer approached an elderly widow about buying the logs on her 140 acres. He would cut all of her trees that had a 14-inch stump diameter (12 inches diameter at breast height) and larger and would pay her $15,000. This sounded very attractive to her as she was in need of some money to pay bills. She told her son about the offer and he said to wait until he could talk to me. I advised them against it. When some (not all) loggers have the opportunity to pick which trees to cut, all of the good trees will be gone and the bad ones will be left to spread their genetically inferior seed and to shade out the potentially good sprouts. For example, I asked them if they were trying to improve their cattle herd and make some money at the same time, would they let the buyer come and pick which cows he wants. The results would be the same, poor genetics and poor growing stock. The landowners decided to reject the offer and allow me to come up with a management plan which would include my work team marking the trees that NEEDED to come out due to maturity, overcrowding or defect. The objective was to put money in their pocket and leave the timber growing more vigorously. Of the 140 acres of timber, we found that only 84 acres had trees that needed to have some removed. It took us one day to designate which trees to harvest and estimate their volume. The trees were marked at breast height and at ground level with blue tree marking ink so that after the tree was cut, we still had record on the stump that it was a marked tree. We marked 759 trees with an estimated total of 153,437 board feet. Tree species marked included (in order of greatest volume) black oak, white oak, shortleaf pine, post oak, hickory, black cherry and black gum. Diameters at breast height ranged from 12 inches to 30 inches with 64 percent of the volume falling in the 16- to 20-inch diameter classes. The 12- and 14-inch diameter trees were marked only when they were overcrowded or deformed yet still had some commercial value. The best were left to grow. Timber sale bids were sent out to 21 buyers instructing them to submit a sealed, lump sum bid based on not only our volume estimation but also on their inspection and value estimation. The accepted bidder would have to pay 100 percent of the bid prior to cutting a tree as well as a 10 percent damage deposit that would be returned if all of the contract provisions were met. This is the safest way for the landowner to reduce many of the negatives involved with timber sales. On the designated day, six bids were received for the landowner to consider. (On a side note, a bid solicitation was sent to the buyer who made the original $15,000 offer but he declined to return it.) The top bid was for $32,226 followed by $26,392, $25,196, $21,610, $18,412 and $8,850 (what was that guy thinking?!). The top bid was accepted and contracts were signed following the bid opening. To compare, if she would have accepted the first offer, she would have received $107 per acre ($15,000 for 140 acres) for her timber and had all of the good trees cut and no possibility of another timber sale in the foreseeable future. Instead, she received $384 per acre ($32,226 for 84 acres). Now she has a good stand of timber that is better spaced and has the prospect of another timber sale in about 15 years. - Tim Stanton, MDC resource forester, Ava, Mo. The bid sheet (The following is the results of an actual timber sale bidding process on a Missouri forest property during the last two years. What would the result have been if the timber had been sold without a bid?) Situation: A landowner had 11 black walnut and 1 oak tree blown down during a severe storm. He wanted to find a way to salvage them, so he called a consulting forester for help. The bids are proof that there is a silver lining in every cloud. Bid opening: A. $1,750; B. $2,150; C. $2,500; D. $3,151.91 Helping mother nature As you read this, Christmas tree growers will be seriously involved in the annual tree-shearing phase of Christmas tree farming. This is undoubtedly the most important operation in producing quality trees because here is the part that makes or breaks the successful Christmas tree farm. I've seen more plantations turned into junk from poor shearing practices than from any other cause. Scotch, eastern white, red and Austrian pines are the leading species in Missouri and the lower Midwest, with Scotch and white pines making up by far the majority of trees grown. Both of these are determinate growth species, which means they put out their entire annual height growth in a relatively short period, from early April until early June. Buds are then formed at the terminal tips of the new growth, which will initiate the new growth in the following year. Since there are no buds along the stem below the terminal bud clusters, there will never be any side branches formed here, only at the very tips of the branches. It is not uncommon for new growth to approach two feet or more in length, thus if not treated in some way, a very open tree would result, not very pleasing to the average Christmas tree consumer. How long should the terminal be left? A good average is 12 inches, although this can and should vary. Trees with horizontal branches should be cut shorter - 10 inches, or even eight inches in extreme cases. On the other hand, trees with an upswept branching habit can be left longer - 15 inches or even more. Side branches are then trimmed in a straight line from the top of the terminal shoot to the tips of the bottom branches. The terminal shoot is cut on a 45- degree angle, which encourages a bud to form in a higher position on the branch, thus will have a better chance of being a dominant bud the following spring. I've seen all kinds of tools used for shearing trees, all the way from sewing scissors (yep, that's what I said!), double handled hedge shears, knives, and in the last few years, mechanical trimmers have come into wide use. There are many different styles on the market ranging from gasoline engine or battery powered back-pack models with either a rotary blade or a reciprocating hedge shearing style blade, a walk-behind self propelled unit with several rotary blades. Mechanical trimmers have a tendency to produce straighter sides on trees (many of them cut away anything that is not straight). They are much faster than hand methods, but they do have some disadvantages. It is almost impossible to do some of the correctional work on tops with mechanical trimmers, thus it is advantageous to do tops by hand, or at least go through in a separate operation and do correctional work (straighten crooked leaders, trim out competing terminals, etc.). Another disadvantage is that with a gasoline engine running it is hard to hear the first buzz of a wasp or bald faced hornet and it is difficult to run at top speed with a trimmer when you are being chased. Hand methods are still used quite extensively by smaller growers and on small trees. I have seen all shapes of trees turned out by shearing crews using knives or other hand tools. Some trees are trimmed to nearly round balls with a spike sticking out the top like an apple, others have vertical sides with round shoulders, some have an exaggerated triangular shape and some approach a teardrop shape. The point being that trees should look as natural as possible if we are to give customers what they demand. The method I use involves shearing trees with a knife the first three times starting in the second or third year depending on the growth rate. Then switch to a mechanical trimmer until the year they will be harvested when a knife can be used for a light touch up. This gives trees a more natural look, makes them easier to decorate and customers are really pleased with their appearance. New growers can learn shearing methods from printed material, demonstrations at meetings and by trial and error. The best way is to offer to help an established grower with a good reputation for a few days in order to learn first hand. There are so many small details in the way trees respond to treatment. It is almost impossible to glean it all except by experience. - Clell Solomon Calendar of upcoming events August 2-5 Walnut Council International annual meeting and summer tour at Danville, Ill. Contact: Ken Konsis, (212) 442-1619 or Nancy Gunning, (317) 873-8780. August 12 All Missouri State Fair nut show entries must be delivered to the fairgrounds to be eligible for show. August 13 Missouri State Fair nut show judging, 10 a.m. at fairgrounds. All volunteers appreciated. September 17 Tree Farm Committee meeting at MU Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center (HARC) at New Franklin, Mo., 10 a.m. Contact: Doug Wallace, (573) 876-0908. September 18-19 Missouri Forest Products Assn. fall meeting, Holiday Inn Select, St. Charles, Mo. Contact: Cory Ridenhour, (573) 634-3252. October 17 Missouri Chapter of Walnut Council meet at HARC at New Franklin, Mo., 9 a.m. and tour Scott Brundage's walnut farm west of Fayette. Emphasis on how to make money on natural walnut stands with a little help from the owners. Contact: Roland Cartwright, (417) 962-3411 or Scott Brundage, (573) 443-3977. October 31 Hammons Products Co. annual black walnut production field day at Sho-Neff Plantation north of Stockton, Mo. Emphasis on nut production, agroforestry and tree culture. Contact: Jim Jones, (417) 276-5181. November 14 Missouri Nut Harvest Festival and fall meeting of Missouri Nut Growers Assn. at the Osage Valley Pecan Farms owned by Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie Marquardt at Papinsville, Mo. east of Rich Hill in Bates County. Contact: Mary Ann Byrd, (660) 925-3253 or Ronnie Marquardt, (417) 395-4222. November 21 Central Region Woodland Stewardship Conference, Lied Conference Center, Arbor Day Farm, Nebraska City, Nebraska. Contact: Wayne Wittmeyer at (573) 751-4115, ext. 627. (Send your forestry related event dates to: Sandy Hodge, 203 Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Bldg., Forestry Program, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211. =========================================================== Green Horizons is published quarterly by the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. All submitted material is subject to editing for style and length. Editorial board: Scott Brundage, Missouri Consulting Foresters Association (573) 443-3977 Roland Cartwright, president, Missouri Chapter of the Walnut Council, (417) 962-3411 Gene Garrett, director, MU Agroforestry Center, (573) 882-3647 Sandy Hodge, editor, Green Horizons (573) 884-6729 Wayne Adams, president, Missouri Nut Growers Association, (417) 625-9731 Eric Peters, Missouri Forest Products Association (573) 634- 3253 John Shopland, superintendent, MU Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center, (660) 848-2268 Clell Solomon, Missouri Christmas Tree Producers Association (660) 273-2368 Doug Wallace, president, Missouri Tree Farm Committee (573) 876-0900 Wayne Wittmeyer, Forest Stewardship Program (573) 751-4115 Mailing address: Green Horizons, c/o Sandy Hodge, MU Agroforestry Center, 203 Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Bldg., Forestry Program, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211.