| Mill
River and tuliptrees |
dbhg-@comcast.net |
| Jan
02, 2005 06:43 PST |
ENTS:
Yesterday, I cruised around by myself and
eventually wound up on the edge of the floodplain of the Mill
River in Northampton. It is a place I have spent a lot of time.
It has a Rucker index of around 111, perhaps lower with the loss
of limbsd off a black locust, but it has gained in depth. Three
tuliptrees now exceed 130 feet. That makes 4 for Massachusetts.
The tuliptrees are as follows:
133.1 x 13.4
131.6 x 11.9
130.3 x 9.1
The only other tulip over 130 is a tree on
Route U.S. 20 west of the center of Westfield an its height
hovers around 130. It's being given it the benefit of the doubt.
The bigger story is the dearth of tulips
in the 130 class. Decreasing the latitude about 1 degree changes
the tuliptrees stature dramatically. We have a few spots left to
investigate. For instance, Robinson State Park in Agawam and
Westfield have possibilities. But even if a small population is
discovered with 130s, something seems to be missing. The
potential should be reflected in at least an occasional tree.
However, that hasn't happened, or at least if it has, we haven't
discovered it.
The behavior of the tuliptree to reach heights
more commonly associated with the species is realized along the
lower Hudson River. I believe the same may be true in southern
Connecticut. I just have to work up the nerve to deal with the
extra traffic. I do better on the score with companions. Group
trips work better for me when it comes to dealing with traffic.
I guess it is a case of misery loving company.
Bob
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