==============================================================================
TOPIC: Ryerson Station State Park
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/13de8a6fedd544a5?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Tues, Jan 15 2008 6:58 pm
From: "Dale Luthringer"


ENTS,

On 6/13/07 I had the opportunity following a training session to measure
a few trees at Ryerson Station State Park. The park is located in the
extreme southwestern corner of Pennsylvania almost adjacent to the West
Virginia border. Its main feature is the 52acre Ronald J. Duke Lake,
named after one of its former park managers.

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/ryersonstation.aspx 

The park is largely 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. growth forest, but has a few
scattered old trees. I measured only three trees. The largest was an
old "wolf" white oak now growing in the woods which came in at 16.5ft
CBH x 81.1+ft high. Ancient tree, easily in the 200+ year class, could
very well be over 300 with the bark character, but with its being an old
field tree, I wasn't willing to give it any more than a definite 200
years.

It was also a pleasure to measure my first osage orange. There was
actually a row of them in the woods to measure. the remnant of an old
pasture fence. One of the fattest ones in the woods went to 5ft CBH x
63.1+ft high. The largest was located on the edge of a field (not part
of a fence row) which went to 10.4ft CBH x 72.6ft avg spread x 65.7ft
high for 208.7AF Points. Eventhough it was only the second one I've
measured, I've never observed a larger one. I was hoping it might be a
contender for the state big tree list, but alas, Scott found a couple of
monsters from Mars approaching 18ft CBH and must have inadvertently
added them to his PA Big Tree List.

http://www.pabigtrees.com/trees/species/maclura_osage_orange.htm 

What a neat tree. Too bad there weren't any "monkey balls" to take home
with me.

Dale

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Tues, Jan 15 2008 8:58 pm
From: James Parton


Dale,

Down in my dad's home area in Abbeville County SC Osage Orange are
common. Some have a very " lumpy " fruit, however some are very smooth
and orange-like. Dad calls those " wild citrus ". Are there more than
one variety of Osage Orange or another kind of Wild Citrus? I
understand that the Osage Orange is not a citrus at all but is in the
mulberry family. Are there a true wild citrus in the US?

James Parton.