| Re:
Black ash, sassafras, and beyond |
Fores-@aol.com |
| Sep
13, 2003 04:28 PDT |
Bob:
In many areas of WV, especially areas where there was past
farming activity,
sassafras can be a very common pioneer species. It really isn't
favored for
timber...although its lumber has a grain that makes it an
excellent replacement
for American chestnut in old furniture or antique restoration
projects.
Although I never encountered sassafras in MA larger than small
crooked poles,
I have encountered it in the woods of WV up to 30" DBH and
100+ feet
tall....28" DBH is the biggest one at Crummies Creek.
Anyway, it seems like roads and skid trails are always being
built through
patches of sassafras and the smell that exudes from the ground
when a bulldozer
passes through a patch of sassafras is one of the few truly
delicious smells
you are ever likely to encounter on a logging job....I would
rate it along with
the farming equivalent of fresh mowed hay...the only difference
is that the
sassafras smell dissipates in a few minutes while the fresh hay
smell can
linger for a couple hours.
Russ |
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