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October 19, 2006 - He's nuts about our treesI OA • The Suffolk Times • October 19, 2006 He's nuts about our trees HAVE You t VER wondered who planted the trees that grow by the side of the road or that stately tree in someone's back vard? Who was it and what was the reason behind their planting it? We see these trees that stand like monuments to another time. And why did our unknown "Johnny Appleseed" choose that particular kind of tree and that particular spot for his tree? I have great affection for those unknown plant - FOC U S ers of trees. He or she has probably O N long since gone, NATURE but the trees live on in all their by Paul splendor. Yet I see indif- Stoutenburgh t'erence from some with refer- ence to trees. Some buy a beautiful wooded lot to build a house, and they cut down all the trees.Then there's the opposite situation, where someone purchases a bare lot and can't wait to plant their own trees. Trees add character to the land; they provide shade, act as windbreaks if properly placed, and provide homes for a variety of wildlife. Oh, yes, with some of the trees we do have the prob- lem of leaves in the fall, but that's a small price to pay for all the benefits trees bring to us. How I cringe when I see how man has bastardized the trees along our highways. They not only cut the heart out of the trees to make way for elec- tricity, telephone and cable wires, they then dig up the roots with heavy equip- ment for water mains. It's a wonder there's any greenery left. 1 agree these things are necessary if we want to keep up our standard of living, but shouldn't there be a re- quirement that a new and healthy tree be planted to take place of the one destroyed, and perhaps put in a better place? Credit should be given to the com- munities that have a program of tree planting, such as the one in Southold. Granted, the trees that are planted today are small in comparison to those old- timers, but they will grow, and our children and grandchildren will reap the pleasure of their stately appear- Suffolk Mmes photos by Paul and Barbara Stoulenbwyn It's easy to recognize a black walnut tree In the fall. Look for a tree that has lost most of Its leaves and is loaded with large green nuts. These nuts are relatively easy to get Into once the outer husk is removed. ante along our roadsides. Not all losses of trees can be attrib- uted to man. Nature, with its cunning bag of tricks like lightning, disease and old age, also factors in the loss of many of our trees. No matter how a tree dies, whether it is by lightning, being hit by a car, or whatever, a new one should be planted in its place. Remember that trees make a visible statement about a town's character. Think about it the next time you drive through a town. Fall is harvest time and we all look to pumpkins, cornstalks and a host of other reminders that our growing season has ended and the fruits of the day should be picked. Back in the time when things were on a smaller scale and the pace was slower, many of our trees played an important part in the fall harvest. There were special days set aside for gathering nuts of all sorts that our native trees provided. Probably the one that ranked the highest in value here on Long Island was the black walnut.This tree, which has become rare in many parts of our island, was at one time a common tree in our local woods. So abundant was the black walnut that it was used for such common things as railroad ties, fencing and crude furniture, which was often painted over. Only when the black walnut trees became scarce was their value under- stood. I can remember once when I watched as a huge old black walnut tree was cut down, its limbs tossed aside and only the straight bolt of this three -foot- diameter tree taken away. This tree was sold for a fraction of its eventual value. It would be shipped overseas and there thinly sliced into veneer. A few hundred dollars were paid for the tree; the profit from the veneer was $20,000. Back to gathering nuts from the black walnut tree.The whole family got involved in this special event, which took on a party atmosphere. Nuts were used in many ways in cooking. The meat of the black walnut is so cher- ished for its excellent flavor that only a small amount of the nut is needed when making cakes, cookies and ice cream. In our family, Russian teacakes made at holiday time always had to be made with black walnuts. Mmm... The hickory is another common nut that was gathered during the fall. But the hickory nuts I've worked with give the collector a real challenge to get the meat out of the hard shell without some particles of the shell mixed in.The prob- lem is that you have to hit the nut pretty hard to crack it open, and in doing so, you smash the shell and the meat to- gether. Nevertheless, some people have the knack, and they look forward to hopefully gathering the nuts before the squirrels do. I'm sure with practice one could conquer the hickory nut. Another tree that gives forth quanti- ties of fruit is the oak, with its cupped acorn.These are usually too bitter for most. But there are a few who will eat the acorns of the white oak, which has the most palatable of all acorns, but they must be boiled first.They were one of the staples of the Indians.Thc acorn of the white oak is quite hand- some, reaching an inch to an inch -and- a -half in height in its cup. The American chestnut was once one of the great trees of our wood- lands; today, because of the chestnut blight brought from Europe, there are none of any consequence left. It was the nut that was roasted at the fireside during Christmastime. We still roast chestnuts by the open fire, but I'm afraid those chestnuts are mostly from Italy. Nevertheless, I still enjoy roasting them when we have a fire. On the way to my doctor's office for a visit I couldn't help noticing the beechnut that had fallen from an old, gnarled beech tree that was slowly lifting the sidewalk up with its roots. There were many dried, prickly husks all about, but I had to do a bit of searching before I found some of the small, triangular brown nuts that the squirrels missed. Most of us have heard about the passing of the passenger pigeon, but few of us knew that one of their staple foods was the beechnut. It was in the fall that the pigeons would come by the thousands to feast on beechnuts. Other animals and birds eat them also. Seeing as this is the fall season, be a little "nutty" and see if you can find any of the nuts we've spoken of here. The little energy capsules that Mother Nature so cleverly designed don't re- quire any refrigeration, just patience in getting into them. Left: The small, triangular brown nut of the beech tree provides a variety of birds and animals with a welcome addition to their fall diet. Right: The black walnut ranks No. 1 as an edible wild nut. Properly cured (dried), the meat Is relatively easy to extract. It's prized for Its wonderful taste and ability to flavor without having to use a lot. 10A • The Suffolk Times • October 19, 2006 He's nuts about our trees HAVE You r:vb:k wondered who planted the trees that grow by the side of the road or that stalely tree in someone's back yard? Who was it and what was the reason behind their planting it? We see these trees that stand like monuments to another time. And why did our unknown "Johnny Appleseed" choose that particular kind of tree and that particular spot for his tree? I have great affection for those unknown plant - FOC U S ers of trees. He or she has probably O N long since gone, NATURE but the trees live on in all their by Paul splendor. Stoutenbur h Yet I see indif- g fcrence from some with refer- ence to trees. Some buy a beautiful wooded lot to build a house, and they cut down all the trees. Then there's the opposite situation, where someone purchases a hare lot and can't wait to plant their own trees. Trees add character to the land; they provide shade, act as windbreaks if properly placed, and provide homes for a variety of wildlife. Oh, yes, with some of the trees we do have the prob- lem of leaves in the fall, but that's a small price to pay for all the benefits trees bring to us. How I cringe when I see how man has bastardized the trees along our highways. They not only cut the heart out of the trees to make way for elec- tricity, telephone and cable wires, they then dig up the roots with heavy equip- ment for water mains. It's a wonder there's any greenery left. i agree these things are necessary if we want to keep up our standard of living, but shouldn't there be a re- quirement that a new and healthy tree be planted to take place of the one destroyed, and perhaps put in a better place? Credit should be given to the com- munities that have a program of tree planting, such as the one in Southold. Granted, the trees that are planted today are small in comparison to those old- timers, but they will grow, and our children and grandchildren will reap the pleasure of their stately appear- Suffolk Times pnotos by Paul and Barbara Stoulenburyn It's easy to recognize a black walnut tree In the fall. Look for a tree that has lost most of its leaves and is loaded with large green nuts. These nuts are relatively easy to get into once the outer husk is removed. ante along our roadsides. Not all losses of trees can be attrib- uted to man. Nature, with its cunning bag of tricks like lightning, disease and old age, also factors in the loss of many of our trees. No matter how a tree dies, whether it is by lightning, being hit by a car, or whatever, a new one should be planted in its place. Remember that trees make a visible statement about a town's character. Think about it the next time you drive through a town. Fall is harvest time and we all look to pumpkins,comstalks and a host of other reminders that our growing season has ended and the fruits of the day should be picked. Back in the time when things were on a smaller scale and the pace was slower, many of our trees played an important part in the fall harvest. There were special days set aside for gathering nuts of all sorts that our native trees provided. Probably the one that ranked the highest in value here on Long Island was the black walnut.This tree, which has become rare in many parts of our island, was at one time a common tree in our local woods. So abundant was the black walnut that it was used for such common things as railroad ties, fencing and crude furniture, which was often painted over. Only when the black walnut trees became scarce was their value under- stood. I can remember once when I watched as a huge old black walnut tree was cut down, its limbs tossed aside and only the straight bolt of this three - toot- diameter tree taken away. This tree was sold for a fraction of its eventual value. it would be shipped overseas and there thinly sliced into veneer. A few hundred dollars were paid for the tree; the profit from the veneer was $20,M0. Back to gathering nuts from the black walnut tree.The whole family got involved in this special event, which took on a party atmosphere. Nuts were used in many ways in cooking.The meat of the black walnut is so cher- ished for its excellent Flavor that only a small amount of the nut is needed when making cakes, cookies and ice cream. in our family, Russian teacakes made at holiday time always had to be made with black walnuts. Mmm... The hickory is another common nut that was gathered during the fall. But the hickory nuts I've worked with give the collector a real challenge to get the meat out of the hard shell without some particles of the shell mixed in.The prob- lem is that you have to hit the nut pretty hard to crack it open, and in doing so, you smash the shell and the meal to- gether. Nevertheless, some people have the knack, and they look forward to hopefully gathering the nuts before the squirrels do. I'm sure with practice one could conquer the hickory nut. Another tree that gives forth quanti- ties of fruit is the oak, with its cupped acorn.These are usually too hitter for most. But there are a few who will cat the atoms of the white oak, which has the most palatable of all acorns, but they must he boiled first.They were one of the staples of the Indians. The acorn of the white oak is quite hand- some, reaching an inch to an inch -and- a -hall in height in its cup. The American chestnut was once one of the great trees of our wood- lands; today, because of the chestnut blight brought from Europe, there are none of any consequence left. It was the nut that was roasted at the fireside during Christmastime. We still roast chestnuts by the open fire, but I'm afraid those chestnuts are mostly from Italy. Nevertheless, i still enjoy roasting them when we have a fire. On the way to my doctor's office for a visit I couldn't help noticing the beechnut that had fallen from an old, gnarled beech tree that was slowly lifting the sidewalk up with its roots. There were many dried, prickly husks all about, but i had to do a bit of searching before I found some of the small, triangular brown nuts that the squirrels missed. Most of its have heard about the passing of the passenger pigeon, but few of us knew that one of their staple foods was the beechnut. It was in the fall that the pigeons would come by the thousands to feast on beechnuts. Other animals and birds eat them also. Seeing as this is the fall season, he a little "nutty" and see if you can find any of the nuts we've spoken of here. The little energy capsules that Mother Nature so cleverly designed don't re- quire any refrigeration, just patience in getting into them. Left: The small, triangular brown nut of the beech tree provides a variety of birds and animals with a welcome addition to their fall diet. Right: The black walnut ranks No. 1 as an edible wild nut. Properly cured (dried), the meat is relatively easy to extract. It's prized for its wonderful taste and ability to flavor without having to use a lot. e Suffolk Times • October 19, 20jWle's nuts r1AVE You EVER wondered who ' planted the trees that grow by the side of the road or that stately tree in someone's back yard? Who was it and what was the reason behind their lanting it? We see these trees that tand like monuments to another time. And why did our unknown "Johnny Appleseed" choose that particular kin( of tree and that particular spot for his ree? I have great affection for those unknown plant - Focus ers of trees. He of she has probably ON long since gone, NATURE but the trees live on in all their by Pau, splendor. Yet I see indif- Stoutenburgh ference from some with refer- ence to trees. Some buy a beautiful wooded lot to build a house, and they cut down all the trees. Then there's the opposite situation, where someone purchases a bare lot and can't wait to plant their own trees. Trees add character to the land; they rovide shade, act as windbreaks if properly placed, and provide homes or a variety of wildlife. Oh, yes, with some of the trees we do have the prob lem of leaves in the fall, but that's a small price to pay for all the benefits trees bring to us. How I cringe when I see how man has bastardized the trees along our highways. They not only cut the heart out of the trees to make way for elec- tricity, telephone and cable wires, they then dig up the roots with heavy equi ment for water mains. It's a wonder there's any greenery left. I agree these things are necessary if we want to keep up our standard of living, but shouldn't there be a re- quirement that a new and healthy tree be planted to take place of the one destroyed, and perhaps put in a better Credit should be given to the com- munities that have a program of tree planting, such as the one in Southold. Granted, the trees that are planted today are small in comparison to those old- timers, but they will grow, and our children and grandchildren will reap the pleasure of their stately appear- out our �m Suffolk Times photos by Paul and Barbara SIoutenbui It's easy to recognize a black walnut tree in the fall. Look for a tree that h lost most of its leaves and is loaded with large green nuts. These nuts a relatively easy to get into once the outer husk is removed. ante along our roadsides. Not all losses of trees can be attrib- uted to man. Nature, with its cunning bag of tricks like lightning, disease and old age, also factors in the loss of many of our trees. No matter how a tree dies whether it is by lightning, being hit by a car, or whatever, a new one should be planted in its place. Remember that trees make a visible statement about a town's character. Think about it the next time you drive through a town. Fall is harvest time and we all look to pumpkins, cornstalks and a host of other reminders that our growing season has ended and the fruits of the day should be picked. Back in the time when things were on a smaller scale and the pace was slower, many of our trees played an important part in the fall harvest. There were special days set aside for gathering nuts of all sorts that our native trees provided. Probably the one that ranked the highest in value here on Long Island was the black walnut. This tree, which has become rare in many parts of our island, was at one time a common tree in our local woods. So abundant was the black walnut that it was used for suc common things as railroad ties, fencing and crude furniture, which was often painted over. Only when the black walnut trees became scarce was their value under- stood. I can remember once when I watched as a huge old black walnut tree was cut down, its limbs tossed aside and only the straight bolt of this three- foot - diameter tree taken away. This tree was sold for a fraction of its eventual value. It would be shipped overseas and there thinly sliced into veneer. A few hundred dollars were paid for the tree; the profit from the veneer was $20.000_ _ <: W Z o O m N U) 3 0 v v 2) rt rt 7 �D fl1 C 3 ac m � Cr 11 c � .00 °. cD n C c m m CD a� aCD fD rL a ,+ o �Q M 0 3 y CD m 0) < r+ 0) N 0. 0 = -h <• E CD a N CD 00 0 7 O cD 3 X n � rt N a m m o a3 0 0 o W _ N a 0 0 0 r CD 0 C CD m a C rr Q. . a� =a rt o = cD < a O �o ri rsacx to gathering nuts from the black walnut tree. The whole family go involved in this special event, which took on a party atmosphere. Nuts were used in many ways in cooking. The meat of the black walnut is so cher- ished for its excellent flavor that only a small amount of the nut is needed when making cakes, cookies and ice cream. In our family, Russian teacakes made at holiday time always had to be made with black walnuts. Mmm. _ The hickory is another common nut that was athered during the fall. But the hickory nuts I've worked with give the collector a real challenge to get the meat out of the hard shell without some particles of the shell mixed in. The prob lem is that you have to hit the nut pretti hard to crack it open, and in doing so, you smash the shell and the meat to- gether. Nevertheless, some people have the knack, and they look forward to hopefully gathering the nuts before the squirrels do. I'm sure with practice one could conquer the hickory nut. Another tree that gives forth quanti- ties of fruit is the oak, with its cupped acorn. These are usually too bitter for most. But there are a few who will eat the acorns of the white oak, which has the most palatable of all acbrns, but they must be boiled first. They were one of the staples of the Indians. The acorn of the white oak is quite hand- some, reaching an inch to an inch -and- a -half in height in its cup. The American chestnut was once one of the great trees of our wood- lands; today, because of the chestnut blight brought from Europe, there are none of any consequence left. It was the nut that was roasted at the fireside during Christmastime. We still roast chestnuts by the open fire, but I'm afraid those chestnuts are mostly from Italy. Nevertheless, I still enjoy roasting them when we have a fire. On the way to my doctor's office N! for a visit I couldn't help noticing the beechnut that had fallen from an old, gnarled beech tree that was slowly lifting the sidewalk up with its roots. were many dried, prickly husks a I l about, but I had to do a bit of searching before I found some of the small, triangular brown nuts that the squirrels missed. Most of us have heard about the passing of the passenger pigeon, but few of us knew that one of their staple foods was the beechnut. It was in the fall that the pigeons would come by the thousands to feast on beechnuts. Other animals and birds eat them also. Seeing as this is the fall season, be a little "nutty" and see if you can find any of the nuts we've spoken of here. The little energy capsules that Mother Nature so cleverly designed don't re- quire any refrigeration, just patience in getting into them.