When I purchase some land in the early 90s there was a fenced cattle lane from the barnyard to a pasture, about a quarter of a mile long. It allowed the cattle to reach the pasture from the barn without invading the crop land on either side of the lane. Livestock were not in my plans so there was no need for the lane. Not needing the lane for livestock I planted two rows of cedars the entire length of it. These cedars are now 20' to 30' tall. They provide a secure runway for wildlife and a snow barrier for adjoining grassland.
One of the consequences of planting these trees is that they foster seedling cedars in the grass. What is a weed? A weed is a plant growing where it is not wanted. These young cedars are weeds in the grass. Left unchecked they destroy the usefulness of the grass for birds that nest there. They provide perches for hawks who then prey on the nesting birds.
This is all a long introduction to telling of how I spent the morning, i.e., cutting cedars. Coniferous trees, unlike deciduous, will not regrow from the roots when they are cut below their lowest branch. Therefore, to ensure eliminating the cedar it is necessary to cut it off at ground level. A morning of such stoop labor was quite enough. The large unanswered question is if I will be able to arise tomorrow. Mark, who raised bison for a number years, told me that bison will not tolerate cedars, they butt them out. Where were the bison when I needed them? Kaia thought the morning running in the field was great fun.
Takk for alt,
Al
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