OFH

       Odie and I motored to the OFH this afternoon. This morning Tom helped me cut Russian Olives that are invading the grass. Being deciduous it's necessary to treat the stumps to prevent their growing back. Back in the early forties when there was a massive tree planting effort to restore the land after the dust bowl Russian Olives were one variety planted.

    The decision to plant them was made a by a person who knew neither cattle nor trees. Planted on the edge of a multi-row of trees they were intended to fence cattle out of the planting. It takes much more than a row of trees to deter cattle. Planting them also assume that none would die thus making an uninterrupted barrier. There always some die off and even if there wasn't they wouldn't repel a determined cow. 

   Like Cedars they have berries eaten by birds. Again, like cedars, birds defecate the seeds far and wide, so the trees invade grasslands. 

Takk for alt,

Al

The Russian olive tree is a fast-growing, thorny, and silvery-leaved tree native to Asia and Eastern Europe, valued for its ornamental flowers and fruit but considered invasive in many regions.