Thanks for the history lesson! Michele
> Dale: > > A number of years ago--at least 20 or so, I talked to an individual > who had some good information, I think, about the history of the > planting of NS in America. I lost my notes, and doubt I could find > the person again. Anyway, here is a summary of what I know. > > First, many Norway spruce are older than they might seem on first > glance. There is fairly good indications of surviving NS planted at > about 1835 or so. I know of several such trees. There is one I saw in > Brooklyn Township in PA--a former AFA national champ--that looked to > me to be about that old. What may be the oldest NS based on its > appearance and maybe a guess about the history of the house, is in > Leesburg, VA at the mansion at Morvin Park (open to the public). It > is the very old one growing right next to the house. I would love to > know its age, but I would not be surprized if it was planted at about > 1800, possibly before. Yes, I know appearances can be deceiving, but I > am making an educated guess, having seen a number from the period > around 1835. > > The first time NS was planted in any numbers--according to a story > I was told--was at the time of the Columbian Exposition in Chicagi in > 1893. NS seedlings were distributed to people who visited the German > pavilion. There is an old German tradition of planting "bride and > groom" trees in the front yard of houses, one on each side of a front > walk. You see many, many of these pairs of trees all across the > larger northeastern US. Often one is gone, but the other survives. > Many of these may date from 1893. There are a several such pairs > surviving here in Winchester, VA > > The first real "mass" planting was done by the CCC in the 1930's. > There are hundreds and hundreds of such plantations. A lot of them > have been cut, unfortunately, but a lot survive. There have been a > fair number planted since, many as Christmas tree plantations that > were not harvested and have grown up. My stands have this origin, and > were planted in 1966. > > --Gaines > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > On Jan 4, 11:45 am, Dale Luthringer <[email protected]> > wrote: >> James, >> >> I'm reluctant to core the tree. It's the only one on site of its >> stature, >> and in a state natural area. It's part of an old family plantation, the >> General Irvine estate. He was a Rev War era general who after the war >> received partial pay in a large land grant. I'd defer to Scott or Will >> who >> would know more about when the first Norway's were introduced into >> Pennsylvania. It certainly wouldn't go any older than that, but I >> wouldn't >> be surprised that it'd make it to over 100 years old. >> >> Dale >> >> On Mon, Jan 4, 2010 at 11:12 AM, James Parton >> <[email protected]>wrote: >> >> >> >> > Dale, ENTS >> >> > Does anyone have an estimate on the age of the Anders Run spruce? >> >> > JP >> >> > On Jan 4, 9:43 am, Dale Luthringer <[email protected]> >> > wrote: >> > > Gaines, Will, >> >> > > The last time I measured the Anders Run Norway spruce it was at >> 10.5ft >> > CBH x >> > > 135.2ft high on 10/18/06. A Norway in the 140ft class would be an >> > > incredible find for the Eastern U.S. >> >> > > Dale >>- > > -- > Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org > Send email to [email protected] > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en > To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] >
