> I've just been reading through oldish posts about trees in pasture.
> Interesting.
>
> I've been wondering about trying to plant trees around the edges of swampy
> areas in an attempt to dry those areas a little, and am wondering what
> people's experience is.
>
> Have you succeeded in drying, somewhat, a wet area by using trees?
Ages ago, at Malabar, Louie faced a similiar situation. He had several acres
in the middle of a big field that were often too wet to farm.
He happened to catch a time in midsummer when that wet area was dry enough for
tractor work. They went down there with every tractor on the farm, each with
a rear mounted scoop, and in a few hours dug a nice big pond in the middle of
the big wet spot.
They then planted weeping willow trees all around the pond.
That took care of the problem. Eventually they tiled the surrounding fields
and dumped that water into the pond also.
That pond is still there.
That field at Malabar was surrounded with Wooster Silt Loam (a soil type)
which is, by definition, underlain with gravel. I suspect that is where the
water went but the pond did always stay at least half full and is still that
way today. Louie, himself, always thought that the willow trees drew off
most of the extra water.
He also planted weeping willow on many other wet spots on Malabar.
Based on Bromfield's success in drying up wet spots by planting weeping willow
trees, that practice became wide spread over Ohio. I don't see that being
done now, but 40-50 years ago it was a universal practice in Ohio because of
Louie Bromfield's vast influence.
A younger willow tree is pretty and OK to deal with. But a mature, grandpa
willow is mean and ugly. I've fought many a duel with mature willows and
didn't always win.
--
Kindest regards,
=======================
F. W. Owen
Owenlea Holsteins
9430 Spencer Road
Homerville, Ohio 44235
e-mail fwo@bright.net
home page http://www.bright.net/~fwo
voice & fax 330.625.2369
cell 330.635.2287
=======================
