Mother moose and calf still doing well.
More bears, a young black and cinnamon phase blackie tearing a stump up and being general layabouts.
03 July 2011
01 July 2011
Useful Trees & Shrubs of the North Woods (A Five Part Series) The Alder
Alder
Alnus glutinosa
The wood is a light reddish brown with a coarse texture. Matures at about 60 years, the leaves have a distinctive serrated shape and are fairly broad.
From the time of Theophrastus the bark of the young shoots has been used for dyeing and tanning leather. When these shoots are less than a third of an inch in diameter their bark yields no less than sixteen per cent. of tannin. They produce red, brown, or yellow dyes if used alone, and black on the addition of copperas. The natives of Lapland are stated to use the Alder as a dye for their leather garments.
"They scraped it off (the alder bark) in very fine pieces and rubbed it directly on the skin to be dyed. The dryer the skin the quicker it took the dye. Some skins required two or three applications. Then the sides were folded against each other and the skin was left in a cool place overnight. Shaken free of bark in the morning, it was rubbed and pulled with the hands in all directions. Worked, allowed to dry, worked etc., until it was dry and soft. Oil might be applied if the skin were too hard."
Some images of a young Alder;
In Mors Kochanski's book Bushcraft, he also mentions the high tannin content in the twigs for use as an astringent. An astringent causes tissue to become more compact, such as in the contraction of muscle fiber, blood vessels, or the coagulation of protoplasm of the surface cells, thus diminishing either discharge or bleeding from an external or internal body surface. In the case of a wound or sore, discharge is reduced or stopped, tissue tone improved and healing quickened if the water in which alder bark has been boiled us used as a wash. A moist poultice of the inner bark can be applied to wounds that bleed profusely. This is of particular importance to those of us using sharp tools in the back country.
Useful Trees & Shrubs of the North Woods (A Five Part Series) Black Poplar
Black Poplar
Populus nigra (Willow Family)
Common names
Common names
Balsam Poplar, Black Cottonwood
A tree that may reach 100 feet in height; sometimes the trunk is 6 feet in diameter. The broad, pointed leaves are 3 to 6 inches long and 2 to 4 inches wide; they are rounded or slightly heart-shaped at the base, finely toothed, shiny dark green above, pale green often with rusty brown patches below. The buds and twigs are brownish red, and the large buds are very resinous and fragrant.
Some identifying images:
Mors Kochanski talks about this tree in his book Bushcraft, Outdoor skills and Wilderness Survival, page 236 of my edition. Of specific interest to me is the use of the cotton-like material that he calls Black Poplar Fluff, when picked of the pods you end up with a nice absorbent cotton like pad. Add the resin from the Balsam Fir from the blisters and you have a dressing for wounds and burns.
You can harvest the stuff from low hanging branches as well as the ground.
A tree that may reach 100 feet in height; sometimes the trunk is 6 feet in diameter. The broad, pointed leaves are 3 to 6 inches long and 2 to 4 inches wide; they are rounded or slightly heart-shaped at the base, finely toothed, shiny dark green above, pale green often with rusty brown patches below. The buds and twigs are brownish red, and the large buds are very resinous and fragrant.
Some identifying images:
Mors Kochanski talks about this tree in his book Bushcraft, Outdoor skills and Wilderness Survival, page 236 of my edition. Of specific interest to me is the use of the cotton-like material that he calls Black Poplar Fluff, when picked of the pods you end up with a nice absorbent cotton like pad. Add the resin from the Balsam Fir from the blisters and you have a dressing for wounds and burns.
You can harvest the stuff from low hanging branches as well as the ground.
Kochanski goes on to say that the fluff was added to Buffalo berry juice and beaten into a confection known as Indian ice cream.
Useful Trees & Shrubs of the North Woods (A Five Part Series) Black Ash
Black Ash
Fraxinus nigra
Alternate common names
Basket ash, hoop ash, brown ash, swamp ash, water ash
Some identification images:
It commonly occurs in deep cold swamps, river banks and shores, tolerating some standing water. The fall foliage is yellow. Black Ash is one of the first trees to lose its leaves in the fall. Because of the tops often look dead in winter some folks assume the tree is dead when in fact it isn't. As you can see in this image the top appears dead but the tree is thriving.
I've got several stands of these, all of which are thriving in standing water, when they say these trees like cold swamps they are not kidding.
This is a rather amazing tree. I actually prefer this tree for weaving purposes. While the Paper Birch is very nice for making vessels whole, and some weaving, the Black Ash is actually easier to use for strip weaving of baskets. The Abnaki, Ojibwa, Malecite, Meskwaki, and other cultural groups use the bark to make baskets.
Black ash is unique among all trees in North America in that it does not have fibers connecting the growth rings to each other. This is great for basket makers. Temperate trees form annual growth rings of two types of wood. Spring wood is rapidly laid down early in the growing season and is weak. Summer wood is laid down slowly in the summer and fall, and is much darker and tougher. By literally pounding on the wood with a mallet, the spring wood is crushed, allowing the summer wood to be peeled off in long strips. The absence of the connecting fibers is what allows the summer wood strips to separate. It is these long strips that are trimmed and cleaned and then used in basket weaving.
Log after some pounding:
I've got several stands of these, all of which are thriving in standing water, when they say these trees like cold swamps they are not kidding.
This is a rather amazing tree. I actually prefer this tree for weaving purposes. While the Paper Birch is very nice for making vessels whole, and some weaving, the Black Ash is actually easier to use for strip weaving of baskets. The Abnaki, Ojibwa, Malecite, Meskwaki, and other cultural groups use the bark to make baskets.
Black ash is unique among all trees in North America in that it does not have fibers connecting the growth rings to each other. This is great for basket makers. Temperate trees form annual growth rings of two types of wood. Spring wood is rapidly laid down early in the growing season and is weak. Summer wood is laid down slowly in the summer and fall, and is much darker and tougher. By literally pounding on the wood with a mallet, the spring wood is crushed, allowing the summer wood to be peeled off in long strips. The absence of the connecting fibers is what allows the summer wood strips to separate. It is these long strips that are trimmed and cleaned and then used in basket weaving.
Log after some pounding:
An example of a pack basket made from Black Ash;
The inner bark of the black ash was used to make a bark barrel by the Iroquois which was used for storing dried vegetables, fruits, and seeds, as well as clothing. The tree traditionally was a valuable medicine to many tribes in Eastern North America and the Great Lakes region. The Iroquois steeped the bark of the tree together with the roots and bark of other plants to treat rheumatism. The Menomini used the inner bark of the trunk as a valuable medicine and as a seasoner for other medicines. The Meskwaki made a tea from a mixture of the wood with the root of Smilacina racemosa to loosen the bowels. They also used the inner bark of the trunk as a remedy for any internal ailments.
Other Uses
The wood of black ash is strongly ring-porous, making it ideal for barrel hoops, snowshoe frames, canoe ribs, and material for woven chair seats.
Useful Trees & Shrubs of the North Woods (A Five Part Series) Birch
White Birch
Common names: Canoe Birch, Paper Birch, Silver Birch
Betula papyrifera
The White Birch is a small to medium sized deciduous tree which grows to seventy to eighty feet in height.
A man could walk up on fifty different Birch trees and all of them pass by, for not all Birches are equal or have the particular properties of the perfect White Birch.
Some examples:
When I gather Birch bark it's nearly always from already dead trees. The bark will long outlast the rest of the tree. One of my preferred methods is to find a dead, still standing medium sized Birch, push it over. Then I unzip the bark with my knife, and push/pull the bark by hand. Often this results in nice long and wide pieces that are perfectly serviceable. You can harvest bark from a living tree without killing the tree, though I prefer not to harvest in this manner. I often find them shedding bark, regardless of the season, making it easy to peel or pick up what the tree is already discarding. Here's an example of spending five minutes on a recently fallen Birch.
I found a smallish downed Birch not to long ago, the diameter of which was a perfect match for a can cooler.
Birch bark is an excellent fire starting material, I personally rank it higher and prefer it to the best fatwood. In virtually all of my fire starting videos Birch bark is playing a role. The oils within the bark are highly flammable and quite water resistant, it' burn even when wet.
In the video below I've woven Birch bark strips into the twig bundle. Fluffed and roughed up some of it to make a nice nest for the spark. Only took a strike or two.
When fire means life, the Birch tree's gift of bark is truly life giving.
Other Uses:
Eating boil, roast and grind the inner bark and use as flour. Eat the young leaves raw or boiled. Eat the young flowers.
Sugar production cut a 'V' shape in the bark and catch the sap in a hanging pot. The best time to do this is early spring, on a warm day following a frost.
Drinking vessels, baskets, and roofing tiles from the bark. Use the twiggy branches for brooms, thatching, wattle and the thicker ones for turnery and handles
Birch tar distilled from the bark.. This makes leather waterproof and is an insect repellent, adhesive.
Common names: Canoe Birch, Paper Birch, Silver Birch
Betula papyrifera
The White Birch is a small to medium sized deciduous tree which grows to seventy to eighty feet in height.
A man could walk up on fifty different Birch trees and all of them pass by, for not all Birches are equal or have the particular properties of the perfect White Birch.
Some examples:
When I gather Birch bark it's nearly always from already dead trees. The bark will long outlast the rest of the tree. One of my preferred methods is to find a dead, still standing medium sized Birch, push it over. Then I unzip the bark with my knife, and push/pull the bark by hand. Often this results in nice long and wide pieces that are perfectly serviceable. You can harvest bark from a living tree without killing the tree, though I prefer not to harvest in this manner. I often find them shedding bark, regardless of the season, making it easy to peel or pick up what the tree is already discarding. Here's an example of spending five minutes on a recently fallen Birch.
I found a smallish downed Birch not to long ago, the diameter of which was a perfect match for a can cooler.
Birch bark is an excellent fire starting material, I personally rank it higher and prefer it to the best fatwood. In virtually all of my fire starting videos Birch bark is playing a role. The oils within the bark are highly flammable and quite water resistant, it' burn even when wet.
In the video below I've woven Birch bark strips into the twig bundle. Fluffed and roughed up some of it to make a nice nest for the spark. Only took a strike or two.
When fire means life, the Birch tree's gift of bark is truly life giving.
Other Uses:
Eating boil, roast and grind the inner bark and use as flour. Eat the young leaves raw or boiled. Eat the young flowers.
Sugar production cut a 'V' shape in the bark and catch the sap in a hanging pot. The best time to do this is early spring, on a warm day following a frost.
Drinking vessels, baskets, and roofing tiles from the bark. Use the twiggy branches for brooms, thatching, wattle and the thicker ones for turnery and handles
Birch tar distilled from the bark.. This makes leather waterproof and is an insect repellent, adhesive.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)