Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Wednesday, August 29. 2007

Tree of the Day: Black Cherry

Our wild Black Cherries are beginning to ripen, and the trees are filled with robins with purple cherry-stained beaks. I counted 17 happy Robins in one tree this morning. Many of them still have their immature plumage.

Black Cherry is a common "pioneer tree" in New England. Some people call them "Chokecherry," but Chokecherry is a different species. Ours tend to be tall, gawky, with a brittle rust-red wood which is great for fires, smoking meat, and for furniture. Here's a low branch of one of mine. The robins have already eaten most of the ripe ones. Not edible for humans: you will choke on them.

 

Posted by Bird Dog in Gardens, Plants, etc., Natural History and Conservation, Our Essays at 11:47 | Comments (3) | Trackbacks (0)

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Just back from fires, and blackshirted developers. Can't wait to get that lap pool in just up from the river. I am too old for that cold river swimming nonsense! But, it was fun trying.

Speaking of cherries--even in the most intense cherry growing region I have not been able to find Pie cherries--any ideas as to why? You suppose it is because no one bakes cherry pie anymore? Had some of the world's finest peaches this summer!
#1 apple pie on 2007-08-29 21:27 (Reply)
I used to have a Montmorency cherry tree. I thnk the sour cherry production mostly gets canned.
#2 BD on 2007-08-30 05:09 (Reply)
Dear BD:

Hope you will return to this to find A.E Housman:

LOVELIEST of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.

Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.

And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.
#3 apple pie on 2007-08-31 00:57 (Reply)

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