One big darn silver maple

[peakbagger]

Granted its silver maple but just think of the number of cords!

http://bangordailynews.com/2012/07/...-succumbs-to-age-androscoggin-river-in-leeds/

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Now that is an old tree. Not many reach that age but sooner or later they all go. Still seems a shame.

 

[fishingpol]

No doubt nature will take its' course and it will remain where it is providing food(bugs) and shelter for birds, squirrels and chipmunks. But I can't help to think of what the wood grain looks like in that gnarly tree trunk, that could be made made into beautiful wood carvings or turned bowls.

On a side note our town has a white oak on the historical society grounds that is close to that in age. The first records of it are somewhere back in 1620 or so.

 

[peakbagger]

One interesting thing about the location is that the river its located next to was at one time one of the most polluted rivers in the northeast. Generally nothing would grow where the water routinely would make contact. Its substantially cleaned up these days (with a legacy of long term contaminant buildup on the bottom) but there were a couple of times where towns had to be evacuated downstream as the fumes were so bad. Prior to industrialization, the river was known to flood extensively every spring and then almost dry up in the summer. Its now equipped with extensive dams, but every so many years it still floods out an area.

 

[ScotO]

That's a sad ending to a great legacy for that tree. Neat to think of all the things that tree has lived through, from the French and Indian war, the Revolutionary War, all the highs and lows of our whole society........that tree has been here through it all.

 

[RORY12553]

Be crazy if we as human beings can figure out why a tree lives that long! Any ideas?

 

[ScotO]

Be crazy if we as human beings can figure out why a tree lives that long! Any ideas?

I think the article gives a pretty good assessment of why they feel it lasted so long. It was in a very fertile spot that was once a spot where silt settled on the stream, when the stream divereted the tree was given a perfect place to grow. Like the article stated, the tree's downfall was most likely the same situation which gave it life....that soft, silty area.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Be crazy if we as human beings can figure out why a tree lives that long! Any ideas?

Rory, maybe we need to be planted in rich soil....