Can You Identify This

[Tom]

The popcorn tree is known for the oil in its nut.  You can impale one on a needle, light it with a match and watch it burn like a candle for a minute or more.

I've told this story before.  A professor in Hawaii wanted to replace all of the old cane fields with chinese tallow.  He had figured that they could get enough oil to fuel the airplanes back to the mainland without having to ship anymore to Hawaii, thereby making the tourist trade self-sufficient.

I've seen chinese tallow bowls turned and they are a non-descript brown.  I've seen Chinaberry (Melia azedarach) turned and it is beautiful, sort of a red-brown but mottled.

[limbrat]

I got some looks from teenagers cause the end of the tweesers on my pocket knife were burnt up from them tallow nuts

[WDH]

Tom, the chinaberry wood is very striking.  Has a ring porous structure and a bold grain like ash, only redder like you say.  I did cut one tree (and a nail), so I will try to post a pic of the wood (not the nail :).

[DWM II]

Danny, is that a wetlands mit. bank in Livingston you are looking at? Where at in Livingston? Weve got some lower areas in the southern end of the parish, but most of that is getting mitigated itself for subdivison construction. Livingston has some of the higher property values in the state, I'm surprised the state hasent sold to a private investor yet :.

[WDH]

Yes Donnie,  the potential Mitigation Bank is just north of lake Maurepas about 15 miles south of Livingston.  There is a big demand for wetlands mitigation because of the rapid growth in Livingston, Parish.  Flight out of New Orleans I believe.