What are you cutting 2024? - pics welcome

[GRANITEstateMP]

Yes to both Doc and Resonator, that is corn silage.  Makes great feed for the cows

Doc its fun when its blowing into the truck. Not as much fun if your not in sync with the fella in the chopper and it covers the window. Farm rigs aren't known for good windshield wipers!

[barbender]

 It looks about the same coming out of the back of the cows, too!

 Barge, I know a cutting system that works just absolutely wonderful for those postage stamp landings you invariably are working out of. Inquire if you'd like to learn more😁

[mudfarmer]

Practicing for when Barge takes over the whole industry up here and makes me use a grapple skidder. Hopefully have a little more time to get it right 

[cutterboy]

It has been dry here for the last three weeks, in fact so dry that a wet area in the woods has dried enough to let me get in there with the tractor. There were two nice red maple trees in there I have wanted for some time. It was very thick in there with smaller trees.
First there were two cherrys that were big enough to make some small logs.






Then there were three white birch, again big enough for small logs. one was dead but sound, another was on it's way out and the third was healthy.



One of them had a surprise for me. Excuse my thumb.


I will show the red maples in another post as this one is long enough and I am getting tired.

Till then, keep on cutting.....Cutter

[nativewolf]

It looks about the same coming out of the back of the cows, too!

 Barge, I know a cutting system that works just absolutely wonderful for those postage stamp landings you invariably are working out of. Inquire if you'd like to learn more😁

You know we were trying to keep that process a secret...fat chance now

[Magicman]

two cherrys that were big enough to make some small logs.

For whatever the reason, Cherry here is always crooked and will have a pith check.  The sweep may not be as noticeable with @ 8' logs, but it is still there.  I have to be extra careful selecting the opening face.

It's good to see you keepin' on cuttin'. 

[SwampDonkey]

Most black cherry up here is only good on the but log and that may not be quite 8'sometimes. Most every tree will have black knot somewhere in the main stem and in the limbs. Been saving a few in the back yard to size up and see what's inside, I suspect full of gum. Centring cherry pith for 6x6" + might be good for blocking, but I find it mostly firewood. Can't be used for turning or making carved furniture legs. It will check deep on every face. I've got quite a few trees in the back yard with decent but logs. Biggest I've cut is 20" on the big end and 16"on the small end. They don't even grow real tall here, maybe 70 feet. To survive the maple woods they have to come in after a disturbance, then later die off once the maple matures

[cutterboy]

Magic, you are right about the cherry trees. They are very seldom straight. So I end up cutting a lot of short logs. People here are crazy for cherry so the lumber sells, even the boards that don't look good.

SD, The cherry like the white birch trees don't live a long life here. As soon as the maples and oaks overtake them they start their decline.

[mudfarmer]

We grow a decent amount of cherry with good form and size. Not many survived the last price boom in fact there was a veneer yard near me that pretty much specialized in it. Fewer still survive the high wind events now due to shallow roots.

"I cannot tell a lie, I did not cut down my father's cherry trees" -- but another guy did and it was mostly veneer 

On the public ground, Forever Wild we call it, constitutionally protected, there are stands of 36"+ dbh gun barrel straight beauties.

Here is one from today that was marked because it had started to uproot and was hung in a maple. Pictured with a 20" bar but definitely not because I got it stuck and removed the power head to winch it down... 

Cutter you got a free culvert!



17" @28ft, about 80ft to tip of branches

[SwampDonkey]

We get a lot of cherry on old fields and orchards that grow up in mostly shrubs species. The ash, red maples and white spruce will eventually take over.

[nativewolf]

Cherry was hit and hit hard when it got hot 10 years or 15 years ago.  WV and PA have some quite decent cherry stems, they look like loblolly pine.  Some of our clients have terrible stem form, some very nice.  In my gallery you can see pics of some quite large cherry from a harvest outside of Paris, VA.  

Mudfarmer good to see you cutting a bit.  

[Resonator]

Beautiful weather lately and the leaves are just starting to turn, have been doing a little clearing in my woods. Mostly small crooked trees will use for firewood for next year. Did cut a couple soft maples and got at least had a few good saw logs. Had to be careful to land this one with the fork flat, so it didn't split.

[mudfarmer]

Thanks nativewolf, it is oh so very nice to be in the woods cutting again after 6mo hiatus. Nothing resets my perspective like some days pulling cable and running a saw.

It will rain this week the guessers say, how much they still have not settled on. Will switch to buckin' and get some logs shipped out. Right now I cut as long as I can skid without barking everything up, just to get it out of the woods. No slasher.... Forks and saw.... May bring the excavator over instead of tractor.

[Ron Scott]

The Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania grows some great high valued black cherry.

[cutterboy]

I ended up taking three good sized red maples after the area was cleared out enough to get to them. The first one was smaller than the other two but I got two nice logs from it.



The 2nd one I got four 8' logs.




The third tree was the biggest of all, got 5 logs.




The tree looks like it's up in the air but the butt is resting on the stump.




Now back at the barn I've got some logs to saw.



There is a lot of firewood back in the woods from the tops and smaller trees I had to cut. I'll start working on moving that out now before the rains come and make that area a swamp again. Then I'll be sawing lumber probably into November.


  Keep on cutting.....Cutter

[Magicman]

Wow Sir, those are mighty purdy!!     I will never get to saw something like that. 

[mudfarmer]

Yes Cutter you sure do grow nice trees! I am sure you grow some not so good ones too but definitely some real nice ones

[Machinebuilder]

I won't be cutting these, I am hireing it done. They are scheduled for Tuesday 10-1

the 2 HUGE catalpas are ready. This spring both had limbs get blown out in storms. The limbs were as big as trees, the last was about 14" dia.

With power lines, my house and the size, I can't cut them. the tall one is at least 90' anf at least 72" DBH



I'll try to post some pictures Tuesday

[Ron Scott]

Good decision!

[doc henderson]

makes beautiful, light weight wood.  works like cedar.  smell like someone smoking a cigar in the stove when you go outside.

[cutterboy]

Thanks mudfarmer. Yes I grow plenty of "not so good ones" I cut those for firewood.

[aigheadish]

90 foot catalpa is bonkers. There are several "big" ones around here. Dbh is likely in the 24-30 inch range, that are 30 feet tall and they've made a mess with the latest hurricane weather. 90' is nuts.

[doc henderson]

they grow tall and straight in plantation, but alone, can turn out like a tree of knowledge with broad crown of limbs and a 5-foot trunk.

[Machinebuilder]

the really sad thing is I don't expect to get any usable wood out of them.

that used to be a fence line so there is metal in them.
The trunks are so big I'll be doing good to move them out of the lawn. My 24" saw won't get too far on them.

Maybe some of the verticle limbs that are straight can be milled.

Mostly I hope some friends need a lot of firewood

[thecfarm]

Those big ones can be a bother to work with and work up.
I had some EWP that was 3 feet across. 
Made me wonder if they was worth the work to make them into firewood size. 
But have to do something with them.