Date: Thu 02-May-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDREA

Quick Words:

shagbark-hickory-contest

Full Text:

Bagging The Biggest Shagbark -

Finding A State Treasure In The Neighborhood

B Y A NDREA Z IMMERMANN

Grand Place is certainly a deserving road name for the location of the largest

shagbark hickory not only in Newtown, but on record in the entire state.

Brian Smith, 10, was awarded $500 by Newtown Forest Association last week for

being the one to spot it in his neighborhood.

Brian and his dad, Tom Smith, had been searching for large shagbark hickories

to enter in the association's Largest Shagbark Hickory Contest. Last fall,

when they were driving back to their house on Grand Place, they spied the tree

off in the woods. Further investigation showed it was growing next to a stone

wall, a demarcation of current property lines.

"We thought it was a winner because it's a pretty big tree! It was about 12

feet around," said Brian. His father, who had studied trees while pursuing a

degree in biology, taught him how to identify that type of hickory.

During the awards ceremony held on the steps of Edmond Town Hall April 25

(Arbor Day), Town Historian Dan Cruson explained how settlers viewed trees,

and why such a large hickory would be found near Grand Place.

"When this area was first settled in 1711, the predominant attitude of the

settlers was that the only good tree was a tree that was cut down and turned

into timber or firewood. So the early settlers felt that land hadn't been

developed until it was actually clear-cut," said Mr Cruson. "Starting from

around where this Town Hall stands, and spreading out into what was called the

village, settlers had cut down most of the trees that were here. If you were

standing on this hill in the early 1800s, almost every tree around would have

been cut down. Your view would have been practically unobstructed all the way

to Long Island Sound."

As the Romantic Movement began in the 1840-1850s, people cultivated shade

trees, evidenced by some of the larger trees now in the center of town, said

Mr Cruson. "Trees like this shagbark hickory probably got planted about the

end of the Civil War.... Most of the trees you see here now are about 80 to 90

years old, so that means the older trees like your shagbark probably are

around 125 years old," he said. "You will occasionally find some very old oaks

that were planted then. They were generally planted as boundary markers in

various locations. For example, there is an oak around Hanover Spring that was

recognized by the state as a boundary. There is also an oak...that probably

was planted around the time that area was settled."

As you make your way through town, you are able to see some of these very old,

rare trees. "They were probably either overlooked, or planted around the time

of renewed interest in shade trees or boundaries," he said. "But remember that

there are probably more trees planted around Newtown today than we have had at

any time since the American Revolution."

Ed Richardson of the State Botanical Society confirmed the historian's view

that Newtown has some very old, rare trees. When he came to measure one of the

largest entries in the shagbark contest, he noticed four "odd" trees, also in

Newtown Village Cemetery, at the double-gate entrance. "They turned out to be

Oriental Spruce, which are very rare," he said during the ceremony. "One of

them measured up to be a new state champion for the species."

Mr Richardson has served for ten years as a volunteer recorder for the state's

Notable Trees list. Although his home town of Glastonbury had previously held

the record for largest shagbark hickory, Mr Richardson said he was delighted

to receive the call saying Newtown might have one to replace it on the list.

Brian Hennessey of the Newtown Forest Association presented the check to Brian

Smith, and awarded a gift certificate to Kelly and Katie O'Connor for being

the first to enter the contest.

The association hopes to take 100 offspring of the tree and plant them on

their properties throughout town, and will offer other trees to Newtown

residents to plant on their own land. In this way, the group hopes to preserve

this species of tree, which was once prolific in town. It is considering

another contest - one with a different species of tree - for next year.

"Newtown's environment is really on loan to us so that we can protect it for

the next generation," said Mr Hennessey. "It's very fitting that a member of

the new generation was the discoverer of the biggest shagbark hickory in

town."

More than 50 people sent in entries for the contest, but the Forest

Association estimates that three or four times that many people were out in

the woods looking. Enjoying and appreciating the forests in town is one of the

group's goals, as is educating the public about trees and preservation of open

space.

"We were delighted the [biggest hickory] is right by a school," said Allen

Flouton, who first proposed the contest. "Nuts will be coming down in the fall

and any teachers can do some nut gathering, which will be fun and educational

for the students."

And if they need to know the driest route to the tree, Brian Smith can direct

them.

What will the 10-year-old do with his prize money?

"I'm going to spend some of it on sports equipment - a soccer ball," he said.

"And save some for college, and some for when the soccer team goes to Europe -

I need to save some for that because it's really expensive."

(Allen Flouton contributed to this article.)