<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><HTML><FONT SIZE=2 PTSIZE=10 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">hedgeapple/osage orange/bois d'arc is far and away one of the highest in btu's per cord. a most superior tree because of it's significant multiple benefits, not only as the premier choice of firewood, but as a food source for livestock and wildlife, as windbreak for shelter of homes outbuildings, stock and crops, as a component of a hedgeculture to control movement and access of critters, and the fruit have a long standing rep as an effective insect and arachnid repellent when kept inside the home.<BR>
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i have a scar on my arm from when i was four and fell out of a hedgeapple on the border of my backyard and was punctured by one of the thorns on a branch laying on the ground. that is the main drawback i can think of this beautiful and useful tree, is that it's thorns are some of the most vicious i have ever encountered, and i have been in my share of locust groves, briar thickets and bramble patches. one would have to exercise constant vigilance and care working with branches and limbs of this tree, i would think that thorn removal would need be considered a necessary component of the coppice process for safety reasons.<BR>
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as the extensive literature states the wood makes beautiful flames of different colors but is also prone to spark showers. in reading i also see that firing a vessel with a hedgeapple will produce a wonderful sunburst effect! as a basketweaver i have also long wondered if i could capture the bright orange color of the roots, but have never been in the right place to get roots to work with yet.<BR>
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curtis andrew beckwith, in tulsa<BR>
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