| Schwab
Estate: Visit to a national champion basswood |
wad-@comcast.net |
| Nov
13, 2005 05:47 PST |
ENTS
Yesterday, while visiting my sister in Royersford Pa, I loaded
up four children in the van, and made a quick trip to Pottstown
Pa. We headed to the old Schwab estate out by the Pottstown
airport. W. Richard Schwab was the owner of an Oil company. I
remember seeing his trucks running around when I was a child. I
think they are still in business. The estate is still intact,
although it has been converted to apartments. A large beautiful
home, probably built in the 1890's. The gardens contain the
typical Victorian collection. An English walnut that was 11.6
cbh, a gingko, a european larch, a horsechestnut. There were
many stumps. a couple decent red and pin oaks and one tulip
poplar worth mentioning. No height records to be broken today
though. The most amazing thing we saw there was a gaggle of
about 30 turkeys out in the front lawn. They were feasting on
acorns and tearing up the lawn. The calls that kept coming from
them was interesting background music to measure by.
The tree stands about 200' east of the manor home, and does not
appear large at all, from the parking lot. My nine year old
niece exclaimed, "That's it? That isn't big!" The
three boys ran over to it, and when they were next to it, she
changed her mind with a, "Oh man, it IS big!" She then
proceeded to run to the tree also. Tilia americana, American
basswood. This tree seemed to be used to the better things in
life. It had been properly pruned, cabled, and cared for in it's
previous years. One large limb had been tarred over, as was
popular back in the day. Now the cables blow in the wind, due to
the use of threaded hooks instead of through bolts, and it was
loaded with dead wood. I feel this is a positive turn for this
tree, as it appears to be left alone now, as was meant to be.
Often times our efforts to "help" a large tree end in
the demise of the specimen. Almost every owner of a champion
tree will ask me, "What should I do to the tree to help
it." I always tell them "nothing, this tree has grown
to this size without anyone's help, and probably doesn't need it
now" The only thing I recommend to owners is dead-wooding
if liability is an issue. Anyway, enough rambling, here are the
numbers:
This tree was introduced to the tree measuring public in 1980.
In 1990 it measured:
292" cbh 94' tall with a 100' spread. 411 points
As reported in the National Register of Big Trees 2004-2005, the
Linden shrunk a little:
292" cbh 78' tall with a 100' spread. 395 points
Yesterday, using the finest of ENTS measuring techniques, she
came to:
287" cbh 89' tall with a 87' avg spread. 398 points
I don't feel measuring at 4.5' is correct for this tree,
although it does not branch until well above this line. I feel
the correct measurement is at 2' as it is a coppiced specimen.
Those numbers are:
277" at 2' 89' tall with a 87' avg spread. 388 points
Part of the reason for the departure from the original
circumference is the loss of one of the leaders from the side of
the tree.
This is still an amazing big tree, and I look forward to it
healing it's wounds and continuing to grow.
Scott |
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