Winds can definitely take there toll on the tree population. We're not subject to the strong winds on a regular basis in Memphis, but this summer we were hit by a storm of straight line winds at hurricane speeds. Hundred year old Oaks were pulled completely out of the ground. It was a very sad sight. Sadder for those who had one of those big trees land on there homes. I escaped that kind of damage, but was without electricity for two weeks. I can't imagine the trees ever getting as big as ours do if those winds were a frequent occurrence. I do remember seeing a wonderful collection of trees around the gardens at Balfour castle. So it is possible with a lot of time, effort, careful planning, and probably money to start over when some get lost, to grow trees in Orkney. Karen

Karen: Your points about trees are apreciated. What type of trees were planted around Balfour Castle? But my they can be so tough! Many times, for example, while flying low level in the floatplane, I have seen typically, a huge white pine tree on the edge of a soil-free granite outcrop cliff, it's roots running helplessly down that sheer rock face. Often this example of tree courage is exposed to, for example, Georgian Bay where for over a hundred miles, accelerating ferocious winds would assault that exposed cliff and tree. On Hudson's Bay, the scrub willow tree thrives. Although you would not pick this species for a manicured front lawn in Memphis, it has a giving bending nature that eliminates the wind problem, and ptarmagin and foxes and hare all feed and shelter where they are thick. It provides no resistance to the wind. By the way, I love your Peabody Hotel! Hope they still have their ducks. Stephen On Wednesday, November 19, 2003, at 07:26 PM, KJEMEM@aol.com wrote: > Winds can definitely take there toll on the tree population. We're not > subject to the strong winds on a regular basis in Memphis, but this > summer we were > hit by a storm of straight line winds at hurricane speeds. Hundred > year old > Oaks were pulled completely out of the ground. It was a very sad > sight. > Sadder for those who had one of those big trees land on there homes. > I escaped > that kind of damage, but was without electricity for two weeks. I > can't imagine > the trees ever getting as big as ours do if those winds were a frequent > occurrence. > > I do remember seeing a wonderful collection of trees around the > gardens at > Balfour castle. So it is possible with a lot of time, effort, careful > planning, > and probably money to start over when some get lost, to grow trees in > Orkney. > > Karen > > > ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the > word > 'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com >