Starting in April 1966, we have planted trees at Roshara, our Waushara County farm every year. That first year we planted 2,000 trees, as I recall. Since then some years we have planted as few as 50 trees and as many as 7,500 one year (we had machine help that year). Otherwise we planted them by hand, with two person crews—one with a shovel making little slits in the ground, the other placing the tree and stamping the ground firm around it.
We have planted while it snowed, while it rained, while it sleeted. And, on occasion, when the sun was shining the wind was down and it was a joy to be outside.
We have planted red pine, white pine, jack pine and spruce. But mostly red pine, which does well on our sandy, droughty soils. We have thinned and done some minimal logging twice in these fifty plus years. Those first trees planted are now some 75 feet tall and more than a foot across.
This past Saturday was our planting day—son Steve, daughter Sue and son-in-law Paul did the heavy work. Steve and Sue sort of helped with the first planting back in 1967, but just a little, as they were little tykes at the time.
Different from many early tree planting days, Saturday’s temperature climbed into the high 60s, the sun was out and it was a grand day to do most anything outdoors. It had rained a lot during the week, so the soil was moist and easy for digging. No complaints from the tree planters this year.
Photo: Sue and Paul planting a spruce tree.
THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Little trees, like grandchildren, are essential for the future.
WRITER’S WORKSHOP: Friday, August 18, 9-4:00 p.m. The Clearing, Door County.
Call 920-854-4088. Limited enrollment.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
April 10, 1:30. Kiel Library, One-Room Schools
April 17, 6:30 p.m. New Berlin Library. Never Curse the Rain.
April 23, 7:00 p.m. Lebanon Historical Society. Town Hall, Fire Station, Lebanon. Storytelling.
April 27, 6:00 p.m. Waupaca Historical Society, 320 S. Main Street, Waupaca. Barns of Wisconsin.
Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fundraiser for them):
The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs:
Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps (based on The Quiet Season book.)
Jerry Apps a Farm Story (based on Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm books.)
The Land with Jerry Apps, (based on the book Whispers and Shadows.)
Also available are several of Jerry’s signed books including: Jerry’s newest nonfiction book, Never Curse the Rain, and his newest novel, The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County. Also available are Wisconsin Agriculture: A History,
Roshara Journal (with photos by Steve Apps) and Telling Your Story—a guide book for those who want to write their own stories.
Contact the library for prices and special package deals.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835
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