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| Trees, probably willow, that were repeatedly harvested for poles is in the center of the frame. That style of tree is called "pollard". |
Ole Ring was born in 1902 in Denmark and he died in 1972. He was the son of a notable painter, L.A. Ring. It is truly a pity that he had not been christened "Young" Ring.
His work interests me because he is painting everyday scenes from almost exactly 100 years ago. Horses were still common. Fuel was expensive and poles (probably for gardening and rough carpentry in the barn) were harvested from trees.
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| A willow beside a ditch recovering from a severe hair-cut. The wood was probably harvested when the ground was frozen. A couple of years of regrowth showing on that tree. |
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| Probably not yachts but working boats. Small cabin near stern for sailing during bad weather. |
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| Thatched roofs in the background. The driver is sitting on a hank of straw, perhaps the seat had been wet from the dew. |
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| Windmill in the background. |
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| Horses pulling a freight wagon. Lights mounted on building on the left. |
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| Pollard willow beside pond. Rock rip-rap on left bank implies it might be an artificial pond. Windmill in the background. |
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| Sycamore tree on left, background. Maybe oaks on the right. Hip-roofs are a common choice in areas where high winds can lift simple, gable roofs. |
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| I assume the water is a canal. |
Good eye on the pollarding. Also, willows, beeches and others were prized as tree fodder, cut and put away like hay for the cows.
ReplyDeleteThat every couple of years you can pollard them again is the whole point. Renewable firewood, building materials and such.
When your using billhooks or hand saws Vs 2 stroke chainsaws manpower efficiency is critical.
Check out "Crack Willow" Salix x fragilis.
DeleteIt is a tree willow that is a hybrid of white willow and another species. The young limbs, up to 1" in diameter, are easily snapped off by hand, breaking cleanly at the base.
No tools required. Very fast. Very easy. No sharp, iron edges to break your skin.
I'd wonder if our noreasters would snap off too many of those crack limbs before they were of useful size.
DeleteWhen I was in Bosnia I watched folks harvesting Pollard trees for firewood.
Michael the anonymous
Useful size is a very flexible term.
DeleteThey can be woven into fences, tied to the trunks of young fruit trees to prevent rabbit girdling or sunscald in the winter. One-inch diameter can be used to support pole-beans and peas. 1-1/2" are big enough to use for staking tomato plants and are a prime size for feeding into "Rocket Stoves"
Thanks as always, ERJ. These are lovely.
ReplyDelete