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Monday, October 4, 2010

Osage Orange Forest


Back before barbed wire was invented in the 1880s, osage orange trees provided menacing fences for livestock. The sharp thorns and extremely hard wood made escape from a pasture practically impossible. The wood is still used for sturdy fenceposts, and the trees give shade to cattle in Alabama's Black Belt.  However, the saplings sprout as prickly bushes that can puncture even the tough treads of  pickup truck and tractor tires!




11 comments:

  1. That is very interesting.
    I love the twisty turns in your photo too!

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  2. Interesting post for the day and a great shot! One of the fun things about My World is learning so many new things about not only our country, but others as well! Hope your week is off to a great start!

    Sylvia

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  3. Very interesting. Thorny bushes are still used by Indian farmers to keep away stray cattle and deer.

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  4. Hi,
    questa foto mi piace... interessante la descrizione nel tuo post.
    Non sapevo che il filo spinato fosse stato inventato nel 1880 per il bestiame.
    Grande foto.
    Buona giornata :)
    Myriam

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  5. very nice capture

    Have a nice week,
    Greetings, Bram

    My Word Tuesday post

    Seen on My World Tuesday

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  6. I didn't know that but I believe it. Those thorns are wicked. I like this new blog.

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  7. Thanks, Paula! I've been wanting to expand my blogging with more writing and creativity. Guess we'll see what happens from here!

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  8. I think those are what we call Bois d'arc trees here,they can be mean for sure! Thanks for visiting me!

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  9. I commented this morning, but I think I lost my connection before it went through (one of the downsides of traveling is that we don't always have good WyFi connections.) I enjoyed reading both of your blogs -- thanks for sharing and for sending me the updated link. I'll be back!

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  10. You are welcome, Sallie. So neat that you have visited Selma and the Black Belt!

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  11. Really enjoy this photo -- looks like a great place to play :) Thanks for stopping by our site and glad you did so we could find yours! Looking forward to following to see more...

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