historygamer | 16 Apr 2015 11:44 a.m. PST |
A while back I had read that white pine trees accounted for a majority of the tree forest in North America in the 18th century, but were devastated by disease and bug infestation. In doing a bit of noodling on the internet to learn more, I came across this interesting tidbit, which explains the pine tree on some rebel flags during the AWI: link |
ironicon | 16 Apr 2015 11:56 a.m. PST |
This is very interesting. I've never heard of this before. It makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the info. |
Streitax | 16 Apr 2015 11:59 a.m. PST |
You just never know what's going to set some people off. |
GamesPoet | 16 Apr 2015 12:06 p.m. PST |
Excellent find! I'd read of this previously, but this was a good read, thank you for sharing. : ) |
historygamer | 16 Apr 2015 12:26 p.m. PST |
If you read, The Men Who Lost America" there was a part in there about Lord Sandwich's job laying aged timber away for ship building. When they lost the colonies for wood, they turned to the Baltic area – though it took many years (5-7) to allow the wood to age before use in ship building. Read in another book the Americans often built their ships out of new cut wood, which rotted quicker. They didn't care since there was an abundance of wood in the country, so build, use, rot, build a new one. No big deal. |
42flanker | 16 Apr 2015 12:59 p.m. PST |
That is definitely my 'new thing learned' for today. It set me thinking, as I had the impressionthat there was a massive hardwood component in the autochthonous forest, too. It seems that the eastern white pine was dominant in the North East, Great Lakes and the Alleghenies section of the Appalachian range, but petering out in the over mountain territory of the Ohio basin etc.- so very much an issue for the ornery maritime New Englanders and Green Mountaineers as well as settlers in the Hudson River and perhaps Delaware valleys. The sight of HMG's arrowhead blaze must have been infuriating and I always wondered about the pine tree emblem on flags. Now I know. |
Tabletopndice | 16 Apr 2015 1:06 p.m. PST |
Excellent read, interresting info,Thanks for the knowledge. |
Private Matter | 16 Apr 2015 1:18 p.m. PST |
Very interesting read, thank you for sharing. |
Sundance | 16 Apr 2015 1:50 p.m. PST |
I knew parts of the story. Thanks for bringing it all together. When the Brits could not get White Pine from the colonies anymore, they had to purchase it from the Baltic states and Scandihoovia. IIRC, there was some concern that the Scandihoovians would support the colonies and there was some talk of what should be done if that occurred. In the end, I don't think it was an issue. Read one book on it years ago and it was so deathly boring I can't now rememeber the details. |
doc mcb | 16 Apr 2015 2:26 p.m. PST |
Yes, that's an old story, but one that needs retelling periodically. Thanks. |
VonTed | 16 Apr 2015 3:42 p.m. PST |
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historygamer | 16 Apr 2015 7:41 p.m. PST |
Just to round it out… link |