Re: Silly post regarding unexpected wood aromas

My favorite is chinkapin (golden chesnut) one of our Northwest Natives. It is similar to pencil cedar, but nicer. The shop smells wonderful for a week or so after I turn it. Myrtle can smell sweet or like a horse stall. Cotton wood smells like someone threw up (I read that it is used in horse stalls because the horses won't chew on it). Elm smells like cat spray. Fresh cherry smells like cherries. robo hippy

On Tue, 14 Feb 2006 23:14:33 -0500, JoanD'arcRoast

Fresh black birch = wintergreen (aka checkerberry). I'm told that before the synthetic stuff took over, most "oil of wintergreen" was made from black birch twigs, as the oil is identical, and the birch twigs are a bit easier to harvest enough of to get commercial quantities.

Dear Mr Hippy,

I must take issue with you concerning the Chinkapin. It is actually Chinkapin Oak, sometimes referred to as the Yellow Chestnut Oak. As every young student here in Kentucky that as studied history knows Daniel Boone was accompanied by his brother Chinkapin Boone during the exploration of the great Commonwealth of Kentucky. Which, as you may or may not know is famous for it's fast women and beautiful horses.

LB

On Tue, 14 Feb 2006 23:14:33 -0500, JoanD'arcRoast

There is a chinkapin oak, and a golden chesnut. They are 2 different trees. The chinkapin here does have edible nuts (see Joy of Cooking). They are a hardwood, but don't shed their leaves in the fall. They are not oaks. robo hippy

Sweet Cherry wood smells like imitation cherry flavor to me.

Uh, corn silage is a _lot_ like corn mash, isn't it? The stuff around here gets a touch aerobic and it's fermentation time.

Lest we forget, there was a time when the medical establishment touted the fumes from a stable as healthy....

I seem to recall that in my misspent youth I spent a lot of time with fork and shovel cleaning out stalls. Usually ended up getting the giggles with work mates so there must be something in the "mixture" that caused it. They say laughter is the best medicine.

I like the smell of silage too although these days it kicks up my allergies so don't enjoy it much anymore. And I've found there are better places to hang around than stables that need cleaning.

Hi Len

Yes there is an oak which name is almost Chinkapin namely, Chinquapin and also called yellow chestnut oak, the latin name "Quercus muehlenbergii", and there is also a dwarf Chiquapin oak, "Quercus prinoides".

However the Chinkapin, Florida, Ozark and Allegheny Chinkapins, are in the chestnut group, "Castanea", like the American chestnut, "Castanea dentata".

And not related to the horsechestnut, like the Ohio buckeye, or the yellow or red buckeye, "Aesculus pavia" etc.

cypress smell like swamp water turned four tops for deck post that was enough. "JoanD'arcRoast" We all know Cedar smells like Cedar. Red Oak smells like wet dogs to