Nick Maclaren wrote:

By far the longest lasting native timber AT ground level is yew,
and it is the only one where its sapwood will last more than a year
or so at ground level, untreated - and even that doesn't last long
at ground level. Oak heartwood is OK, as you say, but its sapwood
rots fairly fast at ground level.

Another tough wood for outside on the surface is, surprisingly, Leylandii.
We have a manege (for horse riding) marked out with Leylandii poles
just flat laid on the ground and held with pegs driven in beside them.
These poles have been lying on the ground for around seven years now
and are still sound. The horses have stripped the bark off them but
that's all.

--
Chris Green

In article , writes:
| Nick Maclaren wrote:
|
| By far the longest lasting native timber AT ground level is yew,
| and it is the only one where its sapwood will last more than a year
| or so at ground level, untreated - and even that doesn't last long
| at ground level. Oak heartwood is OK, as you say, but its sapwood
| rots fairly fast at ground level.
|
| Another tough wood for outside on the surface is, surprisingly, Leylandii.
| We have a manege (for horse riding) marked out with Leylandii poles
| just flat laid on the ground and held with pegs driven in beside them.
| These poles have been lying on the ground for around seven years now
| and are still sound. The horses have stripped the bark off them but
| that's all.

Yes, several conifers are like that, and so apparently is Robinia.
It seems that the resin protects them for a while but, when they
go, they go fast. The tannins of oak etc. seem to lose effect
more gradually, as I have observed it.

But that is actually a slow-rotting position, compared to posts
put into the ground - my theory is that logs on the surface often
dry out completely once a year, and that kills some mycelia. Also,
mycelia travel much faster along the grain than across it, so any
rot spreads more slowly.

Whether my theory is correct I don't know, but my observation is
definitely that logs lying on the ground rot much more slowly than
similar ones placed upright in the ground.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

(Very much OT.) Fascinating -- and it's a long time since I heard or
saw the word "telewag"! A bee in my bonnet coming up: people's
history. In my time I've read several short books, very informal and
"natural", simply recounting the story of their working lives and
recording their trade language and slang by railwaymen, seamen,
poachers (!), and others, and they've always been rivetting.

People usually think history is all about kings and generals, but of
course that's only part of it: it's a tragedy when we lose the
memories of those in the engine room. I can see you two both know how
to tell a tale, so why not put some of it down for posterity? Help
may be available from the WEA, local history societies, maybe a Union
Education Officer (if they still exist), or Ruskin College Oxford
among others. A chat with somebody from the local paper (she'll buy
the beer if she knows what's good for her!) should start you off with
a short article, and it might grow from there.

Telecommunications, all the way to the Internet: a great story to
have been part of!

--
Mike.



I have in fact helped a Dr Liddle in compiling such as you say, or guiding
people to Dr Liddle, for their 'History' and stories first for WWI then and
now WWII.

If anyone wants to contribute their story, they can find him at York
University.

As far as my writings are concerned; quite a bit and varied. Wrote an
article for a Church Magazine on the Transatlantic Telephone Cable and how
the Ocean Floor is not flat, as one first thinks, but running down the
centre of the Atlantic Ocean is a Mountain Range and the precautions which
had to be taken into account to get the cable from one side of "The Pond" to
the other.

Mike

"Mike" wrote in message
...


(Very much OT.) Fascinating -- and it's a long time since I heard or
saw the word "telewag"! A bee in my bonnet coming up: people's
history. In my time I've read several short books, very informal and
"natural", simply recounting the story of their working lives and
recording their trade language and slang by railwaymen, seamen,
poachers (!), and others, and they've always been riveting.

People usually think history is all about kings and generals, but of
course that's only part of it: it's a tragedy when we lose the
memories of those in the engine room. I can see you two both know how
to tell a tale, so why not put some of it down for posterity? Help
may be available from the WEA, local history societies, maybe a Union
Education Officer (if they still exist), or Ruskin College Oxford
among others. A chat with somebody from the local paper (she'll buy
the beer if she knows what's good for her!) should start you off with
a short article, and it might grow from there.

Telecommunications, all the way to the Internet: a great story to
have been part of!

--
Mike.



I have in fact helped a Dr Liddle in compiling such as you say, or guiding
people to Dr Liddle, for their 'History' and stories first for WWI then
and
now WWII.

If anyone wants to contribute their story, they can find him at York
University.

As far as my writings are concerned; quite a bit and varied. Wrote an
article for a Church Magazine on the Transatlantic Telephone Cable and how
the Ocean Floor is not flat, as one first thinks, but running down the
centre of the Atlantic Ocean is a Mountain Range and the precautions which
had to be taken into account to get the cable from one side of "The Pond"
to
the other.

Mike
********
Stop it! - Please do, or tears will swell.
I lined up that cable at my R/Station and the two each side just after it
was laid . There are repeaters in it at about every six, (-sixty?) miles
and the co are fail-safe. Faults can be transferred to spare equipment
inside, from either shore terminals. At the time we were on the cutting
edge of technology.
Talk about funny experiences. In the RAF I was electrocuted , and in a coma
for five days, Operated on by the world- renowned Neurologist at Bangour
Hospital , (half way between Edinburgh and Glasgow), Professor Dott.
Bangour was a Lunatic Asylum . Stop laffin, - it was taken over as a B.M.H
(British Military Hospital). The operation I saw there were amazing .
A fortnight after I reached Bombay in India I sailed on the H.M.T.S Varsova,
and on reaching Karachi was taken , with five others to the local prison.
They had no facilities in the local nick so we were driven on to the Sind
desert to M.U. 303 (where Lawrence of Arabia was stationed when he was an
Erk, - and we were held incommunicado for four days and nights in separate
Guard-Rooms . No mattress - just the shorts we stood or laid in.
We got out eventually but ... it's a long story, and this is a gardening
thread.
At Naini Tal in the Himalaya mountains I almost married a lovely highly
educated Lady from Singapore.
Sadly certain conditions finally demanded we had to go our separate ways to
our homelands.
I am half-way through recording this passionate love story and its title is
already decided.
That title is, "Ships that pass in the Night,"... (They signal , - and pass
on).
Doug.

*******
...

"doug" wrote in message news:...

"Mike" wrote in message
...


(Very much OT.) Fascinating -- and it's a long time since I heard or
saw the word "telewag"! A bee in my bonnet coming up: people's
history. In my time I've read several short books, very informal and
"natural", simply recounting the story of their working lives and
recording their trade language and slang by railwaymen, seamen,
poachers (!), and others, and they've always been riveting.

People usually think history is all about kings and generals, but of
course that's only part of it: it's a tragedy when we lose the
memories of those in the engine room. I can see you two both know how
to tell a tale, so why not put some of it down for posterity? Help
may be available from the WEA, local history societies, maybe a Union
Education Officer (if they still exist), or Ruskin College Oxford
among others. A chat with somebody from the local paper (she'll buy
the beer if she knows what's good for her!) should start you off with
a short article, and it might grow from there.

Telecommunications, all the way to the Internet: a great story to
have been part of!

--
Mike.



I have in fact helped a Dr Liddle in compiling such as you say, or
guiding
people to Dr Liddle, for their 'History' and stories first for WWI then
and
now WWII.

If anyone wants to contribute their story, they can find him at York
University.

As far as my writings are concerned; quite a bit and varied. Wrote an
article for a Church Magazine on the Transatlantic Telephone Cable and
how
the Ocean Floor is not flat, as one first thinks, but running down the
centre of the Atlantic Ocean is a Mountain Range and the precautions
which
had to be taken into account to get the cable from one side of "The Pond"
to
the other.

Mike
********
Stop it! - Please do, or tears will swell.
I lined up that cable at my R/Station and the two each side just after it
was laid . There are repeaters in it at about every six, (-sixty?) miles
and the circuits are fail-safe. Faults can be transferred to spare
equipment
inside, from either shore terminals. At the time we were on the cutting
edge of technology.
Talk about funny experiences. In the RAF I was electrocuted , and in a
coma
for five days, Operated on by the world- renowned Neurologist at Bangour
Hospital , (half way between Edinburgh and Glasgow), Professor Dott.
Bangour was a Lunatic Asylum . Stop laffin, - it was taken over as a
B.M.H
(British Military Hospital). The operation I saw there were amazing .
A fortnight after I reached Bombay in India I sailed on the H.M.T.S
Varsova,
and on reaching Karachi was taken , with five others to the local prison.
They had no facilities in the local nick so we were driven on to the Sind
desert to M.U. 303 (where Lawrence of Arabia was stationed when he was an
Erk, - and we were held incommunicado for four days and nights in separate
Guard-Rooms . No mattress - just the shorts we stood or laid in.
We got out eventually but ... it's a long story, and this is a gardening
thread.
At Naini Tal in the Himalaya mountains I almost married a lovely highly
educated Lady from Singapore.
Sadly certain conditions finally demanded we had to go our separate ways
to
our homelands.
I am half-way through recording this passionate love story and its title
is
already decided.
That title is, "Ships that pass in the Night,"... (They signal , - and
pass
on).
Doug.

*******
..