How old is this tree?

Determine how old the wire is first.

Paul in PA

I'm going to guess between 60 and 100 years depending on how harsh growing conditions are. I do alot of work at higher elevations (2500 to 3000') in southern Vermont and I often see small diameter Beeches with old wire remains in them and yet the tree is only 3" in diameter. I also find 50 year old blazes in smaller beeches too. They seem to grow faster in kinder environments though.

This is all based on personal experience and not science so your mileage may vary.

Gregg

If you want to know for sure get an incrament borer, take a sample, and count the growth rings. I have done so in the past to indicate the age of blazes and wire fencing imbedded in trees.

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Paul in PA, post: 387485, member: 236 wrote: Determine how old the wire is first.

Paul in PA

Like, how? Carbon dating?

You can determine a minimum date by reviewing the barb pattern against patent dates. This would be an earliest date, imagine a spool sitting in a barn for 50 years before being utilized.

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Paul D, post: 387497, member: 323 wrote: You can determine a minimum date by reviewing the barb pattern against patent dates. This would be an earliest date, imagine a spool sitting in a barn for 50 years before being utilized.

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It's not barbed wire. The fence is like a 8" x 8" grid; pretty thick wire..perhaps .125"; The verticals look like they were pinch welded to the horizontals, but I have no idea how old fencing like this is made. I'd love to establish the age of the fence. I'm digging into any surveys I can find that share the fence line.

We don't have beech trees in Oregon but if it were an Alder, which are similar in appearance, it might be no more than 10 - 15 years old at that size.

Yes, the old woven wire fence. Again, I would point you to an increment borer to accurately date the placement of the fence. If you bore in the right place you can hit the scaring caused by the fence.

As mentioned by GMPLS above, the growth rate of trees in our area is greatly affected by placement on slope, elevation, canopy cover etc., so it can be difficult to gauge age based on size alone. Hemlocks can bide their time for decades in the understory and appear to be little more than saplings.

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That's quite the healthy looking beech tree!

As already stated, the Increment borer is the tool you need for this job.

kjypls, post: 387530, member: 9749 wrote: That's quite the healthy looking beech tree!

As already stated, the Increment borer is the tool you need for this job.

Checked eBay. They don't give those away.:pensive:

There are times when it is necessary to hire a tree expert who would have the proper tools.

It is wrong to assume the surveyor is the only expert out in the field.

Paul in PA

Is it on the property line? Are there other trees with wire in them? Find another less heathy tree with wire in it and cut it down.

Edit, I just saw the pink flagging so I'm guessing it is near a property line.

Gregg

GMPLS, post: 387538, member: 8404 wrote: Is it on the property line? Are there other trees with wire in them? Find another less heathy tree with wire in it and cut it down.

Edit, I just saw the pink flagging so I'm guessing it is near a property line.

Gregg

It's a property line. I like the creativeness of the idea, but for now will look for other evidence. I do know a tree guy that has a borer.

As an idea if you use a regular long auger bit.
Then use a cheep usb borescope attched to phone. Might be possible to count the rings?

Find an old guy that helped put up the fence.

Older wire fences can be dated by their style for time of manufacture and there are texts available. Because of patents obvious difference were notable. Carbon dating is for carbon based products. while there is carbon in steel it cannot be separated for carbon dating.

Paul in PA

Paul in PA, post: 387661, member: 236 wrote: Older wire fences can be dated by their style for time of manufacture and there are texts available. Because of patents obvious difference were notable. Carbon dating is for carbon based products. while there is carbon in steel it cannot be separated for carbon dating.

Paul in PA

Paul: My comment about carbon dating was supposed to be a funny. Sorry.
My tree guy has a 12" long borer, which would do the trick. He says "It's not that big; the record holder in Vermont is 40" in DIAMETER. It's probably 100-120 years old." There is another Ash and the biggest White Birch in the neighborhood too; I'm going to try talking him into making the hike sometime.

rfc, post: 387662, member: 8882 wrote: Paul: My comment about carbon dating was supposed to be a funny. Sorry.
My tree guy has a 12" long borer, which would do the trick. He says "It's not that big; the record holder in Vermont is 40" in DIAMETER. It's probably 100-120 years old." There is another Ash and the biggest White Birch in the neighborhood too; I'm going to try talking him into making the hike sometime.

Tree growth can vary from hill to hill. I had two pecan trees in my front yard that were both planted in 1963. One was only 2/3 the size of the other at the trunk.

If you could find a woodcutter in the area that could show you similar sized trees of the same species that he has felled lately you could do some ring counting and make an educated guess. Oh, and don't try to joke with Paul...he's an engineer for chissake...;)

2016 - 1938 = 78