Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture (Conservation Classics)

Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture (Conservation Classics)

Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture (Conservation Classics)

Author(s): J. Russell Smith

Publisher: Devin-Adair Pub

Paperback: 422 pages

ISBN: 0933280440

ISBN-13: 978-0933280441

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Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture (Conservation Classics)

This is an amazing book! Published in 1950, it is the second, enlarged edition of a book originally written in, I think, 1939. It reflects a lifetime of research around the world and personal trials on the author’s farm in Virginia on the uses of tree crops for animal and human food. It anticipates the permaculture literature in advocating a “two-storey” agriculture, with tree crops (primarily nuts) as the primary source of animal fodder on sloping and hilly land. It documents the incredible productivity of tree crops and their traditional uses as fodder for pigs, goats, cattle, and poultry. I was particularly struck by the evidence from southern Europe, where extensive chestnut forests produce(d) some of the finest pork in the region. But there is evidence from around the globe, attesting to not only the uses of tree crops but their potential for breeding to build on that potential.

Following up on Smith’s advice, I went to my local garden shop recently to inquire about honey locusts. Oh yes, I was told, we sold quite a few to the city as shade trees. No, no, I said, I want a messy variety, one that drops bushels of pods. She looked it up. Apparently the breeders have indeed been at work since Smith wrote — eliminating the seeds from a tree that could provide nutritious feed to replace the corn and soy beans whose production has been ravishing the planet for decades! The book should be in every permaculturalist’s library but in every rural public library, as well, and regularly taught in our terrible agricultural colleges.

–Michael Foley

Introduction to Permaculture

Introduction to Permaculture

Introduction to Permaculture

Author(s): Bill Mollison, Reny Mia Slay

Publisher: Ten Speed

ISBN: 0908228082

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Revised Paperback, 224 pages

This is a great introduction and overview of permaculture concepts. The book covers a lot of material for initiates to permaculture. It’s sets the foundation for further reading and studies for those who want to get serious though one could take the principles learned just from this book alone and be quite successful in my opinion. You learn how the sun, wind and rain, all play an important role in siting structures like homes, sheds, barns, green and shade houses and also in garden and plant selection and placement. The book also covers designing for temperate, tropical and dry-land environments. It explains how interconnected relationships between the land, climate, soils, water, structures, flora and fauna can be fostered to the benefit of all. There are just so many creative ideas and diagrams in this book that it is worth it for those alone. The book is 8 1/4 X 11 inches with small print that fills the pages with valuable information. I want to live in the sub-tropics of Hawaii and enjoyed the coverage in this regard but, the book also left me day dreaming about living the permaculture lifestyle in other areas like the High Desert of New Mexico and the Pacific Northwest of Oregon. This book touches on all the possibilities, from the home garden with a few animals to commercial orchards, forests, animal farms, aquaculture, urban gardens and more. But don’t get me wrong, it does not cover these topics in depth, it gives a thorough introduction to these topics and an understanding that one would likely not gain by reading just one book. Also each chapter ends with a list of references for further reading. In addition there are appendices listing useful permaculture plants, such as nitrogen fixing plants. One appendix even breaks it down into useful categories, such as fruit plants and trees for temperate, topical/sub-tropical and dry areas,pest control plants and finally appendices which list hundreds of the plants mentioned in the text by common, Latin, and by species names. The book ends with a glossary of key terms used in the book and few pages about Bill Mollison (One of the founders of permaculture) and the permaculture institute including info on their 72 hour PC Design Certificate Course.

Permaculture: A Designers' Manual

Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual

Permaculture: A Designers' Manual

Author(s): Bill Mollison

Publisher: Ten Speed

ISBN: 0908228015

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For those of us searching for an ecologically responsible lifestyle amid urban and suburban insanity, Bill Mollison has a real and exciting answer. This book is full of helpful advice presented in a very readable way. (The only problem might be getting stuck in the chapters on climates that don’t concern you; just skip them until later!) The groundwork philosophy of permaculture is laid first, and the book moves from there to the practical business of actually designing one. The emphasis is on letting various plant and animal species work together as much as possible, to form a basically self-sustaining system from which people can reap a continual harvest, not only of food, but of interest and self-respect. What a prospect! It is certainly a very different one from what we young people have been taught to expect from life! This volume is much more complete in both the philosophy and the practice than were the original “Permaculture One” and “Permaculture Two.” It is also much less focused on the Southern Hemisphere, which is helpful for North Americans trying to visualize their own permaculture. I can only hope that more people happen upon this book as I did and are themselves inspired to create a fulfilling life for themselves and their children.

— Wendell Berry

This is the permaculture bible, written by the great guru of permaculture. Site design issues are interwoven throughout the text.

 

Wood Users Guide

Author(s): Pamela Wellner

Publisher: Rainforest Action Network (May 1991)

Paperback: 64 pages

ISBN: 0962803316

ISBN-13: 978-0962803314

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Wood Users Guide

Paperback
Publication date: May 1991

Ecoforestry: The Art and Science of Sustainable Forest Use

Ecoforestry: The Art and Science of Sustainable Forest Use

Ecoforestry: The Art and Science of Sustainable Forest Use

Author(s): Alan Rike Drengson (Editor), Duncan MacDonald Taylor (Editor), Jerry Mander

Publisher: New Society Pub

Paperback: 320 pages

ISBN: 0865713650

ISBN-13: 978-0865713659

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Ecoforestry : The Art and Science of Sustainable Forest Use Paperback 320 pages April 1997 Dimensions (in inches): 0.90 x 8.98 x 8.02 Independent Presses Editor’s Recommended Book What can a weekend gardener do about the conditions of the world’s forests? Plenty. Respect for the land fosters universal values that inspire responsible use of lumber and wildlife resources. Ecoforestry explains what can be done on the personal and national levels. According to World Resources Institute, forests cover nearly 40 percent of Earth’s land area. The plants provide oxygen to our planet and relieve it of excess carbon monoxide. Forests thrill us with their beauty and sustain a panoply of wildlife and plant life. The authors concur that our efforts toward conservation must take into account the future needs of our children and grandchildren, and that forestry practices must be consistent with the cycles and diversity of the natural forest.

The Once and Future Forest: A Guide To Forest Restoration Strategies

The Once and Future Forest: A Guide to Forest Restoration Strategies

The Once and Future Forest: A Guide To Forest Restoration Strategies

Author(s): Leslie Jones Sauer, Ian McHarg

Publisher: Island Press; 1 edition (February 1, 1998)

Paperback: 400 pages

ISBN: 1559635533

ISBN-13: 978-1559635530

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Developed by the landscape design firm of Andropogon Associates, world-renowned for their innovative approach to integrating environmental protection and restoration with landscape architecture and design, The Once and Future Forest is a guidebook for restoring and managing natural landscapes. Focusing on remnant forest systems, it describes methods of restoring and linking forest fragments to re-create a whole landscape fabric.

Lumber from Local Woodlots

Author(s): Robert L. Edmonds

Publisher: Midwest Plan Service

ISBN: 0935817093

ISBN-13: 978-0935817096

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Lumber from Local Woodlots (Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineering Service, No 23)

Paperback
Publication date: August 1988

The booklet discusses harvesting timber and sawing the logs into useful material, storing it and most importantly, selecting lumber for various building uses with a fairly comprehensive list of species and their building-use characteristics.

Landscaping With Native Trees

Landscaping With Native Trees

Landscaping With Native TreesAuthor(s): Guy Sternberg, Jim Wilson, James W. Wilson

Publisher: Chapters Pub Ltd

Paperback: 288 pages

ISBN: 1881527662

ISBN-13: 978-1881527664

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Landscaping With Native Trees: The Northeast, Midwest, Midsouth & Southeast Edition

Paperback, 288 pages
Publication date: April 1996

Discusses the advantages and disadvantages, as well as the planting, care, and range, of virtually every tree species native to eastern North America north of the Gulf Coast. Covers landscaping, transplanting, leaf and tree silhouettes, and sources. Color photos present virtually every tree mentioned. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Midwest Book Review:
Residents of the Eastern regions will appreciate an edition which uses the expertise of these gardener authors to explore the pros and cons of over a hundred native trees. An organization by species makes it easy to locate growing characteristics and details on cultivation.

The publisher, Chapters Publishing (chapterj@together.net), 12/05/96:
Reviews Library Journal, Essential for most public libraries.; HortIdeas, Authoritative, up-to-date and beautifully produced.; Indianapolis Star, A beautiful and informative book.

Table of Contents
Introduction
At Home in the Forest
Getting Started
Building Around Your Trees
Dependable, Ornamental Natives
Tree & Leaf Silhouettes
From Abies to Ulmus
Specialty Trees
Glossary
Sources
Organizations
Bibliography
Index
USDA Hardiness Zone Map

Texas Trees: A Friendly Guide

Texas Trees: A Friendly Guide

Texas Trees: A Friendly Guide

Author(s): Patty Leslie, Paul W. Cox

Publisher: Corona Publishers

Paperback: 374 pages

ISBN: 0931722675

ISBN-13: 978-0931722677

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At last, an authoritative guide that is also readable; one that shows the trees’ relation to human and animal life — even in the charming illustrations. Includes leaf-shape guide, range maps, and an index of popular and scientific names for over 120 trees, both native and naturalized.

 

About the Author

Botanist Paul Cox is supervisor of the San Antonio Botanical Center. patty Leslie is the Center’s horticulturist in charge of native plant areas.