The Rural Voice, 1979-07, Page 8Douglas Graham, 81, in the walnut grove he planted
40 years ago.
"They're here and they're looking
to heaven," 81 year old says
of his walnut grove
BY SHEILA GUNBY
"Another forty years, this will be the
most valuable piece of ground on the whole
farm."
Eighty-one year old Douglas Graham of
Lucknow, is talking about the half acre of
black walnuts he planted in the late 1930's.
The 700 treesonostly black walnut with a
few white ash, are planted on a steep
hillside on the second of K inloss in Bruce
County, on a farm Mr. Graham once
owned.
11—We used to go down that hill with a
PG. 6 THE RURAL VOICE/JULY 1070
binder and horses," he said, "It was pretty
steep."
That was when Douglas Graham decided
to plant trees that were provided free by
the government if the purchaser paid the
express on them.
Today,_ some of those trees are 30 to 40
feet tall.
"I'm advocating people should be
planting more trees" states Mr. Graham."
"Not one quarter of one percent are
planting trees when they should."
Also M. Graham planted soft maples
around his barnyard many years ago. Once
they got a fair size, he cancelled his wind
insurance on his barn because he felt it was
so well protected.
The farm also has a pear tree, 80 years
old, planted before he lived on the farm.
"It produced five or six bushels of pears
last year", he said.
Mr. Graham is proud of the trees he
planted. He walked through his grove of
black walnuts and stated simply. "They're
here and they're looking to heaven."