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The Rural Voice, 2000-10, Page 37is that prices remain near all-time highs with heavy demand for veneer Togs and upper grades of lumber from markets in the United States and Europe, though the Asian market hasn't fully recovered from the economic downturn there. Highest demand is for hard maple and black cherry with red oak starting to rise as well. White ash prices rose for a while but seem to be flattening out now, he says. The other good news for woodlots, most of those contacted agree, has been this year's wet weather after two or three years of drought. Tree growth has been phenomenal, says Roland with the conifers putting out long shoots this year. New seedlings have had trouble competing with grass and weeds, but for the most part the trees "have taken the water and said 'this is great.— Eccles agrees. "The moisture's the best thing that could have happened," he says. A lot of the woodlots he's visited in the Grey Bruce area where the drought was the most severe, were showing signs of heavy stress. Some had earlier been stressed by forest tent caterpillar damage and the drought compounded the problem, and some of the tree tops are in decline. Though this year's moisture has been a blessing for trees, it will take a while to see a full recovery, says Watson. Typically after a drought it can take six years for tree rings to return to their normal growth pattern. And remember, the water table had dropped by as much as 25 feet in places, he says. And there's a potential menace on the horizon, Eccles says. The population of the forest tent caterpillars has been increasing in the far north of the province where it usually becomes a problem before spreading south. In two or three years it could be a problem in southern areas. With the value of a year's growth at today's prices, bush owners should be on the lookout for the pest. "The value you're losing is very high," he says. It's a value many farmers ignore until years like this when they rediscover the worth of that woodlot at the back of the farm.0 L1•1� Fo 1:5 CONSULTINCr Tree Marking Woodlot Assessments Management Plans Aggregates 1-888-923-9995 Serving Ontario Warren D. Moore Forest Specialist specializing in: * Woodlot Manage " Timber Marking and M * Tree Pruning, Tree Rem Tree Planting Services Blyth Certified Managed 523-9855 Forest Plan Approver GET TI1E 1IO$T FOR YOUR TREES! We purchase hardwood Togs and standing timber We use Provincially licensed tree markers and certified equipment operators We take special care in harvesting We are an end-user of your logs We offer veneer log prices Pannill Veneer Co. Ltd. 340 Louisa St., Kitchener established in 1927 (519) 742-5887 BRUSSELS LIVESTOCKSaOct.7-4HShowLocal �[ 887-6461 Q 887-6811 << �� SALES ''aWed., ''a1 Oct. 21 8lf 8 Salelee 1:0:p.m. Wed., Oct. 25 - Vaccinated Calves and Yearlings 11:00 a.m. Sat., Nov. 4 - Bred Cow Sale 11:00 a.m. Wed., Nov. 8 • Vaccinated Calves and Yearlings 11:00 a.m. Sat., Nov. 18- Local Calf Sale 10:00a.m. Wed.,Nov. 22 • Vaccinated Calves and Tuesdays 9 a.m. - Fed Cattle, Cows, Bulls Thursdays 8 a.m. - Bob Calves, Veal, Lambs & Goats Fridays 10 a.m. - Stockers 1 p.m. - Pigs Confidence • Trust • Service WESTERN STOCKERS AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE SALE Wherever you want to go. • Advanced 4 -stroke SOHC powerplant has a greater towing rating than any other ATV in its class • 4x4 traction -grabbing, Automatic Power -Drive System • 242 pound capacity composite racks • High snorkel air duct provides exceptional waterproofing • Leader in anti -icing carb heater technology Kawasaki K Kawasaki GEORGIAN POWIR SPORTS OIMOWa, ONTARIO (519) 369-3594 Hwy 6, Just south of Durham OCTOBER 2000 33 r