Thanks Tom, I think New Mexico may be like our conditions. We get twenty inches - 500 mm, between April/ May and October. The rain just stops in our spring and our grain g crops die not ripen. I was in England in their Autumn and could not get over the headers on the paddock with green flag on the grain. They are using dryers and we are wishing for rain to finish the crop. The actual rainfall is not that much different, but the evaporation is, we have six to nine feet of evaporation. Our soils are mainly highly alkaline, but mine are slightly acid.
I think the largest area of Pinus radiata forests is in South Australia. All our housing here is built from it. It grows much better here than at home. Thomas Schley wrote: > Gil, many towns in the parts of Vermont, New Hampshire, New Brunswick > and Quebec where I spent much of my youth are now without trees along > the main streets. This is because many if not most were Dutch elm > trees. Part of the problem may have been that too many elms where > planted (for their graceful beauty no doubt) and little else - too > little diversity is a dangerous thing. Sort of similar to the vast > Pinus radiata forests now planted on North Island and probably in Oz > too. > > Oddly enough we have a very healthy large Dutch elm here on our place > in New Mexico. Since this is way out of their natural range they are > very scattered and possibly safe from the spread of the disease. The > climate here is very much drier than where elms are usually found, > but the temperature range is fairly close, though normally our > winters are shorter here. > > By the way, I saw some wonderful churches in Wales, listened to sheep > auctions in Welsh and visited the church bell ringers in Swansea. > It's well worth the trip. > > -Tom
