Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-11-27

tracks In the mud Indicated that there was
hard tussle before Il was abandoned.
CLOSE to the big house a few aspen
leaves futtered on twigs IN the water.
Evidently some large pieces OF aspen were
sunk beneath-the pile Of winter supplies
was started I waded out into the water,
prodded around with a pole and found
several small logs. Dragging one Of them
70 the surface I found there were three
notehes on It,
Scores OF aspens were felled IN the
grove where the notohed ones were. They
were trimmed, cut into sections and limbs,
legs and all taken over the route Of the
one 1 had followed. and at last placed in a
pile beside the big house. This harvest
gathering went on for a month. The aver
age diameter Of the aspens cut was four
and one-half inches at the top Of the
stump. Numerous seedlings OF an inch
diameter were cut and the largest tree
felled for this harvest measured fourteen
inches across the stump.
This had been laid low only few hours
before / found II, and a bushsl Of white
chips and cuttings encircled the iifeless
stump IKE a wreath. In falling the top
had become entangled in an alder thicket
and lodged six feet from the ground. 1t
remained IN this position TOT several Gays
and was apparently abandoned; but the
last tins / went TO see II the alders which
upheld It were being cut away. Although
the alders were thick upon the ground only
those which had upheld the aspen had been
cut. II may be that the beaver which
felled them looked and thought before they
went ahead with the cutting
Animal shrewdneas.
aNN Va@-
aspens been left uncut in a place where
all were convenient for HARVEST All other
neighborinE aspens were cut years ago
one explanation is that the beaver real
lied that the tops OF the aspens were en-
tangled and interlocked In the limbs Of
crowding spruces and would not fall II cut
off at the bottom. This and one other
were the only large ones that we're felled ;
the tops OF these had been recently re-
leased by the overturninB OF some spruoes
and the breaking Of several branches on
others. other scattered large aspens were
left uncut, but all OF these were clasped
in the arms Of nearby spruces.
TT was the habit Of these oolonlsts to
transfer tree 30 the harvest pile promptly
after cutting II down But one morning I
found logs on slides, IN canals and unfin-
ished work in the grove as though every
] tnlnS nau Deen suddenly dropped IN tno
night when work was at its height. !
found the explanation In a bears track
and numerous wolf tracks.
This years harvest was so much larger
than usual that it may be the population
| OF this colony had been increased by the
arrival OF emigrants from q prosecuted coll
| ony down in the valley. The total harvest
numbered 448 trees. These made a harvest
| pile four feet high and ninety feet in cir
| conference,
! "A thick covering Of willows was placed
on top of the harvest pile; I cannot tell for
| what reason unless II was to sink all the
aspen below reach Of the ice This bulk
Of stores, together with numerous roots OF
/ willow and water plants, which In the
water are eaten from the bottom OF the
pond, would support numerous beaver
population through the days Of ice and
/ snow,
"On the last tour through the colony
everything vas ready for winter long and
cold dams were In repair and ponds were
| trimming over with water the fresh coats
\ OF mud on the houses were freezing TO
defy enemies and bountiful harvest was
/ home"