Author Topic: What are they and how did I get them ? (Read 3827 times)

sprucebunny · « **on:** October 01, 2006, 02:06:33 pm »

A slightly weird whatsit

What are these seeds and how did I get them all

First correct guess can have half of them

Paul_H · « **Reply #1 on:** October 01, 2006, 02:10:36 pm »

I don't know what they are but I'll guess that you got them off of a Squirrell at gunpoint

ducknutt · « **Reply #2 on:** October 01, 2006, 02:15:39 pm »

palmagranite...and you spit the seeds out?

sawguy21 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 01, 2006, 03:15:32 pm »

Paul, I just made a mess on the keyboard.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #4 on:** October 01, 2006, 03:52:08 pm »

I wish I could see closer, but I think sprucebunny was busy collecting fir cones before they got super dry. But, and this is why I need to see close, if they have no attached seed wing they are not fir. Balsam fir seed wing has to be mechanically removed in the extraction process.

Anyway, to continue with the process... She hung them in burlap and dried the fir cones good until they disintegrated (fell apart) and she thrashed them somehow, maybe by tumbling to get the small seed separated from the large bracts of the cones. Now she has collected the seed. This year there is alot of seed on fir. If the seed are spruce or pine or tamarack or hemlock the procedure is similar, only the cones don't fall apart, they just open up with a good drying. I'm thinking it might be white pine seed after seeing those brown needles in between the dishes.

Am I close?

You got homes for all that seed?

sprucebunny · « **Reply #5 on:** October 01, 2006, 04:38:32 pm »

Paul ... very good guess

And SD is close also

All the clues you need are in the picture.

And here's your closeup, SD

Texas Ranger · « **Reply #6 on:** October 01, 2006, 05:26:10 pm »

Beggar lice off your britches and dogs, and you can keep my half.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #7 on:** October 01, 2006, 05:33:54 pm »

I dunno, but looks 'spicious. I think she went to the seed centre and bought a sac-o-seed (fir) and just dipped them dishes in the fir seed bag. Sure the right shape for fir. Somebody removed the seed wings too.

.

I think she's going to raise fir seedlings for local Christmas* tree growers.

Erm, too big for balsam fir seed eh? hmmm, got me.

Tom · « **Reply #8 on:** October 01, 2006, 05:51:11 pm »

Looks kinda like apple seeds to me. You making cider, Spruce Bunny?

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #9 on:** October 01, 2006, 05:56:19 pm »

Kind of Tom, but not really. I'm sure they ain't balsam fir either, I was fun'n. They look bigger even than most grains I've seen also. Hmm, she's got us stumped.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #10 on:** October 01, 2006, 05:57:53 pm »

Oh I know! Some kind of organically grown popping corn.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #11 on:** October 01, 2006, 06:00:48 pm »

mmm, I can smell a bag of fresh popping corn comin my way.

Toot toot

Tom · « **Reply #12 on:** October 01, 2006, 06:10:41 pm »

well, I know what it isn't. It isn't coconuts. Unless somebody hybridized a bunch of trees for munchkins.

Timburr · « **Reply #13 on:** October 01, 2006, 06:17:39 pm »

You first pic. looks like fly seeds to me, for casting out to hungry fish

pigman · « **Reply #14 on:** October 01, 2006, 06:39:51 pm »

Looks like dock seed. You got it from your dock patch.

Bob

Tom · « **Reply #15 on:** October 01, 2006, 07:15:48 pm »

The first picture has a conifer needle bundle next to the pans. If that is a hint, then it is some kind of conifer. The newspaper may be a hint, but I don't know what it would be. the sack might be a hint, but the only thing I can see it being used for would be containing cones that the seed was being shaken or beat from.

The second picture has seeds. The only other thing I see that might be a hint is the wood grain (if that is what it is) of the surface beneath the paper. I'm puzzled.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #16 on:** October 01, 2006, 07:24:07 pm »

Ah, they are white ash seeds. Now she's been busy.

Is that a white ash board? It looks ring porous.

Modat22 · « **Reply #17 on:** October 01, 2006, 07:24:21 pm »

Are those the seeds that are harvested by letting goats eat the fruit off trees then collecting the waste for the seed then pressing the seed into an oil??

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #18 on:** October 01, 2006, 07:27:31 pm »

I didn't dare mention she was pokin critter poop with a stick to get the seeds.

Radar67 · « **Reply #19 on:** October 01, 2006, 07:44:58 pm »

Tom, that might explain the newspaper.

Stew

sprucebunny · « **Reply #20 on:** October 01, 2006, 08:33:46 pm »

Well, I've done some strange things but pokin critter poop to get seeds ain't one of them

And it's too cold for coconuts here.

Bob, if I found some dock seed could I grow a dock

Great !!!! Now I need a pond

This picture may give you more clues but like I said to begin with; this is a little weird

Dan_Shade · « **Reply #21 on:** October 01, 2006, 10:21:49 pm »

you're not grooming the porcupines, are you?

beenthere · « **Reply #22 on:** October 01, 2006, 10:39:42 pm »

Pickin up paw paws?

pigman · « **Reply #23 on:** October 01, 2006, 10:54:44 pm »

Quote from: sprucebunny on October 01, 2006, 08:33:46 pm

Bob, if I found some dock seed could I grow a dock Great !!!! Now I need a pond

I guess I was not correct in my guess.

Now Joan, I thought everyone had heard of dock, also called burdock

The seed do look just like the ones you have pictured.
dock : any of a genus (Rumex) of the buckwheat family of coarse weedy plants.
Bob

sprucebunny · « **Reply #24 on:** October 01, 2006, 11:13:12 pm »

No porkypines, Dan.

This is the scene of the incident. The black fabric in the other pics is geo-textile that I'm using for an outdoor carpet next to my little camper

SwampDonkey, you were so close to identifing the seeds. You should look at them again

Bob, you're right about the seeds resembling seeds of the buckwheat family. Is burdock what we call 'burrs' ? The size of a marble, velcro bush

Corley5 · « **Reply #25 on:** October 01, 2006, 11:17:37 pm »

Pine nuts

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #26 on:** October 02, 2006, 12:41:12 pm »

Hmm, she must be camping under some big white pine and the seeds landed on the fabric, so she's been sweeping the fabric for white pine seed.

Hmm, well didn't I mention that one before? Hmm, I think she's mess'n with us.

Look to be too big for white pine though. Hmm, gotta cogitate.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #27 on:** October 02, 2006, 12:56:49 pm »

Well it's gotta be some kind of grain or weed seed. Not wheet, not barley, not oats and probably not rye. Hmmm I still think the seed is dropping on that fabric and she's harvesting it there. I'm wondering if its a sedge or rush seed.

Texas Ranger · « **Reply #28 on:** October 02, 2006, 01:57:02 pm »

OK, I'll go with maple, sugar or red. Or box elder.

sprucebunny · « **Reply #29 on:** October 02, 2006, 07:25:44 pm »

Just for SD, another seed pic with dimes for size comparison

You guys are getting colder and colder. The seeds have a noticable and pleasant smell. Guess I'm gonna have to just explain, eh?

Those are Canadian dimes in there

wiam · « **Reply #30 on:** October 02, 2006, 08:45:18 pm »

I do not know what they are, but they are not maple.

Will

Tom · « **Reply #31 on:** October 02, 2006, 08:48:09 pm »

They aren't Mango either.

BBTom · « **Reply #32 on:** October 02, 2006, 09:58:01 pm »

They look like small Beechnut to me.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #33 on:** October 02, 2006, 10:03:32 pm »

Are the seeds legal?

Riles · « **Reply #34 on:** October 02, 2006, 10:39:11 pm »

Avocado. I understand they don't grow so big up north.

Texas Ranger · « **Reply #35 on:** October 02, 2006, 11:31:59 pm »

annis

sprucebunny · « **Reply #36 on:** October 02, 2006, 11:46:00 pm »

You guys are getting silly, now

Does this mean you give up

There is a new clue in the last picture

Tom · « **Reply #37 on:** October 02, 2006, 11:48:21 pm »

The Canadian dimes? You mean they are imported?

Paul_H · « **Reply #38 on:** October 03, 2006, 08:07:07 am »

Abies balsamea ?

We have Abies amabilis which is commonly called Balsam
here and the pitch sure smells good!

Modat22 · « **Reply #39 on:** October 03, 2006, 08:46:22 am »

Mutant stick tites that came out of the dryer vent screen?

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #40 on:** October 03, 2006, 11:31:04 am »

Well between Paul and I we've hit all the 'balsam', except one.

Fraser Fir seed?

Once considered a variety of balsamea until the last few years. But it's native to the mountains in Va, TN, NC, and northern GA I think. But, it still isn't right for balsam as it should be more triangular in shape. I've never smelled much of an odor from softwood seed unless some pitch is attached. As I said earlier, she'd have to have mechanically removed the seed wings also, since they don't fall away as easily as spruce, tamarak, hemlock or pine. And that seed is two big for spruce, tamarak or hemlock.

Now anise seed (licorice) would be a good guess, but it resembles caraway seed, neither of which is pictured there.

She's having fun isn't she?

What I wanna know is what she's using the seed for.

sprucebunny · « **Reply #41 on:** October 03, 2006, 05:20:27 pm »

Paul, you got the seed right with balsam.
http://www.rook.org/earl/bwca/nature/trees/abiesbal.html

It can't be any other fir as there are none in the area. As to the wings being missing, SwampDonkey, well .... that's the rest of the story

Anyone hazard a guess

Paul_H · « **Reply #42 on:** October 03, 2006, 10:52:01 pm »

I'll hazard a couple of guesses

1. Young sapthirsty kid next door has a cruel streak and pull the wings off of defenseless Balsam seed.

2. Mice have harvested winter food and you came across the cache in one of your machines or camper.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #43 on:** October 04, 2006, 07:23:49 am »

Sure fooled me on the balsam. They look bigger and lighter colored than my fir pictured. So, you going into the Christmas* tree business?

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #44 on:** October 04, 2006, 07:28:27 am »

The schooner, 'Blue Nose', on the dime is a Nova Scotia emblom. The balsam fir is the official tree emblom of New Brunswick.

sprucebunny · « **Reply #45 on:** October 04, 2006, 08:06:18 am »

Quote from: Paul_H on October 03, 2006, 10:52:01 pm

2. Mice have harvested winter food and you came across the cache in your camper.

Looks like you win a pint of balsam seed , Paul

The really amazing thing was that the little beasties stored the seed in a plastic bag. I looked in the cupboard and thought I'd left a bag of wheatberries

A couple of weeks ago when I was there, I caught a mouse in the sink. That was the one that was running around my arm and I was yelling NO! at, like it was a bad dog

Besides the mouse having to collect the seed and chew the wings off, they have all been transported at least 50 yards because that's the closest balsam tree. That seems like a long ways for a little mouse!!!

So send me your address, Paul and I'll send you some balsam seed with a little mouse spit on it

I hope when Jeff gets back, he'll find some mouse smilies

This was fun. Thanks, everyone

Paul_H · « **Reply #46 on:** October 04, 2006, 08:20:39 am »

Thanks SB,that was a lot of fun here too.

We have an old motorhome and during one Winter a couple years back we stored it in the equipment shed of a local farmer and in the Spring we found a lot of Oats cached everywhere imaginable.

Tom · « **Reply #47 on:** October 04, 2006, 09:25:40 am »

So...... What is that poor, defenseless mouse gonna eat this winter, huh? Or, did you send his saddle home?

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #48 on:** October 04, 2006, 09:41:38 am »

It sure is amazing how busy those little creatures are. I went out directly under the crown of a balsam tree I planted years ago and was looking for some seed that had fallen from the tree top. I tell ya, even getting down on my hands and knees those seed are some hard to find, even with a wing on them. The only honest to goodness ones I found were still attached by sap to the cone scales. Now just imagine a tiny mouse that has to crawl all through the wet grass, moss and leaves to find those things.

thurlow · « **Reply #49 on:** October 04, 2006, 09:51:10 am »

Well, does SB's story kind'a remind you of this?

"A preacher visits an elderly woman from his congregation. As he sits on the couch he notices a large bowl of peanuts on the coffee table. "Mind if I have a few?" he asks. "No, not at all." the woman replied. They chat for an hour and as the preacher stands to leave, he realizes that instead of eating just a few peanuts, he emptied most of the bowl. "I'm terribly sorry for eating all your peanuts; I really just meant to eat a few." "Oh, that's all right." the woman says. "Ever since I lost my teeth all I can do is suck the chocolate off them anyway."

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #50 on:** October 04, 2006, 09:57:08 am »

Reminds me of a kind of tale my grandfather would tell.

beenthere · « **Reply #51 on:** October 04, 2006, 10:26:47 am »

SD
Those mice finding da seeds is likely akin to us walking in a pumpkin patch and finding da punkins.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #52 on:** October 04, 2006, 10:40:29 am »

I dunno, the view is quite a bit different when your in the middle of pumpkin vines and looking down on the pumpkins, than it is in a forest or jungle of weeds trying to look through all the obsticles and not even sure what your looking for other than the fact anything will do to keep from starving to death.

sprucebunny · « **Reply #53 on:** October 04, 2006, 09:21:30 pm »

Quote from: Tom on October 04, 2006, 09:25:40 am

So...... What is that poor, defenseless mouse gonna eat this winter, huh?

Casual math says that mice and squirrels have cost me about $10,000 in the last five years. The biggest expense being the truck that burned because of a mouse nest in the heater. It was not insured

Good story, Thurlow

News:

Author Topic: What are they and how did I get them ? (Read 3827 times)