Black locust on the property

Black locust, not to be confused with the vicious, long-thorned honey locust varieties, is an extremely valuable resource to the homestead.
Next to the spark-throwing, popping and snapping hedge, a.k.a. osage orange, black locust, which does not spark violently, is the best firewood there is. It is also an excellent ground cover for hillsides and high erosion areas, being about the fastest growing hardwood in existence.
I don't like it for long-term fencing projects. It simply doesn't compare with hedge for underground duration, but it does make excellent framing material for barns and outbuildings. Sawn, it makes hard, durable and tough lumber. It grows relatively straight and very tall, making for valuable lengths of lumber and poles for larger buildings. We pour concrete footings to place locust poles on in construction whenever practical, though we do bury locust poles that will be perfectly protected from weather, deeper inside the interior of a building.
Locust can be "farmed", taking the mature trees, with assurance that young ones will come up dependably from the roots. We thin all the shoots save the straightest coming from each stump. As for the leaves being toxic, we've never had a problem with our livestock, but we do keep all side growth trimmed from the growing timbers as high as we can reach, promoting straighter, faster growth and allowing all energy to be put into the tree's height. That process also makes the "field" much easier to maintain, regulate and harvest. Black locust makes a beautiful grove. The heavenly blossoms which come on in mid May in this area are an early blessing for the bees. The wood splits easily.
Black locusts are nitrogen-fixing legumes.....a fact that should be kept in mind
as the patch, and the farm, are managed over the years.

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“I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” Barry Goldwater.
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