Guide to the Cultural and Natural History of the Four Soldiers Path

Pasture Evidence

. . . tree trunks larger in diameter than surrounding tree
trunks . . . may be in an old pasture area.

During colonization, land was cleared for homesteads, including pastureland for grazing animals and cultivated land for growing crops and hay. There is still some evidence of pastures along the Four Soldiers Path and, of course, much evidence along Pasture Path, including its name! The following signs will help you spot areas along the path that may have been cleared for pastureland more that one hundred years ago.

Wolf trees are trees that spent their early years of growth surrounded by pasture. Trees grown in the open extend their branches outward, taking in vast amounts of sunlight and hoarding space from future competition. These trees are evidence of what at one time was an open area. Trees grown in a forested areas exhibit tall, narrow trunks and multiple canopy branching that compete with others for limited sunlight. Look through the forest for tree trunks larger in diameter than surrounding tree trunks and you may be in an old pasture area.

Juniper is found only in overgrazed pastures, crevices of rock outcrops, and dry, nutrient poor soils. A volatile oil in the leaves makes Juniper unpalatable, so livestock would have avoided it. These low-growing evergreen shrubs have three-sided needles that occur in whorls of three with three-sided branchlets.

White pine on upland slopes may indicate old pasture land. Pine seeds need soil free of leaf litter and duff in order to germinate. The pines of pre-colonial time grew in the moist, silty or sandy soil, but the cutting of pine for the British Navy and for colonial use reduced the population dramatically. Seeds left behind in upland pastures were more likely to germinate there than in other locations, where conditions were less favorable.

Stunted apple trees with gnarled, twisting branches are another clue of old pasture. Browsing animals would feed on the tree and contort the tree’s growth. Once the browsing stopped, the tree would grow normally once again. So, unlike the juniper, the apple tree’s defense is one of simple tolerance.

Note: Of all the above pasture indicators, only wolf trees are clearly visible along the Four Soldiers Path. An off-trail bushwhack may reveal others. Right next to the trail sign pointing to the “view” spur trail, is a massive yellow birch, surrounded by other large, expansive trees. This relatively flat area is a good suspect for a former pasture, though other clues may be needed to confirm it. Pasture Path is the eastern approach to the Four Soldiers Path and has many indications that it travels across old pastureland, not the least of which is its name.

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