Yes, planting oaks is what the British do when planning for the next war.
British is a naval nation and historically our battle ships were made of oak. This meant that oak woods were deliberately planted to keep the navy supplied. However, oaks take a long time to mature.
I read some time ago about a forest that was planted in I think Norway to supply timber for naval vessels, but by the time the trees had grown enough to be harvested, the world's navies had switched to metal ships.
Yes, planting oaks is what the British do when planning for the next war.
British is a naval nation and historically our battle ships were made of oak. This meant that oak woods were deliberately planted to keep the navy supplied. However, oaks take a long time to mature.
I read some time ago about a forest that was planted in I think Norway to supply timber for naval vessels, but by the time the trees had grown enough to be harvested, the world's navies had switched to metal ships.
Admiral Collingwood it is said used to scatter acorns as he walked so that Britain might have ships. I’ve stayed in the house - now a hotel - in Minorca where his ghost may still be occasionally heard.
Admiral Collingwood it is said used to scatter acorns as he walked so that Britain might have ships. I’ve stayed in the house - now a hotel - in Minorca where his ghost may still be occasionally heard.
You remind me that (well - I should say, I *think that) my Mum's Dad was a stoker on the Collingwood in the great war. I was confused just now as I looked it up, as these days it is an on-shore naval base. I know he was on HMS Centurion, because somewhere I have the ship's name band from his cap. For some reason my late uncle (who lived in the house my grandparents moved into in the 30s) also had a neighbour's great war naval tunic, and via a long and circuitous route I was able to return it to his daughter, who my Mum grew up with, before her death. That was a nice parcel to make up and must have been a really weird thing to land from space, from a stranger, through the post!
Go plant a sequoia. because if they told me it was tomorrow, i'd be pretty sure my tree would get the chance to grow up.
This is a nice paraphrase of a famous (apocryphal) quote attributed to Martin Luther: "Even if I knew tomorrow the world would end, I would still plant an apple tree."
It's one of those things that all Lutherans know Martin Luther said, even though there is no evidence that he actually said it (along with the "wise Turk, foolish Christian" quote).
I actually doubt this. As I recall, as the Third Reich was caving in, this quote suddenly appeared. There is no documented evidence of this in his known writings.
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One might almost say it would be a "highway to hell".
I read some time ago about a forest that was planted in I think Norway to supply timber for naval vessels, but by the time the trees had grown enough to be harvested, the world's navies had switched to metal ships.
The supply of oaks here was soon denuded from Tudor times onwards.
It's been a great year for acorns and beech mast this year and that augurs well. We need more trees.
Meanwhile, what @Nick Tamen said upthread, 1 and 3 rolled together.
Maranatha!
Sweden certainly did that, but other countries may have too:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visingsö
You remind me that (well - I should say, I *think that) my Mum's Dad was a stoker on the Collingwood in the great war. I was confused just now as I looked it up, as these days it is an on-shore naval base. I know he was on HMS Centurion, because somewhere I have the ship's name band from his cap. For some reason my late uncle (who lived in the house my grandparents moved into in the 30s) also had a neighbour's great war naval tunic, and via a long and circuitous route I was able to return it to his daughter, who my Mum grew up with, before her death. That was a nice parcel to make up and must have been a really weird thing to land from space, from a stranger, through the post!
I actually doubt this. As I recall, as the Third Reich was caving in, this quote suddenly appeared. There is no documented evidence of this in his known writings.