Farm Name

[greybeard]

Thanks Baymule - how funny - I have never heard them called that before. It gives me another option for Farm name LOL. Bodark Farm. Heh. I actually kinda like it. Especially because, around here, it would be very obtuse since I doubt most people would have heard that name used.

I hadn't checked the results in quite awhile and now see there is another tie. Hmmm…..would love a few more votes.

Growing up, we called those trees bodark and the fruit were always called Horse Apples. Those trees ARE good for something tho--they make great fenceposts. They look kind of ugly, but are hard and dense and very very resistant to rot. It was only in recent years, that I knew them by their Osage Orange name. We used to have horse apple fights all the time as a kid--yes, they hurt when you get hit.
A little more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maclura_pomifera

 

[Womwotai]

A lot of people around here call them horse apples too, since horses like to eat them. My neighbor has horses so in season, I gather them up and throw them over the fence to her horses. I had hoped that pigs would eat them too, because if so, I could consider fattening a couple of hogs on them but sadly, when I googled it, it didn't sound like that was the case. I know squirrels like them, and apparently cows do too, but its not good for cows to try to eat them because their lack of teeth lends them to getting lodged in the throat where they are choking hazard. I've also heard that if you have problems with bugs or spiders in your house, you can line these up around the perimeter of the house and it will deter them. I dunno - never tried that.

As for the farm name…..I shared the list of my ideas with DH, along with "Bodark Farm" (@Baymule ) and he likes Bodark Farm the best so I think that may be what we go with….

 

[Baymule]

Haha @Womwotai !!!!! Haha!! I just read this thread to my DH and he got a good laugh too. I love the name Bodark Farm!! It sure will get people to ask about the name! Nobody around here knows what Osage Orange is! @greybeard is right, the wood makes fantastic fence posts. Do ya'll use them for fence posts too?

 

[Womwotai]

No, we haven't used them as fence posts, mainly because we didn't need to, but around here I do see a lot of the older fences that used them. You can tell they've been there for donkey's years but are still going strong. I've read that Osage Orange is prized by carpenters building furniture too, because it turns out really beautiful, strong pieces. It is hard to work with and for the most part the carpentry has to be done by hand, so it is rarely used and the pieces tend to be pretty expensive.

It burns VERY hot, and it cracks and pops a lot, but it does build a nice fire.