[Illustration: _Electrically operated wagon constructed of native
butternut wood known for strength and light weight as well as
durability. Author's sons aboard. Photo by C. Weschcke 1941._]

Not only good things can be said of the butternut tree and it would be
wrong to avoid mentioning the deleterious effect that a butternut tree
may have on other trees planted within the radius of its root system. I
have had several experiences of this kind. One butternut tree on my
farm, having a trunk six inches in diameter, killed every Mugho pine
within the radius of its root system. This amounted to between 50 and
100 pines. Their death could not be attributed to the shade cast by the
butternut as Mugho pines are very tolerant of shade. As the first
branches of the butternut were more than three feet off the ground, the
pines could not have been influenced by the top system of the tree nor
do I believe that it was due to fallen leaves, but rather directly to
the greatly ramified roots. Large evergreens, such as Colorado blue
spruce, native white pine, limber pine and Jeffrey pine are known to
have been similarly influenced. While small butternut trees do not, in
my experience, have this effect, this may be explained by the fact that
the radius of their root systems is much more limited. Most plants,
other than pines, thrive within the influence of butternut roots,
however, and it certainly does not damage pasture grass as some of the
country's best grazing land is among such trees. The damage results from
a chemical known as Juglone which is elaborated by the root system and
when the roots of the butternut cross those of its evergreen neighbor,
this acts as a poison to the evergreen and may kill it.

[Illustration: _An 8-foot propeller of butternut wood is the prime mover
for wind power generator which in a brisk wind generated 110 volts and