The Magnificent Mesquite (Corrie Herring Hooks Series, Number Forty-five)

The Magnificent Mesquite (Corrie Herring Hooks Series, Number Forty-five)

"This book is one-of-a-kind. It is the only book that I'm aware of that summarizes the biology, ecology, uses, and management of mesquite.... It is the most complete book in print on mesquite." ?C. Wayne Hanselka, Associate Department Head and Extension Program Leader for Rangeland Ecology and Management, Texas Agricultural Extension Service A reliable source of food and shelter even in the severest droughts, the mesquite tree sustained American Indians in the Southwest for centuries. Today, mesquite is popular for barbecuing, woodworking, furniture making, flooring, sculpture, jewelry, and food products ranging from honey to jelly and syrup. Even ranchers, who once fought to eradicate mesquite, have come to value its multiple uses on well-managed rangeland. In this book written especially for a general readership, one of the world's leading authorities on mesquite presents a wealth of information about its natural history and commercial, agricultural, and woodworking uses. Ken Rogers describes the life cycle, species, and wide distribution of the mesquite, which is native or naturalized not only in the Southwest and Mexico, but also in India, Africa, Australia, South America, and Hawaii. He discusses the many consumer and woodworker uses of mesquite at length-even giving instructions for laying a mesquite wood floor and making mesquite bean jelly. He also looks into the ways that people are using mesquite in nature, from rangeland management in the Southwest to desertification prevention in arid countries. Once little known outside the region, the mesquite is the iconic tree of the southwestern United States. Thanks to the rising popularity of mesquite charcoal, the tree--or at least its scent--has become known around the world. In recent years, too, the mesquite has been introduced into alien environments, sometimes as an effective means of combating desertification, but sometimes with the loss of native vegetation in competition against the ever thirsty tree. Ken Rogers, an ecologist with the Texas Forest Service, offers a handy almanac of all matters related to Prosopis, a genus that probably originated not in the Southwest but on the plains of Argentina, where 34 of the known 44 species of the tree are found. His text, supported by photographs and range maps, provides notes on the mesquite's life history, distribution, and economic importance worldwide. That importance, Rogers believes, will increase, thanks to the mesquite's ability to grow on marginal arid lands and to provide a range of wood products (including highly durable furniture, timber, and flooring), fodder for livestock, and easily renewable organic matter for fuel and chemical processes. Rogers's book makes a useful and appreciative reference, providing answers to any mesquite-related question a reader is likely to have. --Gregory McNamee Ken E. Rogers is a Wood Technologist with the Texas Forest Service at Texas A&M University.