Historian: NY town's blade-embedded 'Scythe Tree' needs trim
WATERLOO, N.Y. (AP) — A poplar tree in upstate New York dating back to before the Civil War has grown around three farm tool blades and is in need of a trimming.
The "Scythe Tree," as it's called, is located in Waterloo, midway between Rochester and Syracuse. It was planted in front of a farmer's house before the Civil War.
A man who joined the Union Army placed a scythe in the tree's notch and told his parents not to remove it until he came home. He later died in a Confederate hospital.
During World War I, two local brothers placed scythes in the tree. They survived the war, and their scythes remain embedded in the tree.
The Post-Standard (http://bit.ly/2mSwnou ) reports a local historian is raising funds needed to have the tree trimmed.
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Information from: The Post-Standard, http://www.syracuse.com
