Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Monday, February 27, 2017
Tuesday Torque: I Wouldn't Say He's Disagreeable,
....but he is always trying to start something! Gary's Crankup is coming right up! We hope to be there to see all the flywheels turning again.
Sunday, February 26, 2017
The Light Is Large At The End Of The Tunnel
Grinding Just A Little This Week!
PS: 51 1/2 years a wage-slave.
Friday, February 24, 2017
Thursday, February 23, 2017
How To Destroy A Tree Planting Project
I had a call from a landowner who wanted me to get trees for him. He said that oak galls were wiping out his trees, which were planted a little more than ten years ago. While I was digging out his file he told me that he had been keeping his project mowed every year. The upper picture is the project. That is what happens when you mow a tree planting project. Most of the damage occurs while the trees are just seedlings, because the person mowing can't see the trees, and they mow everything but the few trees they can see. Often, the trees survive and will grow from the root if you will just stop mowing. That's what I told him to do. He has even been mowing across rows, and you can see that if you click the pic to enlarge. Sheesh.
This is how a project should appear. The owner had a contractor plant it, and then it was left alone. There are a few thin spots, but other wise it is fully stocked. You hear people complain about the clayey soils in Southern Illinois, but these soils are great for trees. Prairie grasses can out-compete new trees on deep prairie soils, but trees can beat many of the grasses on a clay site. You can plant trees on crop stubble, walk away and let the weeds grow, and in five years the trees pop up above the weeds. Easy-Peasy! Unless there is fescue. Kill the fescue first if it is growing where you want to plant trees.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
It Seems To Be A Ritual
When farmers aren't farming, the weather is good, and the ground is solid, trees will be cleared! This little spot is 0.05 acre, and it is a fun mental exercise to do the math. Say you can rent a track-hoe for $125 an hour, and then also rent a small bulldozer. Work all day on this little spot to push out a couple trees. Add tires to make that green wood burn, and voila!, you have more farm ground!
What does it cost, and how long will it take to regain the investment? Easily $200 per hour for at least 10 hours. If you can grow 150 bushel per acre corn, you can get 7 or 8 more bushels per year that are worth about $3 per bushel. Wow. Only about 80 years to get back your $2000. I must be missing something...
PS: Here's a thought. When you are harvesting your soybeans with your 1/4 million dollar combine, with dust swirling around you obscuring your vision, you catch the header on a tree that you couldn't quite see....well, there goes more than two grand right there, and you are going to be down for maybe several days. Machines today are expensive and big, and you make your fields as friendly for them as possible.
Here's a big red combine harvesting this very field last October.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Massachusetts Shooters Foundation
Anyone who needs to "Keel Moose And Squirrel!" will want to bid on this rifle. It will do the job! It's a .300 H & H Magnum made in 2010, and marked Dallas Safari Club. It will sell mid-day, Wednesday, February 22, 2017. Click Here to place that winning bid. $1200
Monday, February 20, 2017
Tuesday Torque: New Project In Gary's Barn!
Our friend Gary nailed down a bargain last week in an online auction. His new baby is a 10 HP tank-cooled Fairbanks-Morse, and he only had to hop across the Mississippi for a few miles to pick it up.
He wrote to say that he has all the small parts off already, and will soon be unsticking the piston. Expect this project to be running in about one year.
Gary built a fire on both ends of the piston today to jar it loose. He will let it cool overnight and move that piston tomorrow.
Photo Credit: Gary Bahre
It will be pretty much like this when it is done:
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