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Technology
When we were discussing this issue a while back I remembered reading
this. The author lists his qualifications for technological innovation.
1. The new tool should be cheaper than the one it replaces.
2. It should be at least as small in scale as the one it replaces.
3. It should do work that is clearly and demonstrably better than the one
it replaces.
4. It should use less energy than the one it replaces.
5. If possible, it should use some form of solar energy, such as that of
the body.
6. It should be repairable by a person of ordinary intelligence,
provided that he or she has the necessary tools.
7. It should be purchasable and repairable as near to home as possible.
8. It should come from a small privately owned shop or store that will
take it back for maintenance and repair.
9. It should not replace or disrupt anything good that already exists,
and this includes family and community relationships.
Matt Hamel
mhamel@ashland.edu
In the Chevy Chevette of the Information Superhighway
Re: UNIMOG!
Subject: Re: Re: Automatics and limited slip differentials
Date: 6 Dec 91 14:44:13 GMT
>> A Unimog is probably the finest general utility vehicle in the world, by
>> the way. Imagine a two seat jeep with a small truck bed in back, big
>> foot tires, 18 forward gears and six reverse, front and rear PTOs, and a
>> three point hitch.
Unimogs are made by Mercedes-Benz (who else?). Contact your M-B dealer.
It was over 20 years ago that I got to play with one for a few months,
so my recollections are hazy. As I recall, an M-B dealer in NJ was the
import agent, but I suspect any M-B dealer could get you more
information on them if you press them. I don't remember prices well, and
they wouldn't mean much now, but they are very expensive or very cheap,
depending on your point of view.
Expensive: They cost a lot more than a jeep, a small utility tractor,
or a 1 ton truck.
Cheap: They cost a lot less than a jeep, a small utility tractor, and a
1 ton truck combined.
You have to imagine a vehicle that you can pull a bottom plow with, drop
the plow at the edge of the field, and then drive home comfortably at 55
mph. With the three pt hitch and front and rear hydraulics, there is
almost nothing that you can't hook up to them. Just getting one of the
brochures is worth it. The stuff they put on them is amazing...dump
bodies, side dump bodies, snow plows, snow blowers, fork lifts, you name
it.
Subject: Re: Automatics and limited slip differentials
Date: 9 Dec 91 14:57:36 GMT
> Unimogs are made by Mercedes-Benz [...]
>There may be a use for these Do-All vehicles, but I suspect that for
>less money you could buy a good 25-hp tractor _and_ a good 3/4-ton
>pickup, and do a better job on the field and on the road than one of
>these wheeled Swiss Army knives.
I don't disagree with you entirely, but the Unimog was developed
initially for European farms, which tend to be quite small by U.S.
standards; it is harder for European farmers to justify the initial
expense and upkeep on several different single purpose vehicles. Also,
Eupropean farmers are far more meticulous about vehicle upkeep than
their U.S. counterparts, and smaller, more lightly built equipment lasts
longer and does more in Europe. European farm equipment, on the whole,
has never done well in this country because it is, by U.S. standards,
flimsily built.
While the Unimog may not be the *perfect* vehicle for any single
application, it is a remarkable exercise in design trade-offs.
One big advantage, in my mind, for a multi-purpose vehicle on a small
farm, is the reduced maintenance--only one engine to take care, one PTO,
one transmission, etc.
Given a motley collection of previously owned farm equipment:
a small tractor, a farm truck, a pickup, and an old jeep--something is
going to break down regularly, and just before you need it most. I'd
rather put all that maintenance money into a single vehicle and keep it
in really good condition.
=================================
USDA Office for Small Agriculture
=================================
Bud Kerr runs the USDA Office for Small Agriculture.
Call or fax that office at 202-401-1805 to request their
newsletter and publications on specialty farm enterprises.
He has been there for 36 years.
Article 18189 of misc.rural:
Path: bigblue.oit.unc.edu!sunSITE!london
From: london@sunSITE.unc.edu (Larry London)
Newsgroups: misc.rural
Subject: Re: Scythe instruction wanted...
Date: 25 May 1995 03:04:49 GMT
Organization: SunSITE at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Lines: 54
Distribution: usa
Message-ID: <3q0s4h$1i7c@bigblue.oit.unc.edu>
References: <3pt8v4$a27@brtph500.bnr.ca>
NNTP-Posting-Host: calzone.oit.unc.edu
In article <3pt8v4$a27@brtph500.bnr.ca>, <sawczyn@brtphaa0.bnr.ca> wrote:
> I've got about 3/4 acre of winter wheat which I planted late December,
>intending it as pasture for sheep which I haven't got around to acquiring
>yet, and want to clear it and use it for compost fodder and mulch.
>
> Rather than going out and buying a sickle-bar attachment for my BCS
>rototiller right away, I borrowed and sharpened an old scythe, hoping I
>could do the job with it.
It's do-able.
> I remembered reading, possibly in this group some time ago, that there
>was a knack to using the scythe efficiently. After using it for about an
>hour, I think I'm getting part of that knack, but would appreciate
>confirmation,or hints from any expert scythe users out there in the
>rural netlands.
>
> The only way I'm able to get this tool to cut the wheat, is to cut in areas
>where the wheat is thick; if it is sparse, the stalks bend out of the way.
>Is this true in general?
It needs to be real sharp - use a small file on it - and keep it topped up.
Maybe you're using one of the old curved snath types. The one with the
straight snath and the grass&grain blade should work quire well. I've
used this combination on large areas of grasses intermixed with
a variety of large weeds (pigweed, lambs quarters, crabgrass, Johnson grass,
Bermuda, ryegrass, & many other unidentified weeds) - heavy going at times.
> I also pull the scythe back with my left hand and swing my body by rotating
>to the left, as I swing the scythe from right to left. It seems that most
Don't just rotate, _pull_ the blade too: rotate it and pull forward at
the same time - you kind of lean forward to do this. Also, concentrating on
where you're leaving the pile of cut grain (randomly piled or in a row
(straight or curved [outwardly expanding arcs or parallel rows]) will
help you organize your work and force you to get into an efficient rythym
where all your grain gets cut cleanly and close to the ground.
Resharpen the blade frequently.
>of the cutting is done by the end of the blade, that part farthest from the
>snaft. My right hand moves the least amount during the swing, working to
>keep the scythe balanced.
It cuts with the whole blade, not just the tip (you risk breaking the blade
at the shank when you hit an unexpected heavy weed, stump or rock).
> Anyway, if anyone has any hints or insights on how I could improve my
>scythe swing (it can't be as hard as golfing, can it?) please let me know.
Much easier than golfing.
Article 18188 of misc.rural:
Newsgroups: misc.rural
Path: bigblue.oit.unc.edu!concert!news-server.ncren.net!news.duke.edu!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!psinntp!psinntp!psinntp!psinntp!news.rlcn.rl.af.mil!rl.af.mil!smithr
From: smithr@rl.af.mil (Richard A. Smith)
Subject: Re: Scythe instruction wanted...
Message-ID: <1995May24.143310.11604@news.rlcn.rl.af.mil>
Sender: news@news.rlcn.rl.af.mil
Nntp-Posting-Host: barn_swallow.pk.rl.af.mil
Reply-To: smithr@rl.af.mil
Organization: Rome Laboratory/BC
Date: Wed, 24 May 1995 14:33:10 GMT
Lines: 62
In message <3pt8v4$a27@brtph500.bnr.ca>, sawczyn@brtphaa0.bnr.ca () writes:
> I've got about 3/4 acre of winter wheat which I planted late December,
>intending it as pasture for sheep which I haven't got around to acquiring
>yet, and want to clear it and use it for compost fodder and mulch.
Somehow knowing how to use a scythe seems to be a dubious honor. Rather like
being the only one in town old enough to know how to start a Model T Ford!!
> Rather than going out and buying a sickle-bar attachment for my BCS
>rototiller right away, I borrowed and sharpened an old scythe, hoping I
>could do the job with it.
After cutting that pasture you are going to vote for the BCS!! : )
> I remembered reading, possibly in this group some time ago, that there
>was a knack to using the scythe efficiently. After using it for about an
>hour, I think I'm getting part of that knack, but would appreciate
>confirmation,or hints from any expert scythe users out there in the rural
>netlands.
Trying to explain the technique might be a lot harder than actually mowing with
the thing. You also have to make sure that the handles are adjusted for the
most comfortable fit and that the blade is sharp. Just being able to keep a
sharp blade is an art form of its own.
> The only way I'm able to get this tool to cut the wheat, is to cut in areas
>where the wheat is thick; if it is sparse, the stalks bend out of the way.
>Is this true in general?
Sounds like your blade isn't sharp enough. It needs to be more like a straight
razor as opposed to a sharp bread knife. You should be able to cut June grass
with it.
> I also pull the scythe back with my left hand and swing my body by rotating
>to the left, as I swing the scythe from right to left. It seems that most
>of the cutting is done by the end of the blade, that part farthest from the
>snaft. My right hand moves the least amount during the swing, working to
>keep the scythe balanced.
I haven't got mine right here to get the fine details, but I keep both arms
rather rigid. The real secret is to get the swing and the step coordinated.
As the scythe comes back your weight shifts to the rear foot. As you swing the
scythe forward you turn your body slightly and transfer your weight to the
front foot. After you get proficient at this you will be able to move each
foot forward and before you know it you are accross the field!!
> Anyway, if anyone has any hints or insights on how I could improve my
>scythe swing (it can't be as hard as golfing, can it?) please let me know.
I can't compare it to golfing, but I think it is easier than hoeing corn or
hilling potatoes.
And when you have cut the grass with the scythe it should land in a neat row (
called a swath).
Richard
. i .. kung-hsing-tsai .cache .cache+ From jsauburn@ucdavis.edu Thu Mar 24 23:22:01 1994
Date: Thu, 24 Mar 1994 12:43:57 -0800
From: jsauburn@ucdavis.edu
To: sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu
Subject: QUERY: Cover Crops and Verticillium Wilt
Does anyone have any information on specific cover crops and positive
or negative effects on verticillium wilt? The SARE/ACE Project Summaries
mention a potato project in Idaho led by Jerry Stark finding that
"Sudangrass green manure grown prior to potatoes reduced Verticillium
wilt by 60% and increased potato yields by as much as 30% compared with
fallow treatments." Any other info?
The person who asked me is considering planting olives in a cotton
field that has a Verticillium problem, and he's looking for nonchemical
ways to reduce the problem first. He asked specifically about cover
crops, but I suppose other approaches would be of interest, too.
Jill Auburn
SAREP, Univ Calif
jsauburn@ucdavis.edu