[mitchmaine]

i was out to pioneer once, and they were set out in the dooryard expanding rubber tires with comealongs around a circular frame to fit over their factory made steel wheels. the fit was good and the noise and “feel” issues over tar roads were taken care of. quite a sight to behold. not the prettiest wheels you ever saw but very effective.

mitch

[mitchmaine]

way to go, donn. never even heard of may hay. bet it smells sweet.
mitch

[mitchmaine]

i have to remind myself that when i bought this place, land and run down buildings, that the price was $27,000. the mortgage was $150. and many months we went without to pay it. now we own it and it seems like nothing, so i have to believe that the math is still the same and even tho’ the figures now have many more zeros, that in 40 years those numbers will seem like nothing and so on. it bothers me that the land is the investment and the easy way to more money. the land is the source of our food and our fuel but we trade it away, like land is being made somewhere every day. i blame it on simple education. children should be taught the importance of clean water, and healthy food, and it ought to be taught in our schools, by US, because no one else seems to want to take up the task. ahhh, i do love to rant. mitch

[mitchmaine]

carl, any update on your visit out west? must be on 2nd cut yet. mitch

[mitchmaine]

the community we were talking about was much broader than family. it included harness makers, and wheelwrights, millers, and so on. we all have to wear too many hats on somedays.
when your grain was ripe, the threshin’ crew came through, took his ten percent and went on his way, saving you the cost of a lot of machinery and a couple days work.

mitch

[mitchmaine]

nice photos. i’m getting the itch to drop some hay. we run a 9′ rotary rake and a 4x tedder with a ground drive fore cart with three horses, and i don’t think they work any harder than two mowing. the side rake moves much easier, and two pull it handy, but the rotary rake sweeps a better job, i think. i think i might use three horses rather than rest one. the horse that didn’t get rested has a long day. mitch

[mitchmaine]

http://www.draftanimalpower.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1244&d=1273943611

john, one time a hundred years ago, amish and english farm models were one in the same. large families working in farming communities with animal power. when we went to fossil fuel and machines, we could eliminate the people involved, until one man and a son could farm 1000’s of acres.
and we understand the comparisons and wonder why its so difficult returning to the old model. i think it’s because we are trying to recreate the farm family without the family. most of us are trying to farm using animals, but lack the support of eight kids and a spouse and grandparents, and farming neighbors. that’s the beauty of amish farming to me. not the horse, but the support. thoughts, anybody? sure makes it easier with an extra pair of hands sometimes. mitch

[mitchmaine]

john, maine would be just fine if it wasn’t for that danged ocean! people drive up, fall in love with the place and decide to retire up here someday, so in the meantime , buy the biggest best peice of farmland and out of some sense of guilt, decide to grow christmas trees or something. they’re all for perserving the open space, until you show up with a truckload of hen manure. “this can’t be farming” “no one i know would put THAT on their land” “it has to be toxic”. i could go on for hours, but i think i made my point. unfortunately, an investment is rated in dollars and cents, and no one can quite decide when they have “enough” so they keep doing what they do well (make money) and land is a keen way so they eat it up and spit it out like tap water. i wish land here was as spare as it is in scotland, maybe someone would value it more and use it the way it was intended. i love to rant. i think i will go on for hours. i heading off to rant some more. best wishes, mitch

[mitchmaine]

don’t know about salesman, but i couldn’t think of a better representative. mitch

[mitchmaine]

erik, i think those leather washers are like a boot. meant to protect your bearing from road grit. any sand or gravel that got in the grease was trapped for life and would do a number on the bearings. my guess, anyway. mitch

[mitchmaine]

hey john, on your #7, from the very first bolt holding your pole to the mower body, it’s 30″ forward to a bracket bolted to the underside of your pole. attached to it is a clevis with a spring tension, and the pin for your evener is another 4″ forward of that. from the clevis runs a steel rod 28″ long hooked back to the heel casting of the cutter bar. i have a couple here for extra. can’t imagine what it would cost to get it to you. i’ll see if i can’t dig one out for a photo. mitch

[mitchmaine]

we were always told wilted grass would sicken a horse also. let them pull as much grass as they wished, but not to cut it and bring it to them. and to keep them out after cutting the pasture back for a couple days. always did what i was told so i have no knowledge on this subject. any truth to it? mitch

[mitchmaine]

jen’s right, longview, everyone of the “elder folks” had to plow once for the first time. ask them for a picture of their first time plowing. see what they say then. keep at it. mitch

[mitchmaine]

hye oldkat, good story. sounds like you really had a good friend and farrier there. your story came at a good time. penny and i just drove down to philadelphia to our youngest son’s graduation. thru the garden state to the city of brotherly love? what was that guy drinking? sorry, i take that back totally. i must be getting old or something. but i can’t beleive how overwhelmed i get lately by the sheer numbers of cars and roads and people. each running mile of turnpike wastes about 60 acres of good farmland. if each car i passed had 10 gallons of fuel in it’s tank, i must have passed 2 million gallons of fuel stored in fuel tanks. man is an amazing creature with his roads, and buildings and bridges. but i sure am glad to be home on this farm. see if i can stay put for awhile. thank you for your tale. mitch

[mitchmaine]

if my roots are stuck here as hard as they seem, yours must be wrapped around a rock by now. i’m not expecting to pass you in the mid-atlantic. it’s always fun to dream. let me know when you guys are headed over. we’d like to meet up. mitch and penny

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