Already Registered?      Or Please Register to Post a New Message

Login Register



Complete Message (link)

We've been having some really stormy weather here in Kentucky lately. It's made it hard to plan or do much of anything. I got an inch of rain yesterday when they were predicting we wouldn't get any. Same thing today, and after another quarter inch of rain, the weather site has upped their prediction for the day to 20 percent. Apparently 20 percent here is enough to fill a rain gauge! I've been having some computer problems, mainly associated with the weather and old (1950s era) phone lines. Some days I can access the internet fine and other days it's been a little spotty. The service tech comes out and basically tells me to just be glad I have any service at all and that what I have is about as good as it's gonna get. I've now had a service call in to them for the last two months that's been rescheduled three times, then they just quit calling. I'm taking as a sign I need to spend more time in the field and less time on the keyboard. After a slow start my corn is coming on well, though the weeds are too. It's about too tall to cultivate, though I'm tempted to try to "spot till" it with the roto tiller just for my own peace of mind; either that or the weed eater. As soon as the rain stops I'm going out to top the tobacco crop. For those of you not familiar with tobacco, when the blooms start they have to be broken out of the plant. this makes it gain weight. I'm trying what's called "bud topping" this year which is breaking the blooms out before they really start blooming. Supposedly it puts more weight on the plant by causing the leaves to really thicken. About a week after topping the plants will start to sucker. That is little stems will form where nearly every leaf joins the stalk. These have to be taken out or they will sap the strength of the plant and the weight will go to suckers rather than leaves. I used to have to break these out by hand but we now have an organic mix that is basically just alcohol mixed with vegetable oil which burns the suckers if they aren't too advanced. I'll do this twice before cutting the crop and bringing it to the barn for curing. Finished my fencing project, though now I'm wanting to build more and my do that this winter. I'm still making shingles nearly every day and put up a tent over my shingle break so I can work in all weathers or at least so long as there is no lightening. On those days I've been cleaning stalls and forking out manure. I have a few more board trees to get out and cut up for shingle bolts then I'll have to be buying timber. Hoping I can find enough good trees to finish the job, then I've decided I hope I never see another wooden shingle for a long long time! Already planning to build a boom pole lathe in the barn and start getting in some maple to turn chair legs this winter, maybe some hickory and hedge to turn a few neck yokes. If the rain don't let up soon, I'm afraid I'll have planned more work than I can ever get done!

Wes Lupher says 2016-08-02 12:58:14 (CST)



Always interesting Jerry.

I haven't had enough moisture to measure since May. Been a very hot summer here. Wherever I have irrigation we're ok but aside from that we're burned to a crisp.
Forest fires all over the west.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum


forum rules icon

Forum rules
Read these first

forum monitor icon

Uncle Joe
Forum Moderator

Search forum
Search the forum ARCHIVE

Banner Ads


Available on-line
mischka.com/shop
Rural Heritage
Magazine
The Apr/May24
edition of Rural Heritage
is now available by
subscription or
single issue purchase
Check out a preview in our Reading Room.


calendar icon
28
Upcoming
Events
Rural Heritage
Calendar of Events
Home of the webs most
extensive Draft Horse, Mule &
Oxen Calendar of Events.

Bowmansville Roller Mill
1850s era mill used as
grist, roller and saw-
mills.
Visit RFD–TV for the
Rural Heritage scheduled
times in your viewing area.
  • Copyright © 1997 − 2024 Rural Heritage
    Rural Heritage  |  PO Box 2067  |  Cedar Rapids, IA 52406
    Telephone (319) 362-3027

    This file last modified: May 04, 2021.

    Designed by sbatemandesign.com