Dagmar

Original post by jack-ass: "But the thread is about air riffles, you cant realy hunt with a air-gun, can you? The people who own them are usually kids and they only get into trouble with them. Or they hurt each other or are killing little birds or harming cats etc... So its a bloody good idea to ban the things." You really need to calm down. The vast majority of kids using air guns do so under expert supervision, either from parents or through gun clubs etc. Those who go around causing problems would still cause them whether they had a gun or not. Any ban on air guns would be nothing more than a piece of contol freakery from a government of buffoons who have no idea how to curb the activity of feral scum. Further resrictions on the law abiding majority whether gun owners or car drivers has little or no effect on criminals who have little to fear from the police or courts. Perhaps more kids learning to shoot in a controlled enviornment would help to instil a bit of personal responsibility and an understanding that their actions have consequences. Give a child a gun ...they'll have some fun!

Since Chimps are a closer relation to us than Gorillas a study of their dietary habits would tell us more. http://www.ecologos.org/chimphunt.htm You could deduce from this that as primates become more socially developed, then meat (protein) becomes more important in the diet; as it is, this study concludes that that is part of the social ritual.

http://bp3.blogger.com/_3QqO8EXd-II/R5W7-fQLSuI/AAAAAAAAMkE/PbYjfk_t7eI/s1600-h/Hooters.jpg

Appeared at the Beyond the Border North International Storytelling Festival in April last year.

These guys might be able to help: http://www.marshalllogging.co.uk/ They do a range of big logging kit and I think a fast tow splitter. Better to phone them and have chat though as their websites a bit errrrrr basic! 01892 770788

That's big business I guess!

The rumours have been going round in the ag world that CMP wanted to offload FBT because of their rapidly dwindling subscription base. It would seem that that is what has happened becuase if you call FBT you will get redirected to FMJ or Forestry Journal as they now are called. It seems that they are doing the APF 2008 stuff, according to the website http://www.forestmachinejournal.co.uk/

Yes it did! Which is probably why I never had a desire to start! Just to clarify the legality of using nicotine.............. Nicotine is a natural insecticide from Nicotiana spp. (tobacco) stems and leaves. Very toxic to insects as a contact insecticide. On a per dose basis it is 30 times as toxic as rotenone (dursban). Useful for knocking down chafers and other leaf eating insects in an emergency. Basically, nicotine is considered too toxic, to birds and mammals, for agricultural or garden use. The use of nicotines is discouraged by toxicologists. For certain applications the use of nicotine, a 'level 1 insecticide', is illegal. So its a case of only try this at home I guess!

Tobacco water is produced by boiling strong tobacco in water, or by steeping the tobacco in water for a longer period. When cool, the mixture can be applied with a spray, or 'painted' on to the leaves of plants, where it will prove deadly to insects. My father kept a plastic container of water just to make this. Any smoker had to put their butts in the water which was left for around a month. Then strained and put into a clean receptacle. When used it was diluted by a ration of 10:1. It worked very well!! Nicotine is a very powerful poison, the ammount in just one fag would kill you if it was injected Its legallity in commercial applications is banned ( this refers to the use of nicotine in commercial pesticides), but for single applications and on some traditional orchards it is still used as an organic spot treatment.

The woolly aphid (Eriosoma lanigerum) appears in the spring on the bark of some fruit trees - it is common around bark, which has not been cleanly pruned. The aphids are covered in a waxy substance, which makes them look like a fungus or mould. If you rub your finger over them, the aphids will be crushed and wet, which is the proof that it is not mould. The waxy coating makes them difficult to treat with sprays. Where the pests are ignored, the bark will develop lumps (noticeable in winter) that may split in frosty periods, leaving the tree open to apple canker If the aphids are noticed early, simply paint them with methylated spirits, or scrape them off individually. If they are ignored and larger areas are infected, spray with derris (if a single tree is affected). Failing this cut the resulting lumps out from the bark. Orchard management has an impact on woolly apple aphid populations. The following guidelines may help prevent a build-up of aphids, and reduce the population without pesticides. Remove suckers at the base of the tree trunk. This will eliminate a favoured establishment site for these aphids. Early generations that develop on these suckers will migrate up into trees. Remove sucker and water sprouts on major scaffold limbs. These are the preferred sites of aphids and "hand suckering" early in the season (June) improves spray coverage inside the tree. Paint large pruning cuts with a commercial pruning paint to discourage aphid colonies. Summer pruning in August will remove larger developed colonies. Failure to control aerial infestations can result in underground infestations on susceptible rootstocks. Chemical control of root infestations is not always successful; resistant rootstocks provide the best defence against underground infestations. Professional applicators can make soil injections of the systemic insecticide imidacloprid, (sold in the UK as ‘Merit Forest’ licensed for treatment of forest plants against insect attacks), which is quite effective against aphids infesting large street trees and not very harmful to beneficial soil organisms. Because it takes a substantial time for the product to get from the soil to the growing points of trees, applications must be made up to 2 months before problems are expected. Insecticide soap, neem oil, and narrow-range oil (e.g., supreme or superior parafinic-type oil) provide temporary control if applied to thoroughly cover infested foliage. To get thorough coverage, spray these materials with a high volume of water and target the underside of leaves as well as the top. Soaps, neem oil, and narrow range oil only kill aphids present on the day they are sprayed, so applications may need to be repeated. Predators and parasites often become abundant only after aphids are numerous, so applying non-persistent insecticides like soap or oil may provide more effective long-term control. Although these materials do kill natural enemies that are present on the plant and hit by the spray, because they leave no toxic residue, they do not kill natural enemies that migrate in after the spray. These and other insecticides with only contact activity are generally ineffective in preventing damage from aphids such as the woolly apple aphid or the woolly ash aphid that are protected by galls or distorted foliage. Do not use soaps or oils on water-stressed plants or when the temperature exceeds 90°F. These materials may be phytotoxic to some plants, so check labels and test them out on a portion of the foliage several days before applying a full treatment. Supreme- or superior-type oils will kill over-wintering eggs of aphids on fruit trees if applied as a delayed dormant application just as eggs are beginning to hatch in early spring. These treatments will not give complete control of aphids and are probably not justified for aphid control alone. Earlier applications will not control aphids. Alternatively, repeatedly syringe leaves and stem of plant with tobacco or lime water, or fumigate infected plant with tobacco, syringe afterwards with clear water, if not possible to fumigate then wash with strong tobacco water applied with soft brush.

I am not a member of any of the arb associations or societies and as such it's unreasonable to criticise if I'm not in a position to influence and I am unaware of the background to any decisions that are made, whether they affect me or not. However, if I were a member I would expect that association to act in the best interest of its' members, if those actions bring a general benefit, then all well and good. If not, then you should join up any way and hope that enough likeminded people do so as well, in order to change things. Alternatively, start a new society which operates as you think it should. I think that this is the hardest option though! There really is little point complaining if you are not prepared to act. Talk is cheap, but actions tend to be expensive in both time and money terms

Any of you fellers that that like big powerful engines etc. might be interested in this! http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/120/motorhead-messiah.html

You're missing the point. Hitler and most of the other European dictators used gun control to remove the ability of the population to resist. Quite specifically he removed weapons from groups that he was to persecute, Stalin did the same etc. etc. I'm not saying that everyone should be armed, but everyone should have the right to defend themselves in a way that leaves them the least possibility of being hurt. Perhaps more importantly, those who may want to attack you need to be made to think twice, how would you do this? Shout really loudly? Do me a favour! As for using US crime statistics as reasoning for gun control; you need to go back and really examine them. Pull them apart, you will see a different story. Look beyond the headline figures, you're safer armed than not This right of defence of "self" extends to family. Everyone I know would cheerfully put themselves in harm’s way to protect their children it is the most basic human instinct, after sex. And of course this drives authority figures and the societal nannies crazy. "Leave that to the police," they implore, "Don’t get involved." Bullshit. Where I and my family are concerned, safety is first and foremost my own responsibility, and why should I have to abrogate that responsibility to others. From where I stand, if a criminal tries to assault me and mine, the proper role of the police is to take my statement, and because I don’t know the number, to call for the ambulance to pick up the peices. Do you really trust the government? Do you really believe that we live in a democracy? If you do you are naive, Our EU masters are who really run us and they don't like 'democracy' - remember the EU treaty votes. If you can't get the right result just keep going, lieing a little bit until you convince enough of the sheep to follow you and you will get your result. Wonder why they don't like democracy? It was democracy that allowed Hitler to come to power and thats why referendum are banned in Germany to this day.

OK I’ve just come back from a few weeks working in a crappy bar over Xmas – I just needed to get a bit of cash. Believe me, if you stand behind a bar for a few nights you really do meet some tossers! More worringly you also meet some very unpleasant people too. Several nights I was quite scared to go to the car at the end of my shift because of the comments and innuendo that had been going about the bar. In France I would feel safer as I could have in my possession a pepper gas or CS spray – I can’t do that here. In the US I could go further and arm myself, subject to state law, with a firearm, I can’t here. I grew up with guns all around the house, my mum would shoot rabbits out of the kitchen door with a .22. The people we knew had guns - often more than the one, and a mixture of rifles, pistols and shotguns. Never had any problems. From time to time I hear people who think that the EU will eventually lead to more liberal gun laws here in the UK. They reason that because many of our neighbours have less strict gun control that EU law will eventually standardise to the French or German model. They are of course quite wrong. The EU is not in the business of providing freedom, it is in the business of control. What is much more likely is that the EU will at first make a minimum level of control, not restricting the big two, whilst allowing more strict control in member states. Then having established competency over that area of state law it will tighten up the screw until such time as it can outlaw guns in private ownership entirely. Tockmal, you really are so wrong! Try and get out more……….. Without guns in the hands of the people, all the other freedoms are easily negated by the State. If you disagree with that statement, ask yourself if the Nazis could have gassed millions of Jews, had the Jews been armed with rifles and pistols, there weren’t enough SS troops to do the job. Lest we forget, in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943, a couple of hundred Jews armed with rifles and homemade explosive devices held off two fully-equipped German divisions (actually about 8,000 men) for nearly two months. That’s why government doesn’t want you to have a gun, it means that if pushed you could fight back. It lets them get away with sloppy policing because they know that’ joe public’ is powerless What is needed is a culture where guns are recognised as tools, respected but not feared. Where criminals are punished, but the ordinary citizen is trusted. I want the right to protect my life and property, to any extent that I have to. I don’t see why I should pass that right over to anyone else. And I’d quite like one of these, the Ruger Charger sporting pistol, based not on their Mark I/II/III pistol design, but on the 10/22 rifle action.

Gangmasters Licence Fee 2008 – 09 Consultation The Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) has published a consultation seeking views on the proposed licence fee levels for 2008 - 09. Changes to the licence fee level will take effect from 6 April 2008 and will apply for licence renewals and new applications after that date. The FCA Directors are currently reviewing the consultation document and will be filing a response on behalf of our members, but should you wish to respond individually, please do so. As we understand it, GLA has to recover its operating costs through licensing fees. The proposal is to increase the inspection fee costs by 12.5% to £2,250 in Band D – the band into which most of you who have applied for licences fit. If this is agreed, those of you in Band D will have your renewal fees frozen at £400 for next year. As Donald Maclean, FCA Chairman points out: “The new businesses coming forward will presumably decrease; the move to generate large sums from new applicants really has to be made now. Next year, the license fee itself will have to be hiked up, probably substantially, as GLA income becomes ever more dependant on existing license holders. The full consultation document is available on the GLA website: http://www.gla.gov.uk and the closing date for the consultation is 21 December 2007.

As Ed said, Peugeot make a version that is nowhere near as costly - either to buy or maintain. Search for Peugeot P4. There's quite a few around at good prices.

DaimlerChrysler offers a series of sport utility vehicles to the public under the Mercedes-Benz brand as G-Class. Commonly referred to as the G-Wagen, short for Geländewagen (or Cross-Country Vehicle), Mercedes secured military contracts for the vehicle in the late 1970s and offered a civilian version to the public in 1979. Never an entirely Mercedes product, the G-Wagen was a joint Steyr-Daimler-Puch development and are assembled by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria. Mercedes' part was to provide the drivetrain as well as interior design on civilian vehicles, and Steyr retained distribution rights in certain regions under the Puch name. Among the engines offered in the G-Class for the 2004 model year is a 5.5-litre V8. Major models include the G500, and G55 AMG. Marking its 25th anniversary, the 2005 Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG receives a boost in power, thanks to a 5.5-liter, supercharged V8 developing 469 horsepower and 516 lb.-ft. of torque. The 2006/2007 G-Wagen will use the company's updated 4-valve V6 and V8 engines and will have an updated interior and exterior.

Is there something wrong with being blonde and from Essex?

What's happened to Total Arb? I haven't seen a copy since the June one. Their website also seems to be stuck at June and says things are getting better! They also have a forum but you can't see any post on it dispite having a load ( thousands) of members Anyone know anything?

The gangmaster licensing authority is a prime example of the government using hammers to crack nuts. I’m in the region of 40% down on turnover directly as a result of these laws. Usually, I work on my own. Sometimes in association with others working on the site and occasionally, I’ll be sub-contracted to another party. I’ve even been the one doing the sub-contracting once or twice. When the new laws came in few thought that they would have any effect on the small agricultural contractors, for that’s the sector that fruit production falls into, and the one I work in. Wrong! The employers are all running scared of the potential of swinging fines and possible prison sentences if the convicted as being part of an illegal gangmaster racket. End result? The big boys and the agencies get the work to fulfil these contracts and the little people get left in the cold – or you have to work for minimum wage. I can’t justify the cost of registration and inspection on the basis that I need to employ a couple of bodies to help out a few times a year, or am hiring in operated plant. Whether the GLA intended this situation, I don’t know. But the effect is that the businesses that I rely on are refusing to offer the work unless it is a relatively small one person job. They are covering their arses up to their necks, and I’m not covering my outgoings. The law came into effect last October so I have had a year to see the effect, I suspect many of you who undertake forestry or woodland management will see the same effects in 12 months time, i.e. lots of desk bound types with a job for life, whilst the saps they regulate quietly go out of business. OK. Rant over!

Grafting - Basic Angle Graft. Whip and Tongue Graft Side Veneer Graft Grafting is probably the most difficult form of propagation to master. Grafting is the attaching of living tissue from one plant onto another. Sounds very mystical and magical, but is fairly easy after some practice. Grafting is very common in woody plants such as trees and shrubs, but is also popular with cactus. It gives the gardener more options. For example, grafting is the only way you could have five different fruits growing on the same tree. Another example of grafting are weeping and dwarf trees like, Weeping Crabapples/Cherries and Dwf. Spruce. I once had a neighbor who grew roses in his homeland ( Iraq) with six different colored blossoms on one plant. The main goal of grafting is to match the layers of cambium (xylem and phloem) tissue from each plant. The cambium layer is a thin layer of tissue just under the bark that transports water and nutrients. The stem of the parent plant is called the rootstock and the stem you are joining to it is called the scion. When the scion and rootstock are joined they form a calloused area where some of the cambium tissue will bridge and complete the flow of nutrients and water. When making cuts be sure to make a clean sharp cut and join. Be sure to choose scions that have leaf buds and are 1/4" at cut end. Use last years growth for evergreens and for deciduous plants use a section in the middle of the branch. It is better to graft plants while they are dormant and do not have a leaf mass that will transpire water quicker. For deciduous plants take scions in early or late winter. Do not use frozen wood. Collect the cuttings and put in a plastic bag with damp peat moss ( spagnum moss is better because it has a natural fungicide) and place in your refrigerator (40� f) for a few weeks. Be sure the exposed ends are semi-covered with peat to prevent drying. The same instructions follow for grafting cactus, however they two pieces should be attached immediately following the cut. The side veneer graft is good for evergreens and dwarf conifers. Because these plants are slow growing, soil warmth is the key. Cool air temperatures will inhibit leaf growth and reduce transpiration, while warm soil will promote root growth for healing the callous. Use this method in late winter. Make a 2-3" cut down the length of the rootstock and then a second cut a the bottom of the first so that the severed piece is removed. Make an angled cut on the scion and then a second cut down the length of the scion. Fit the the two pieces together and tape together. Mist plant occasionally to moisten callous and keep soil on the dry side, water lightly but frequently. Whip and Tongue grafts should be self-explanitory from the pictures or photographs - plenty available. This is a difficult graft to master, but is a very reliable method because it provides a greater area of cambium interaction. Use this method for fruit and ornamental trees. Best done in the spring before buds start to break. Remove scions from fridge and soak in water for an hour or so before making the tongue cut and then piece together and tape. For fruit trees Here's a wiki link to fruit tree propagation methods, which is a fair overview and does give a lot of other links and sources of info if you want to take it further. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit_tree_propagation This link is for arid zone trees and may be of interest:http://www.aridzonetrees.com/AZTimes%20Horticultural/Seed%20and%20Vegetative%20Propagation%20update%202006.htm

The french wording is: Un carburant pauvre, il brûle rapidement mais diffuse la petite chaleur. I may have got it wrong in translation, I don't recall ever having burned Alder - not knowingly anyway, so I may have got it wrong!

Rhododendron nutrition and culture have been debated for years and if you have a successful formula then stay with it. The usual recommendation concerns low pH (4.5 to 5.5) and organic or ammoniacal nitrogen sources. Some authorities state that "fertilizing is better left undone than overdone." In general ericaceous plants have low nutrient requirements compared to most ornamental plants. Rhododendrons may produce optimum growth when the tissue nitrogen levels range from 1.50 to 1.75 percent of dry weight. Cotoneaster and Pyracantha might require 3 to 3.3 percent for maximum growth. In simplest terms, rhododendrons do not need as much fertilizer as other plants. Research shows that the ammonium form of nitrogen has proven extremely toxic to rhododendrons and other plants when applied in high concentrations (100 ppm NH4-N at every watering) The crux with ammonium fertilization is to keep the levels low. Many people have described symptoms of "fertilizer burn" which, in fact, was an expression of ammonium toxicity The ammonium ion can severely impair metabolic processes if it accumulates to any degree in plants. At the low pH ranges which are recommended for rhododendrons the ammonium form of nitrogen predominates. If the pH rises above 5.5, a conversion of ammonium to nitrate (NO3) occurs because of the presence of certain bacterial species which catalyze this reaction. This chemical change is influenced by pH which in turn affects microbial populations and species. Nitrate (NO3) can serve as an effective nitrogen form for rhododendrons. The pH increases if a nitrate fertilizer ((KNO3 or Ca(NO3)2)) is used. The most important aspect of using NO3-N is to provide an available iron form such as a chelate or sequestered iron. Nitrate is less toxic than NH4 and will promote good growth provided the other nutrients are supplied in an available form. It's noted that Rhodo's comparitively grown in container culture with N03 or NH4 nitrogen supplied at 75 and 150 ppm showed markedly different results. Tremendous growth resulted from the N03 fertilization while toxicity and reduced growth resulted from the NH4 -N. The crucial thing is to supply of all essential elements in an available form. I'd use the ericaceous mix!

I got this from somewhere, I think from France, I have found it to pretty accurate, I think the references to flame are for cooking purposes. The wood is assumed to be dry and seasoned. Alder A poor fuel, it burns quickly but gives off little heat. Apple A good fuel, it burns slowly and gives off a good heat. It is ideal for cooking as it gives off little flame and produces a pleasent smell. Ash One of the best burning woods. Produces both heat and flame, and will also burn well when green. Beech Like Ash, it produces both heat and flame, though it does not burn as well when green. It also has a tendency to spark Birch Produces good heat but burns quickly. Blackthorn Burns slowly, with lots of heat and little smoke. Cedar Good for cooking as it gives lots of heat with little flame, and has a pleasant smell. Cherry Burns slowly and with lots of heat. Douglas Fir Produces little flame or heat Elder Burns quickly and with little heat. Is very smokey. Elm Slow burning but may smoke. Burns poorly unless seasoned. Hawthorn Burns slowly with lots of heat and little smoke. Hazel A good fuel. Holly Good when seasoned. Hornbeam Another good fuel. Horse chestnut Produces both heat and flame, but tends to spit a lot. Larch Fairly good for heat. Laurel Produces a good flame Lime A poor fuel Maple A good fuel Oak Produces little flame and an acrid smoke but is a very slow burning fuel which give off lots of heat. Pear Produces good heat Pine Burns well but tends to spit. The resinous wood makes good kindling. Poplar A mediocre fuel. Spruce Burns very quickly and sparks badly. Sycamore Burns well but generates only moderate heat. Walnut A good fuel Willow A poor wood. Is completely useless when green. Yew Burns slowly and with a fierce heat.

This event got quite a bit of coverage in the national press, both before the event and over the weekend. Many of the papers carried photo's an interviews of the participants. In several of these photo's chainsaws, ( allowed under the rules of course), were in in shot and obviously being used, but many users had no PPE in evidence. Does a different set of rules apply?