Guidelines for Deer Stands

Nearly all deer hunters are now hunting from tree stands. If you are a novice deer hunter, or if you are an experienced hunter but have yet to use this method, you should think about using a tree stand. Staying out of the deer’s range of view, keeping your scent hidden from the deer, and increasing the range of your view are just some of the benefits for using a tree stand. You do need to take certain precautions, however, to make a point of protecting yourself.

There are many types of stands and almost all are safe to use. Some of these include ladder-type stands, climbing stands, and lock-on stands. You can also nail boards to a tree. No matter what type of stand you are using, acknowledge that accidents can happen. If a stand seems unsafe to you, do not use it. If you are toying with using a new tree stand and you are far from your home or from people in general, wait. You would be not able to notify anyone if you were injured. Do not take using a tree stand lightly.

It is helpful to become familiar with some of the ways by which hunters injure themselves on or around tree stands. Accidents happen when hunters doze off. It happens a great deal more than you would imagine. Hunters also get injured when they fall while climbing in or out of a tree stand. You cannot ward off things like excess moisture on your boot, or an exceptionally damp step. The third way by which hunters suffer injury using tree stands is having a part of equipment break. Nothing is 100% dependable. The best way to avoid a dangerous injury from these unfortunate events is to wear a safety harness.

Many hunters know the danger of not using a safety harness, but they still use tree stands without one. Your safety harness will only serve you if you wear it. It is not good sufficient to put on the harness after you have settled into your stand. In fact, climbing into or out of your stand is when you are most probable to be hurt, so you need to be wearing it before you begin ascending your tree stand. It only takes a bit to secure and is well worth the hassle. A fall with a safety harness has minimal damage compared to one without a safety harness. The safety harness could mean the difference between a few bruises and a premature death.

There are a few other steps you need to consider while preparing to use a tree stand for the first time. Tree steps and tie-on ladders are two favorite methods used by hunters. Some also use threaded steel steps for climbing. If you are looking to cut down costs, go with the steel steps. They are more affordable than the ladders. Test the steel step to make sure that it is strong, steady, and secure. Use threaded steel steps that will amply support your weight. If the threaded steps bend, hunters slip and injure themselves. Use a drill to make pilot holes for the steps. Some hunters favor using climbing stands instead of threaded steps, but they are cost more and limit you to certain trees.

Consider using a tree stand as you hunt. It is an competent way to catch your prey off-guard. Both your body and your scent are above the deer’s vicinity. It also allows for a fuller view as you analyze the landscape. Tree stands do cause accidents, though. Take all of the essential steps to prevent any major injuries. Use a safety harness to reduce the distance of your fall. Be sure that the steps you use to climb the tree are safe. Following these guidelines for using a tree stand assures a safe and enjoyable hunting experience.

Daylilies: A Gorgeous and Low Maintenance Flower to Brighten Any Garden

My mother always had a flowerbed or two in front of our house and she would spend a morning every now and again weeding, watering, and generally taking care of her flowers. Yet she never got more adventuresome with her flower choices than petunias, pansies and an occasional geranium. I asked her once why her flower horizon was so narrow when there are so many gorgeous flowers available to experiment with planting and growing. She shrugged and said most flowers looked too high maintenance for her.

A common misconception is that if flowers look particularly elegant or exotic, it means they are finicky and difficult to care for. Hemerocallis, or daylilies are a perfect example of flowers that are both delicate looking and hardy at the same time, requiring very little care to thrive in nearly all conditions.

Daylilies come in a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes, and are easy to grow. The perennials are not true bulbs, but grow from clump-forming tuberous roots. Although daylilies prefer well drained soil with plenty of organic material and lots of direct sunlight, they will tolerate much less favorable conditions such as extremely damp to dry sandy soil. If planted in heavy shade, hemerocallis usually respond by producing more foliage and fewer flowers.

Daylilies are perfect for a varied garden because the different varieties range in height from 8 inches to 5 feet, and flower size can be as small as 2 inches or as large as 8 inches. The spectrum of colors and shapes also adds distinction and variety to your flowerbed. Unlike some more fastidious flowers, hemerocallis usually bloom the same year they are planted, though they take three to four years to reach mature size, and can live for a very long time if given even moderate care.

Daylilies will bloom from late spring until autumn and many varieties have more than one flowering period. Because of the entangled clump-root system of daylilies, they provide excellent ground covers on slopes and are recommended for erosion control.
Daylilies are also particularly effective for blending in structures with the natural terrain. They have a naturalizing effect to blend fences, decks, steps, statues, driveways or shrubbery with the surrounding landscape.

The planting process itself is probably the most rigorous phase of caring for your Hemerocallis. To ensure that they take root properly you should water plants thoroughly after planting, and deep soak them every three or four days until established. If you ordered the plants rather than purchasing them in a garden store they may have become dried out during shipment from a supplier. If this happens, soak well for at least 15 minutes before planting. Although daylilies are drought-tolerant once established, consistent watering while budding and flowering will produce better-quality flowers.

For absolute best results daylily gardens should be mulched well with peat or compost in spring. Waiting until the plant is established to fertilize will encourage initial root growth. Add manure or other organic fertilizer in the early spring just as signs of new growth appear, and again in midsummer.

Very few pests and diseases are enough to harm the resilient hemerocallis, slugs and snails being the major exceptions. Daylilies are not bothered by lily beetle or any other problems of bulbous lilies. Root-knot nematodes could also pose a problem if you are planting on former cropland especially soybean and tobacco land.

About the Author

Perennial Place http://www.perennialplace.com/carries a wide variety of gorgeous daylilies to make your garden beautiful. Art Gibb is a freelance writer.

Article Source: Content for Reprint

Soybean Aphids: You Have Diligently Counted Them, But How Do You Know When To Spray?

Admittedly, there is considerable confusion in determining the threshold levels of insects prior to spraying a crop. Is it 3 or 5 Japanese beetles per ear, or was that corn rootworm Read more

Has The Grain Market Caught A Bad Case Of Volatility?

You would think that anyone who spent a half million dollars to buy a seat on the Chicago Board of Trade would assume that a seat belt was included. Anyone who has marketed grain in the past year probably wishes they had one, also. Seat belts are mandatory in motor vehicles, and may soon be necessary in grain marketing. There is nothing worse than to hurtle through buy-stop signs on a plummeting futures contract. With that in mind, let’s look at volatility in the commodities markets.

If you think that grain markets have hit the accelerator pedal, you may be correct. They have risen farther and faster than in many years, and within a short period of time. In just the past two years most grain commodity prices have at least doubled, and in the case of corn and beans, tripled in values. But with the higher prices, come other challenges. It is like mountain climbing and the higher the mountain, the farther the fall.

Ohio State University economists Carl Zulauf and Matt Roberts explored grain market volatility for corn, wheat and soybeans. The looked at various period from 1989 to 2007, and used two different statistical yardsticks to measure the volatility.
1) One yardstick was the coefficient of variation of monthly US cash prices, and measured historical cash price variability.
2) The second yardstick is the average of daily implied volatilities for the new crop futures contract over the course of a year. Zulauf and Roberts say this is a measure of the market’s expectation of price variability during the year.

Their findings and calculations indicate a rather slow upward trend from 1989 to 2003 for all three commodities, regardless of the yardstick. However, substantial changes occurred the past several years. Corn market volatility jumped from about 25% to nearly 35%. Soybean market volatility jumped from about 20% to nearly 35%. Wheat market volatility jumped to more than 40% from its prior points in the 20% range.

Zulauf and Roberts also computed the change in volatility between the periods of 1989 to 1991 and 2003 to 2006. While the historical corn variability was only 1%, its implied volatility—what the futures market expects—was 41%. Both beans and wheat recorded historical variability in the low 30% range and implied volatility above 40%.

Then the economists looked at the change from the three year period of 2003 to 2006 with 2007. They say while the increase in price variability in 2007 is larger, the increase prior to 2007 is also substantial. Their findings indicated:
1) Price variability has increased during the 2007 crop year, but,
2) This increase is part of a longer term trend of higher price variability.

The average crop year price volatility increased 32% in the period beginning in 1989 and ending in 2003. However it increased 50% between the 3 year period beginning in 2003 with 2007.
Zulauf and Roberts say the volatility increase suggests long term structural changes are responsible for the change, such as declining world stocks and increasing world demand. And if so, that means volatility could be higher in the future. The impact would be greater costs for managing risk, such as more costly crop insurance premiums, higher option premiums, and greater margins for hedging commodities. And if a farmer has to pay those costs, prices must increase, and that puts more pressure on processors and higher food prices.

Summary:
Grain market volatility has increased over the past 20 years, no matter how you measure it. Such volatility also seems to be increasing at a greater rate, and that means the structure of agriculture will be impacted, specifically, the management of risk and the cost of commodity trading. Farmers bearing those burdens will eventually see processors and the consumer sharing in that additional cost.

The Ultimate Guide to Extending the Life of Fresh Flowers

Cut flowers make us feel good. They make us all feel special, both those that give the flowers and those that receive them. They help us communicate with others in a special way. They help us say things like "I love you," "thank you," "get well," "Im sorry" and "youre special." More than any other gift, fresh flowers can help express emotions. Even the finest artificial bouquet just isnt the same.

The problem is that fresh flowers dont last. But treating them properly can extend the vase-life.

Remember that cut flowers have been removed from their life support system, both the roots, their source of water, and the leaves of the plant, their source of food.

Whats the best way to preserve fresh flowers It sounds like a simple question. Yet if you go online to search for a simple answer, youll find dozens of answers, few of them simple. How do we sort all this information out and get to the truth about preserving fresh flowers

How to Extend the Vase-Life of Fresh Flowers
Research says that to preserve a long vase-life, flowers, youll
1 need to minimize stresses like temperature and microorganisms
2 need to supply sufficient water, and
3 need to supply sufficient sugars or carbohydrates

The first step is to treat fresh flowers well from the moment you receive them. Keep them cool and keep them in water. At the first opportunity draw a sink full of water, place the stems under the water and cut them back 1/2" to 1" at an angle. Use a very sharp knife not serrated or scissors. The angled cut serves several purposes. First it exposes more surface area, second, an angled cut makes it easier to stick the stem into florist foam. The purpose of cutting the stems is to eliminate any air bubbles in the stems. Air bubbles can block the uptake of water. Leave the flowers in the water to rehydrate.

In the meantime thoroughly clean the vase with a 10 bleach solution.

The next question is what solution to put in the vase to keep the flowers fresh as long as possible Suggested homemade preservative solutions range from aspirin, copper pennies, sugar, bleach, lemon juice, corn syrup, non-diet lemon-lime soda, vodka, and Listerine to rock salt. There is a grain of truth behind many, but not all, of the homegrown ingredients.

Research Says...
Research says acidic water works best for flowers. Why There are two reasons. First, flowers take up acidic water quicker, and second, acidic water slows the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms that can clog the stems. In the home brew solutions, the aspirin, or lemon juice, or lemon-lime soda supposedly provides acidity. But how much acidity is needed for how much water Research says that a pH of about 3.5 is about right. The research also says aspirin doesnt help.

Research says that flowers need carbohydrates in the form of sugars. In the homemade solutions, the sugar, corn syrup or lemon-lime soda provides the sugars the cut flowers need. The problem is that different cut flowers need different amounts of sugar. Some need very little, some really like it sweet

To slow the growth of microorganisms, some mixtures call for bleach, vodka, Listerine, or a penny to kill the microorganisms that can clog flower stems. According to the research, pennies arent any help.

If youd like to make your own fresh flower preservative solution, the University of Massachusetts offers two different formulas. Id recommend them over unproven formulas written by who knows who.

Magic Formulas You Can Trust
1 Add 1 can non-diet lemon-lime soda to 3 cans of water along with 1/4 teaspoon of household bleach.
2 Add 2 tablespoons of fresh lime or lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of bleach to 1 quart of water.

The Other Alternative
If youre not into the "Jerry Baker" do-it-yourself type formulas, use the packets of floral preservative that typically comes with fresh flowers. Most commercial preservatives contain the basic components of the life support system needed by the plant.

Whichever formula you decide on, mix it up and warm it to 100 - 110 degrees. Remove the flowers from the sink of water and place them directly into the vase of warm water. Then place the vase and flowers into a cool location for an hour or two.

Keep the flowers out of direct sun and as cool as possible. Change the preservative solution every other day. If there is enough stem on the flowers, snip 1/2 inch off when you change the water.

There you have it, the latest and greatest scientific techniques for extending the life of your fresh flowers. Pay no attention to what those other Websites say. You know better now.

About the Author

Charles Osborne is the owner of A-Bow-K Florist and Gifts, a leading Tampa florist. A-Bow-K is family owned and operated, and has been delivering flowers to Tampa and the surrounding communities for 25 successful years. Visit our website at http://www.a-bow-kflorist.com.

Article Source: Content for Reprint

Catching Up With The Wheat Market, As Harvest Plays Catch Up

US wheat stocks had practically been “the only game in town,” for the past year, forcing the world wheat consumer to shop at the US grocery store. Global stocks remain tight, but supplies are loosening up a bit with the northern hemisphere harvest well underway and wheat returning to the international pipeline. As we begin a new wheat marketing year, we’ll assess what is known.

Higher wheat prices were the driving force for the US producer last fall and spring and USDA reports an additional 3 million acres were produced, with harvested acreage at 56.6 million, and that is the largest since 1998. USDA’s Wheat Outlook says less wheat was abandoned this year than last because 2007 spring freezes destroyed more acreage than did flooding this year. But delayed maturity is putting harvest progress well behind 2007 rates.

For winter wheat, acreage was about 1 million below last year, but the harvested ratio will climb because of high prices for the new crop. In addition to flooding and slow maturity, rainfall increased the incidence of disease. Spring wheat acreage is also 1.4 million more than last year, but the crop maturity is significantly behind 2007 and the five year average.

Total production is estimated at 2.461 billion bushels, up 394 million from last year with a national average yield at 43.5 bushels per acre and that would be the most since 2003. USDA’s grain stocks estimate at the end of June put ending stocks at 306 million, up 52 million from last year. The average farmgate price was calculated at $6.48 per bushel which is a record high, nearly $2 above the 1995-96 season price of $4.55.

But that was last year and this is this year, and ending stocks for the 2008-2009 crop will be up, with consumption about even with the old crop. Projected use for the new crop will be 2.329 billion bushels, which reflects 271 million bushels more domestic use and 267 million bushels lower export demand. The export demand is weak because of high US prices and larger world production. US wheat, because of its feed value relative to corn, is expected to remain at a high market price supported by corn. Subsequently, USDA is expecting the 2008-2009 wheat crop to average $6.75 to $8.25 for the marketing year, all because producers made an abundance of early forward contract sales.

Global production will rise slightly, and about the same amount of increased US production, since production in other nations is flat. In the EU, acreage is up, but yields are down. In Australia, acreage is up, and some sheep pasture has also been planted to wheat. World wheat consumption is projected higher and should reach 647 million tons, compared to 664 million tons of production. Consumption will be up in part because high corn prices are forcing livestock producers to feed wheat instead of corn. The global wheat surplus, with ending stocks is 133 million tons.

Global wheat trade is estimated at more than 120 million bushels, boosted in part by less control in the European Union, where wheat exports had been curtailed last year to preserve stocks for domestic use.
Summary:
US wheat growers will not enjoy quite the “sellers market” which they had for old crop wheat, however, many of them took advantage of the higher prices of the past year and forward contracted a large portion of the 2008 crop as noted by the high USDA estimates for average market prices. Nevertheless, global wheat demand will remain high, as stocks remain at historic lows. US domestic consumption is expected to rise about as much as the export volume is expected to fall, leaving rather static stocks levels. US production this year suffered slightly from abandoned acreage from floods, but not as much compared to the 2007 Easter freeze that reduced harvested acreage last year.

Busy Week

Summer semester finals are toward the end of this week, and it’s a fairly busy time. That, among a couple of other things, is my excuse for an idle camera and a less frequent posting schedule. I see the end of the tunnel though.

University of Georgia made a changeover from the quarter system to the semester system five or seven years ago, amid much angst and fanfare. All courses had to change their structures and syllabuses - three-quarter course series had to be rewritten as two-semester series, for instance. There was much tearing of the already thinning hair.

Under the quarter system, which I grew up with as an undergrad at Florida State University and then as a grad at UGA, there are three major academic quarters in a year, generally running ten or eleven weeks, and then summer quarter, generally running eight or nine weeks. We generally started in early September and fall quarter last through the first week in December. The remaining two academic winter and spring quarters ran through the first week in June.

Under the now much more frequently used semester system there are two major academic year semesters, fall and spring. Fall lasts from mid-August until early to mid December; spring from the first week of January to the first week of May. Note the lack of “winter” in the naming system: we have effectively done away with winter. Well, I could have told you that without all this other.

The first and the last are two of the three shockers of the semester system - first, beginning so early, and second, ending so early. The first was one of the pushes for going to semester - to get everyone in line for football season. The second also legitimized going to semester - by ending the academic year in early May grads had a month advantage in finding jobs upon graduating.

And that’s the third shocker I mentioned for students who have only seen the semester system. Those of us familiar with quarter system were used to a highly compressed course presentation, and so an eight or nine week summer was no big deal. But students who know only semester, with its spread out eighteen weeks of a single course are shell-shocked by the compression of one of those courses into the still-eight or -nine weeks of a summer semester.

Enough of this. Let’s get to something that I’ve found to be valuable grist.

The compressed summer schedule is especially noteworthy when it comes to one of the hardest courses the university has to offer: the dreaded organic chemistry series, and I work with students in both courses in the series. It’s one of my favorite courses to work with students in - there’s always something of value to learn in organic chemistry, believe it or not, and you can take it as far as you want and not exhaust its possible entertainments.

Organic chemistry is absolutely like nothing students have encountered before, a mixture of science and art in a lot of ways, and it stretches unused portions of the mind in ways it’s never been stretched. And mine, too - every time I go through the organic courses the reviews turn up things I’ve forgotten, or let go unappreciated for too long. I do believe it’s as if the right brain and left brain have to work together as equals, and for most that’s the first such demand on such a cooperation.

Here’s a very simple, elementary mechanism for one type of reaction that’s encountered frequently. The arrows show the movement of electrons in breaking and making bonds, and it’s this puzzle that the right brain likes so much. Understanding and extending it beyond simple memorization is how the left brain gets its jollies.

In a nutshell, stolen from this wikipedia article on SN1 reactions of alkyl halides, being able to do this sort of thing is one of the objectives of a large part of organic chemistry:



Heh - didn’t know I could do that, did you? Neither did I, until I kind of got to like it.

There’s nothing quite like being there at the end after working with a student who has finally made it through that last organic chemistry course, for they’ve gone way, way beyond the elementary mechanism above. And I love being there at that point. The student has discovered that they’ve invested vast amounts of time in something very few are interested in, and I can pat him or her on the back and offer my appreciation:

They will have discovered, as I did thirty years ago - this is not a topic for polite conversation. It’s kind of a tragedy, in a way. You spend grueling hours, days, weeks, learning it thoroughly and then the moment you say “chemistry”, hungry for some validation, eyes glaze over and people wander away. Even your best friends. Definitely one of those Abraham Maslow self-actualizing things, 'cause honey, if you can’t get joy out of it yourself, there’s not a whole lot of folks who’s gonna help you with it.

And so that ends the rambling lesson, except for one thing: I have met folks three decades younger who *do* get satisfaction out of this sort of thing. I’d like to think that the tiny bit of encouragement I provide helps, but I expect that they’re just self-actualizing themselves, probably without ever having heard of Abraham Maslow.

Now that’s something that helps.

Cheez−Whiz Recipe Make Your Own!

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Cheesecake Factory Key Lime Cheesecake Recipe

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1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs Read more

Making Money Feeding Cattle? You’re Kidding Aren’t You?

Livestock producers have been consuming a lot of red ink lately. Not that they want to corner the market on that commodity, but it has taken a lot to print their income statements, P & L sheets, cash flow projections and the like. In cattle country, the only person lonelier than the Maytag repairman is the fellow who sells black ink. We got to this point with high corn prices, but since they have backed off $2 from the June highs, let’s find out if any cowboys are having fun yet.

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