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Wings and
Ollie's Plowshares
By Mona Lease
Hi, all!! There's a lot of activity in our little county. And some new
activity to come. I'll get to the new stuff a tad later. Has anybody
seen the helicopter that has been "crop-dusting" in the county the last
couple of weeks or so?
I had the opportunity to speak with the owner of the
business....seriously. He was sitting on the outside of the helicopter
talking to the pilot. The helicopter was parked at a local hotel. How
much more "sweet" could this one get? I got a close-up view of the
sprayer - which is as long at the 'copter's rotor. The rotor length
varies from 'copter to 'copter - but, for our purposes here - 58.4 feet
is a good measurement. The picture I included is an old medevac 'copter
that has been renovated to carry 140 gallons of what they're spraying.
Around here - the 'copter is spraying a funjicide and only doing corn.
Now - 140 gallons may not seem like a lot. But - if a gallon of water
weighs 8 pounds, then a funjicide should weigh the same - right? They
are both liquids. 140 gallons times 8 pounds is 1,120 extra pounds the
'copter carries - plus the pilot's weight. He looked to weigh around
180 pounds. Obviously - the funjicide weight declines steadily. But -
have you ever watched a helicopter? They remind me of a hummingbird -
up, down, hover, diagonal.
The 'copter is reported to be moving at a speed of 80 mph while it is
"crop-dusting" or performing an "aerial application" - which is the
correct terminology. The company will dust any crop - cotton,
wheat, etc. Local farmers have reported a 20 bushel per acre increase
from last year. The aerial application is reported to be less invasive
to the crop. This is the second year for this particular company to
come up from Alabama to do our aerial applications. So far - the
results show promise. Best of luck to our Darke County farmers!!
When I was a "young-en" my Dad had an Oliver tractor he called
"Ollie." He and "Ollie" would do whatever work needed to be done.
I watched Ollie and Dad pull out iron fence posts cemented three feet
into the ground.
One of our local youths - a member of the Darke County Pullers
Association - used a 1959 Oliver 770 Tractor with an Oliver '40's
series Plow Master 2-12, to plow his way to a win at the State
Competition. He goes to Iowa for the National Competition.
Many things about this intrigue me. 1959 was a very good year. An
elderly friend of the young man gave him the Oliver and told him to see
what he could do with it. (Kudos to the "Ollie-giver!") Father and son
have worked their way through the "getting it all together" process.
(Ya just gotta "high-five" that one!).
Now for the "new activity" I mentioned earlier. In 2016 - Arcanum, Ohio
is going to host the World Puller's Association Meet!!! It's reported
that the local hotels/motels are booked full and hopeful competitors
are turning to Richmond, Indiana and Dayton, Ohio to book a room. This
is a big, very competitive event. Some things are past how much money
you spend - believe it or not. It's the thrill of the trophy. There are
actually people who sleep with their equipment while it is being
transported to the various meets. Go "Ollie" and your National
Contender!
Remember the kiddies and our service people. Take good care of the
furry and feathered ones out there. Be safe and healthy. See ya next
time. Ever Toodles!! MONA
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