Turn that sod over boys, the drought is over

[mnmthunting]

No question dirty farming was good for the pheasants.

And no question that there was more acres tilled in 1910 then there is now.
So much more land was available. I used 1975 because more stats are available. Since 1975 some 45 million acres have been lost to Urban Sprawl. Of that 25 million acres was farmland. An area larger then Indiana!

And total in the US there are some 30 million acres of tree plantations. Of course considered agriculture. But in 1910 most of this land was cropland. There were orchards in 1910 but most of the plantation acres are pine, put in since 1910.

Consider also the land lost to high ways, in 1910 there wasn't much for roads.

Farming was so much different back then. Without hybrid and treated seed, fertilizer, chemicals. Yields were very low compared to now.
As You say weeds in the crops, cattle and hogs feeding on the residue all was bird friendly. Not so much today.

 

[UGUIDE]

Those seeds are suspect blame for the die off of our bee's.

Sounds speculative to me. I am all ears. Tell me more. Better yet show me the data.

I want to know how a seed treated and put in the ground kills a bee.

 

[fsentkilr]

Those seeds are suspect blame for the die off of our bee's. Many farmers are buying new bee's each year and having them shipped up each summer. Don't sound like a sound plan to me.

Once again someone on here talking about something they have no clue about. Its not the seeds that are suspected of killing the bees, its the seed treatment that is put on the seeds. Not all seeds are treated with this insecticide. When used in an air planter some of the treatment blows off the seed. The theory is that the treatment is getting in contact with the bees and killing them. There is no proof of this however, and actually some studies are now disproving it. The bees are dying off in areas that have no farm ground for one. Also in parts of Europe they have outlawed these seed treatments and the Colony Collapse Disorder is still happening.

The treatment is not blown off of the seed if the planter used isn't an air planter. Also, a farmer has the option if he wants the insecticide applied to the seed or not. I want to stress again, that so far no independant studies have verified any connection to the treated seed.

Here is what wikopedia says about CCD. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_collapse_disorder

Do a google search on CCD. Its interesting reading.

 

[onpoint]

Once again someone on here talking about something they have no clue about. Its not the seeds that are suspected of killing the bees, its the seed treatment that is put on the seeds.

That's what I referring to.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Onpoint, FUN! Thanks for the conversation.
Lets just start. You know that in 1910 that about 32% of the USA labor force was on the land, farming and directly related.
OK, Worked with mules and horses and for sure steam power. Check it out those steam powered tractors, BIG machines could turn over the sod, I mean BIG TIME.
So could the BIG HITCH. Go to Your County Archives, check out the county land status in 1910.

Get back to me.:thumbsup:

Once it gets turned over, it only gets "turned back" into CRP or something similar and usually not native tho the later CRP attempted to come close.
No one is expecting a net gain that puts us back 100 years, but some day the last acre will get turned if we do not slow down.
The US cavalry did not defeat the Native American.The buffalo hunters, settlers and railroads did. The hunter will go the same way after the land is gone to pure agriculture. There will no longer be a perceived need for your gun and Peta and the veggies will argue we need more grain, not meat to feed the world. The meat producers are getting hammered by anti cruelty to animal laws in some states. SD addressed counter legislation but the Feds can step in any time.
I don't really like soyburgers all that much, but those farmers who are raising cattle, pigs, etc not just small grain for cash, are going to need some allies too when they knock on your door and question you about how you are treating your animals. Even in SD the Humane Society can shut you down with administrative law, no court required.
As Red Green says, "We're all in this together." The pendulem is swinging well away from the conservation side, but will hopefully swing back. It will always swing I presume, but I wish we could shorten the arc to a more stable balance.

 

[mnmthunting]

Up here the Norway (Red pine) tree plantations are getting dozed. MN has issued 400 new irrigation well permits the last two years. Most wells are in Central and North Central MN.
I'm 62 years old, I can remember all the 160 acre dairy Farms and the red hip roof barns. In the 60's and 70's land went to trees.
Now it's center pivots, building sites are gone with the rest.

My point, woodland is going back to crops. These are NOT old growth forests.
Grasslands are going back to crops. These are NOT native prairies.

There are big old growth trees in many of the old building sites that are gone or going. Just like there are fragments of Native Prairie going. And that's a shame.
Corn ethanol is a shame.