Random Posts (An alternate to side discussions)

[alfa1]

EVOLUTION project:

I consider it's possible to have a place on earth where only high level people will live.

[johnsold]

I helped a friend who was an Olympic-class small-bore rifle shooter design and build an electronic trigger with variable delay (and appropriate safety features, of course).  With it he could cure flinching in one session and could teach novices to shoot without ever flinching.  I tried to get him to put a little rotating antenna on the control box, but he said the other shooters and match officials gave him too much trouble over just having wires from the stock to a box on the ground.

This guy has eyes so bad that he says the targets are fuzzy blobs, but he routinely puts five shots in the same hole in the ten ring.  He was a mechanical engineer and said he just integrated the blob to find the center and shot there.  I can hit the target but not with that kind of precision or accuracy.

We had a rifle range in the basement of the gym at college in a large city.

Lynn

[Henrik_Volkers]

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@Ben wrote:

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When reading Lyman's reloading manual I learned that decents marksmen can put five bullets within a 1/2 inch at 100 yards. if i can do five with two inches, I'll call it an accomplishment.

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About 10 years ago, at 100 yard (well, 90m) I often got 6 within 1/2 a yard... but arrows with an Olympic (recurve) bow 🙂

Now I should be happy to hit the target (1.25m)  😉  no practice  ..

[jcarmody]

I started shooting IDPA (defensive pistol competition) a few years ago, have come a long way in developing my skill with a handgun but am far from an "expert".  I comfort myself, after messing up a stage or finishing lower than I had hoped/expected, by telling myself that I'm better than most shooters.  That's not really a boastful statement if you've ever seen how "well" most shooters are.  If you fancy yourself a pistol shooter (or any gun, really), participate in a few competitions and see where you stand.  It's rather humbling.  If you try it in the middle of North Carolina you might find your name behind my twelve-year-old son's in the score results.  If you're a "prepper" and are keeping firearms for some future scenario where you imagine might need it, try a practical shooting "sport".  I'm dying to try a three-gun match, once I get two more guns...

[Ben]

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@Henrik Volkers wrote:

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@Hornless.Rhino wrote:

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I don't recomment an invertion. Just think about how a potatoe would look like after such a procedure 😉

However a coordinate transformation 

( cos(rad)  sin(rad)    0;

 -sin(rad)  cos(rad)    0;

      0           0          1)

would be possible  (farmers math: a plough).

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First let me thank you for that post. I was visitng a customer and waiting while they ran through their leak cheaks when I saw your post and it had me laughing out loud.

And being the vulture I am, I am curious about how to succeed at potatoes.

1) How often do you mound up dirt around them?

2) Does planing them too close inhibit production?

3) How do you know when it is time to dig them up?

4) Do you have any other tips?

I have four 4X4 foot gardens dedicated to potatoes this year and would rally like to get something out of boxes this year.

Thanks!

Ben

[Henrik_Volkers]

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First let me thank you for that post. I was visitng a customer and waiting while they ran through their leak cheaks when I saw your post and it had me laughing out loud.

🙂

And being the vulture I am, I am curious about how to succeed at potatoes.

1) How often do you mound up dirt around them?

Never 🙂  Sometimes before planting , while pronging I add some(not to much)  horse dung ( We have a zoo with pony's for the kids nearby, so whenever I (or my wife) want (me) , I go there and get a hand borrow.

Potatoes don't like it wet. 

2) Does planing them too close inhibit production?

Coarsely 30cm (one foot) is what we usually plan, however when using old, small, doubtful seed  I sometimes put two in one hole... I don't care .   Sometimes a group of them start growing in our compost. Giving us some extra potatoes in fall :). We have two compost areas, one always settle for one season   (The compost is great for Hokaido )

3) How do you know when it is time to dig them up?

We usually wait until the leafs gets brown. (or just before the ground gets frost) , but it's allowed to be curious and carefully dig a little bit , if they are found to be too small and are still on the root, just cover them again.

4) Do you have any other tips?

If you have problems with voles place some garlic in between. Fresh potatoes and fresh garlic butter  mmmmmhh 

So you don't have to wait for voles to plant some garlic 😄

I have four 4X4 foot gardens dedicated to potatoes this year and would rally like to get something out of boxes this year.

Thanks!

Ben

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[Ben]

Thank you Henrik!

I was making at least two mistakes, mounding and over watering I suspect.

You were also right about the upside down potatoes. Seems I have a self-inverting potatoe matrix and they are popping up all over.

I live on top of a hill so the soil is terrible. About an inch of sod over half a metter of clay with shale under that. So I have been digging up what is natural in my yard and using it to give my wife "a flat spot" for her to practice her Kung-fu and then filling the boxes with stuff I purchase at a local dirt place. THey sell something they call "special mix" that has an odor that reminds me of the "Elephant House" at the zoo.

Re: The compost pile

I was discussing my potatoe saga with a neighbor and said "It make me call my gradening skills into question when I have more stuff growing in my compost pile thatn my garden."

No mounding!

Hey I tried it for the past two years and I got very little. It and the watering may have been where I was screwing up.

Garlic suggestion is another good idea I may just act on.

Thank you very much!

Ben

[jcarmody]

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@Ben wrote:

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Re: The compost pile

I was discussing my potatoe saga with a neighbor and said "It make me call my gradening skills into question when I have more stuff growing in my compost pile thatn my garden."

[...]

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I used my own compost a few years ago and ended up with a garden FULL of gourds.  Useless, stinky-flower, vining WEEDS that took over.  I let them grow, anyway, because I figured some folks would like the dried gourds (for bird houses, crafts, etc.).  Did you know that dried gourds, when exposed to heat (like in a brush fire), explode?  It's neat. 🙂

[SnowMule]

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@jcarmody wrote:

Did you know that dried gourds, when exposed to heat (like in a brush fire), explode?  It's neat. 🙂

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Youtube video link please.

[JW-JnJ]

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@jcarmody wrote:

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@Ben wrote:

[...]

Re: The compost pile

I was discussing my potatoe saga with a neighbor and said "It make me call my gradening skills into question when I have more stuff growing in my compost pile thatn my garden."

[...]

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I used my own compost a few years ago and ended up with a garden FULL of gourds.  Useless, stinky-flower, vining WEEDS that took over.  I let them grow, anyway, because I figured some folks would like the dried gourds (for bird houses, crafts, etc.).  Did you know that dried gourds, when exposed to heat (like in a brush fire), explode?  It's neat. 🙂

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Heh, we've had pumpkins in the compost plenty of times. One year we got lucky and a grape vine started and is thriving still.

Dried gourds explode? Thanks. Now I'm not going to be satisfied until I try it (and burning shrapnel is flying out of my fire at me).