[AT] bad Insert addresses (separated by commas) Show Bcc harvestconditions

charlie hill charliehill at embarqmail.com
Tue Nov 25 18:31:34 PST 2008


There is some very rich farm land in Beaufort Co NC.  That's one county N/E 
of here.  There is an area there called Terracia (sp) that was a Dutch 
settlement in the old days.  They grew tulips there until maybe 20 years 
ago.  I don't know a thing about how they grew them but I'll tell you that a 
couple of hundred acres of blooming tulips in one plot is a sight to see. 
Most all of that land is in corn, soybeans and cotton these days.  I don't 
know if anyone is growing flowers now or not.  I don't think so.

Charlie
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bruce Moden" <brucemoden at yahoo.com>
To: "AT Tractor Antique Tractor" <AT at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 3:43 PM
Subject: [AT] bad Insert addresses (separated by commas) Show Bcc 
harvestconditions


Farming can be cold off the tractor too!

A little different type of farming, but for many years we grew tulips, 
hyacinths & daffodils for many retail, wholesale outlets & markets in 
western NY. We planted such a large quantity (over 10,000) that we couldn't 
use bulb cellars or temperature controlled barns. For anyone that has never 
done this, you plant the bulbs in pots of 4 to 12 bulbs in the fall, about 
Columbus Day. We prepare a field and strip about 4 to 6 inches of soil off, 
place the pots in rows & cover them with about 4 inches of soil.
That's the easy stuff!!
You keep them watered until the ground freezes or the snow covers them, they 
grow into the soil above them (plants grow to about 3 to 4 inches). 
"Harvest" comes 4 to 8 weeks before Easter, that translates into February or 
March. You are lucky if there is snow, because the ground doesn't freeze 
under the snow. You begin by clearing about 2 feet of snow off the end of 
the field & dig a trench in front of the 1st row, then you dig beneath the 
1st row & drop the plants out of the soil they are buried in, so as to not 
break off the young plant (the bud is in the center of the leaves & is 
fragile). you transport them by wheel barrow into the greenhouses, wash of 
the remaining dirt from the leaves, place them on the green house shelves to 
begin their growth.
I remind you this is being done in 20-30 degree weather, by hand, in the 
mud! If there is no snow you cut 3 foot by 3 foot squares of frozen dirt, 
pots & all, move them into a heated area to thaw, separate them there wash 
them, etc. & repeat the process 1,000 times. You are wet, your gloves are 
frozen to your hands & did I mention we heated with wood so while you 
"rested" you cut wood & stoked the boiler!
This was the old "Dutch" method of growing bulb stock- cold & hard, but the 
end product was the best.
The being cold didn't stop until Easter, because you would spend the week 
before at the market, sitting on the tailgate selling the over stock, in 
Buffalo it snows Easter Week!

(we also walked 2 miles to school is the snow, uphill both ways!)

Pharmer Bruce



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