How Kudzu, “The Vine That Ate The South,” Put Southern Agriculture On The Skids – Modern Farmer.

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How Kudzu, “The Vine That Ate The South,” Put Southern Agriculture On The Skids – Modern Farmer.

Most people assume that kudzu, The Vine that Ate the South, was somehow “accidentally” introduced from Asia. In fact, it was touted as a miracle cure by the government for healing the south’s ailing soil.

A little botanical investigation reveals why. Kudzu is a legume, and like most legumes, it deposits nitrogen in the soil as it grows, which other plants can then use. It grows profusely even in bone-dry infertile conditions, producing tons of organic matter per acre with its voluminous biomass. Plus, livestock of all kinds will eat the foliage, which is as rich in protein as alfalfa, offering a way to make the landscape instantly productive again.

In the 1930s and 1940s, the Soil Conservation Service grew 70 million kudzu seedlings and began distributing them to farmers, free of charge. To encourage participation in their ill-advised experiment, government agents travelled the back roads preaching the virtues of the plant and offering $8 per acre to grow it. A newspaper columnist named Channing Cope became the wonder-crop’s chief evangelist. “The healing touch of the miracle vine,” he wrote in the Atlanta Constitution, would make the South’s farms “live again.” Cope spearheaded the Kudzu Club of America, which boasted a membership of 20,000 at its peak in the mid-1940s.

October 17, 2016 Morning

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Good morning! Kind of a rainy start to our work week. Light drizzle and 59 degrees in North Syracuse. Calm wind. The dew point is 58 degrees. Earlier this morning we had some pretty heavy rain, but now it looks like the rain has stopped but we still have a cloudy day on tap. Tomorrow should be nicer, with the the skies expected to clear tomorrow around 5 am.

On the top of the list this week is getting a state inspection for Big Red. I need to check the lights quickly but I should be good to go. Hopefully i can just stop at an garage, otherwise i’ll just have to make an appointment. It will only take 15 minutes, but something that has to get done by October 31st. Mostly a technicality, but I also have to get my wheel locks out so they can get the wheel off to check the brake (although honestly, I think you can see the brakes well enough without pulling the wheel — but the state probably requires the later). I should also check the oil, because I haven’t done in a few weeks, even though I doubt it’s at all low.

Definitely a dreary day on tap. We will have a chance of showers before 2pm, then a chance of showers after 4pm. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high of 69 degrees at 2pm. 10 degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 62 at 2pm. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. The record high of 85 was set in 1947. The sun will set at 6:16 pm with dusk around 6:45 pm, which is 1 minutes and 36 seconds earlier than yesterday. Today will have 10 hours and 54 minutes of daylight, a decrease of 2 minutes and 49 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will have a chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7pm, then a slight chance of showers between 7pm and 9pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low of 61 degrees at 5am. 22 degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 62 at 6pm. South wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. The record low of 22 occurred back in 1978.

On this day in 1973, OPEC imposes an oil embargo against a number of Western countries, considered to have helped Israel in its war against Egypt and Syria. Back in 1966,  a fire at a building in New York City kills 12 firefighters, the fire department’s deadliest day until the September 11, 2001 attacks. Also in 1919,  RCA is incorporated as the Radio Corporation of America. RCA is no longer a company but they still sell their name to Chinese manufacturers of cheap electronics.

There are 2 weeks until Halloween when the sun will be setting at 5:56 pm with dusk at 6:25 pm. The average high temperature is 54 degrees, with a record high of 73 in 1946. Tricker treaters will be coming to your door before you know it.

There are 22 days, 13 hours and 23 minutes until the polls close in NY State on Election Day. I’m increasingly thinking for my November trip of doing a Northern Tier of Pennsylvania/Southern Tier of New York trip very similiar to 2012, rather then the Blue Ridge Parkway. The parkway is going to be more difficult to do this time of year with the short days, greater distance, and because many of campgrounds closed. If I was in New York, I have my hunting and trapping privileges, so I could do that when I’m in the Southern Tier of New York.

OPEC OIL EMBARGO – 1973.

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43 years ago today.

"Good evening. The Middle East war produced developments all over the world today as the oil-producing countries of the Arab world decided to use their oil as a political weapon they will reduce oil production by 5% a month until the Israelis withdraw from occupied territories."