Having a bulldozer is great. We’ve got so much valuable work done, very quickly, with it. But yesterday, after Will had hosed it down following a two day session of cleaning small popple trees out of two horse pastures, he found the right track drive housing was coming apart. Several bolts were broken, a couple missing and the whole cast piece was starting to pull apart. Not a good thing!

So today, while I babysat our two donkeys and filly, Ladyhawk, in their half of the horse pasture, David and Will tore into the dozer and made repairs. Luckily, with lots of dirty, sweaty hard work, they got it back together, new bolts in and the whole works tightened down nicely. Whew! It looked pretty nasty last night.

We’ve got the cleaned orchard rock picked and hauled the rocks to mud holes on the driveway, then this afternoon, Will got on the Ford 8N tractor and hauled rotten manure from the donkey/horse corral onto the orchard, scattering it thickly around our young trees. Before this, you could smell apple blossoms from the two trees that are blooming heavily. Of course tonight, all you can smell is, well….you know what! But the trees will love it. We’re going to drag it and see if we can get it fenced. We picked up the fencing today and the posts are due in tomorrow. We have to go 8′ high to keep the deer out, so the posts were a special order. As soon as it’s fenced, we’re going to plant oats and clover in there for a cover crop and to add nitrogen to the soil. Wow! A real orchard!

I’m feeling kind of blue; Will only has two more days here and he has to go back to Spokane. I’ve gotten kind of used to having the guy around. It’s been great having my Sweetie here. But he’ll be back in September, then in January for keeps, so we’ll just have to deal with it till his obligations there are done with. Fortunately, we DO still have two days and we’ll sure make the best of them. The best of the best!

Readers’ questions:

Rabbits, rabbits, rabbits …

My grandson loves to watch those cute little big eyed, big eared creatures hop around and nibble on the never ending supply of green grass and more vegetation than they could all possibly ever eat. But do they stop there? Heck no, they keep nibbling right up to my little garden of purple hull peas and kentucky wonder beans and eat the tops right off of almost everyone. They seem to be unafraid of my presence even when I run at them. Those cute little creatures are rabbits of Louisiana. “Big swamp rabbits” is what my husband calls them. They aren’t so cute anymore, I hate the sight of them and long to hear the coyotes nearby so they can yowl and holler and eat all the rabbits in this area.

Please help! I have tried what my father-in-law thinks is the best thing to keep away the varmints, seven dust. I hate using it and it don’t work so good. What can I do? Oh and armadillos to. The rabbits eat the tops, the armadillos root up the whole garden then my loose stupid rooster scratches up whats left.

This is my first official garden and there are more to come so I ain’t giving up. I will win this war against the varmints but sure need some of your weaponry to fight in the battle.

I planted my garden right next to my house. It is open with no fences and there are no houses for at least a mile from us. You can’t eat the rabbits this time of the year so killing them is a waste and besides there are a million more out there to take over the place of any you might kill. I have a clothesline right next to the garden and I have put up pinwheels and hung up my old dirty shirts so they might smell it and run away. Ha! Nothing is working. I get sick every morning when I check my garden and find the devistation.

Sonja Neatherland
Dodson, Louisiana

The only thing that you can count on to keep rabbits and other varmints at bay is fence. If rabbits are your only big problem, you’re lucky. You can get by by fencing your garden with 2″ chicken wire that is 4′ high. I have deer and need to use more expensive 2″x4″ 6′ high wire. We just did our entire orchard today! I love to watch those big eyed critters, too, but OUTSIDE my garden fence. Believe me, I’ve tried everything else, including my own urine, wolf urine, animal repellants, pinwheels, balloons, plastic owls and snakes, cat litter and more. Only the fence works. — Jackie

Potatoes

I want to thank you for telling me about Carla Emery’s book, “The Encyclopedia of County Living”. I liked the book so well I bought two, one for me and one for a friend. I have a couple of questions or problems I would like your expertize on.

I live on heavy clay soil and I am trying to expand my vegetable garden. With all of this rain and more in the forecast, I don’t dare get into the spot I want to turn into a potato patch until the soil drys out some. The potatoes are cut and ready. What can I do to hold them until I can get them in the ground?

Also, when you are growing beans you want for dry beans, do you do a first pick like you do green beans to increase the yield?

Judy Jarred
Latham, Kansas

Sorry you are raining out, too. My garden is at a halt because of cold temperatures and rain, rain, rain. Your potatoes will hold well if you just keep them in a dark cool spot. If they begin to sprout badly, they will still work for you. If I have a long enough growing season, I will pick the first beans for green beans, then let them go to dry. If not, I’ll just let ‘em rip. They’ll always make a good crop for you, either way. — Jackie

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