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[Clansgian AT wmconnect.com]

> >Let me start this by saying I am a gear head, I like machinery. 

Let me start by saying that I detest machinery and would gladly live in a 
world without it.  Now one must'nt take either Don's nor my comment to the 
point of 'ad absurdum'.  I drive a truck and use a can opener ... and I'm 
sure 
Don isn't shopping for an automatic nose-wiping machine  (see how I'm 
keeping this nice).

> >Draft animals may be romantic and all that but to properly use
> them with out injuring takes more training on the part of the teamster than
> the team.
> 

Essentially this is true, but far more people are injured by tractors than 
horses and far worse injuries.  None the less much of draft animal work in 
not intuitive to us children of the mechanical world.  It DOES take a bit of 
training and knowledge.

Much of the mechanized vs hand or draft discussion centers on our 
orientation.  One is not good and the other bad, each has its good points and 
each 
its limitations.

For example.  This year's over abundant rain has given a great advantage to 
the ragweed, ironweed, horse nettle, and smartweed in the 7 acre pasture 
here in the back.  One morning and a tractor and bush hog would be the end of 
it.  Much of it is pretty steep but a small, well suited tractor with wide 
wheel base could do it fine.

On the other hand every morning as a ritual I have taken my short scythe 
and gone to pasture just at sunup and cut for half a hour for the past three 
weeks.  It'll wake you up in the morning.  About the time the sun is making 
itself felt and the cool dew turning to mist from the weeds, I'm ready to 
head back to tea and get on with the usual day.  As an aspiring codger of 56, 
it's keeping my blood pressure down, weight down, and gives me about as 
cheery a disposition as I am capable of.

Another week or two and the summer weeds in this pasture area will all have 
fallen.  'RoundUp hath slain its thousands, but James hath slain his tens 
of thousands."  I will be missing the routine when I'm done and looking 
around to other areas that could use 'hogging'.

We, says I, are overly machine oriented.  If machines are one's thing, then 
I'd go for it heart and soul.  But the notion  that the machine way is 
sooooooo much easier is due to you lack of imagination and an unjustifiable 
faith in the mechanical.  There are other ways to accomplish the same thing.

James