Tree Hugger goes mad .

[AtlasRob]

.Why the flame thrower conversion?

I read that as ... " I know a better way to get rid of these darn plants rather than spraying them "

BURN UM!

 

[Squizzy246B]

There a :cussing.noxious weed. Just another introduced species this country is ruined by. On a warmish day baby beef will have a chew and then they are dead in half an hour. It will kill a kid too if they eat some of the stem.

Rates right up there with Dock weed, Lantana, Cape Weed, Skeleton Weed Pattersons Curse, Fire ants, the cane toad, the rabbit, the fox, Paul Keating....

 

[australian pete]

The Di.....the Richard..the...craniu....the idiots grow Lantana in their gardens over here. I couldn't believe when I was a kid and came to Perth and saw them growing Arum Lillies in their gardens: Arum Lillies are how a young bloke learns how to convert a knapsack sprayer into a flame thrower

im staggered that any one would grow lantana in their garden.

 

[Bellboy]

Where are arum lilies originally from? Does anybody actually know?

 

[Squizzy246B]

Where are arum lilies originally from? Does anybody actually know?

yes Bellboy....they are a natives species of ...South Africa

 

[RocksnRoses]

Is that like Hawthorn?..I saw Hawthorn hedges down the mornington peninsula stop a Drott dead in its tracks. That stuff was tough and horror prickly so a brown dog wouldn't go in it.

I am not sure what Hawthorn looks like, but it sounds similar. Here is a couple of pics of the boxthorn and the puller.

Rn'R.

 

[Bellboy]

yes Bellboy....they are a natives species of ...South Africa

I knew that! Also, the boxthorn says that it is "African Boxthorn" even though I have never seen it around here. One thing that we here inn South Africa, particularily in KwaZulu Natal, is bugweed. Anybody heard of it? It has rather large and unsightly leaves, hairy if thats the right way to describe it, light, furry, green bark, and round bauble like seeds. they are a real nuisance because they take forever to kill, and the only sure fire way to do this is to coat the bark with a mixture of diesel and herbicide.

Back to the thread, what is that machine pictured R'nR?

 

[RocksnRoses]

I knew that! Also, the boxthorn says that it is "African Boxthorn" even though I have never seen it around here. One thing that we here inn South Africa, particularily in KwaZulu Natal, is bugweed. Anybody heard of it? It has rather large and unsightly leaves, hairy if thats the right way to describe it, light, furry, green bark, and round bauble like seeds. they are a real nuisance because they take forever to kill, and the only sure fire way to do this is to coat the bark with a mixture of diesel and herbicide.

Back to the thread, what is that machine pictured R'nR?

Bellboy,all the information that I have read, says that the African Boxthorn is a native of South Africa and it was introduced to Australia in the 1800's, by someone who wanted to make a hedge out of it. The machine in the photos is a Kockums 880 Feller Buncher.

Rn'R.

 

[Iron Horse]

RnR , did you make any money with that machine ? Are you still doing it ?

This is Lantana , South American native . Brought to Australia as a garden plant , it escaped !!!

It shrouds trees like these that have been used as cattle camps , the cattle have no shade . Cattle from the same paddock can tolerate eating a small amount of it but cattle brought in from another area will die a very painful death if they eat it . It also harbours vermin , foxes , rabbits , cattle ticks etc .

 

[RocksnRoses]

RnR , did you make any money with that machine ? Are you still doing it ?

No, Iron Horse, I probably didn't make much money out of it. I was working on a job with a mate of mine, when we were approached about clearing boxthorns on a 5,000 acre island, owned by the local aboriginal community. At the same time the local councils wanted to start removing boxthorns from the sandhills along the coast, so we were trying to work out the best way to go about it. He saw an old Kockums for sale at Griffith, that a chap had for pulling out telephone poles, so we went and looked at that and he bought it. I then bought another one out of Tumut and we set them up with grabs and they actually worked very well. He then wanted to travel all over the state pulling boxthorns and I decided that I had enough to do running my crushing business, so I sold my machine to him. He since bought a third one and worked them for a few years, but he had a lot of problems chasing after them, because he runs an engineering business as well and then the work and the Government money dried up. He has only just sold them to another local chap who refurbished them and has picked up a couple of good contracts with them and I think he could do OK.

Rn'R.

 

[Iron Horse]

That looks like a great machine for that task . It never ceases to amaze me that we have so many guys with gear like this and we still have Lantana and the like crowding the sides of the roads and strangling our forests . We are forced to watch the government roadwork employees sitting on their Eskies and doing nothing , yet we rarely get a call from our councils to do some contracting . Are they keeping all the weeds for themselves to justify their own existence ?

Well , the Tree Hugger is all stickered up , nearly 40 in total . I was beginning to think i wasted my time painting it as it looked like i was going to cover the machine with stickers . Now , the first person to scratch it will die . Hmmn , I'm the only one that drives it .

 

[australian pete]

we have heaps of lantana around here on the sides of roads in in properties, the council seem unconcerned about it, they dont spray it and dont make any attempt to educate people as to how bad it is. i guess they are too busy harassing people like me for clearing some scrubby regrowth and carting in a couple of loads of clean fill to level an area.

 

[RocksnRoses]

Well Iron Horse and australian pete, it is no different here, where local Councils are concerned. We have a silly situation here, where the Aleppo Pine tree is supposedly a noxious weed. In the early days, people planted Aleppo Pines, because they were tough, grew fairly quickly and made good wind breaks, which you would appreciate, if you lived here. Granted, they do seed quite prolifically in the area where they are growing, but in most cases, there is nothing else growing there, anyway. But there is one old bloke here who has made it his life's ambition, to get rid of every Aleppo Pine tree in existence and what's more, he gets government funding through Landcare, to do it. Just recently they had a local contractor cut down a whole plantation of Aleppo Pines, leading in to the local town. Now, these trees were planted many years ago, as a memorial to the service men and women who lost their lives in both wars, but no, that didn't matter, cut them down. While the Aleppo Pine may present a small problem, I just think there are other areas, where the money would be better spent.

Rn'R.

 

[Iron Horse]

This is the township of Ledgerwood in Tasmania . These pines were planted for the same reason , they became a problem . So instead of just tearing them down , a chainsaw artist was employed to carve these amazing figures to remember the men and women who have served their country . It's hard to spend time here without getting a knot in your chest and a tear in your eye . If any of you guys are planning a trip to Tassie , you must not miss this township .

 

[Iron Horse]

There are many carvings in the park . Some are of men writing letters home , some are saying goodbye and i think the one with the little girl on a mans shoulders is the day one man came home . If you hav'nt got a tear in your eye by the time you get to this one , your a harder man than I .

 

[RocksnRoses]

What a great idea, Iron Horse, and they will have a memorial that will last for all time, with a little bit of up keep. At least some people are thinking.

Rn'R.

 

[AtlasRob]

=Rocksn'Roses;157073 ..........these trees were planted many years ago, as a memorial to the service men and women who lost their lives in both wars, but no, that didn't matter, cut them down. ............ I just think there are other areas, where the money would be better spent.
Rn'R.

I can understand your frustration. Sometimes you just :Banghead and wonder what the hell happened to common sense.

This is the township of Ledgerwood in Tasmania . ........... a chainsaw artist was employed to carve these amazing figures to remember the men and women who have served their country . .

Iron Horse, that is amazing, thank you very much for posting those pictures.
As you say, its hard to not be moved. :drinkup

 

[OCR]

Tree Hugger that shows some Respect!

There are many carvings in the park . Some are of men writing letters home , some are saying goodbye and i think the one with the little girl on a mans shoulders is the day one man came home . If you hav'nt got a tear in your eye by the time you get to this one , your a harder man than I .

That is absolutely amazing, Iron Horse... what a magnificent way to show respect and pay homage... :thumbsup :thumbsup

A tribute to you, Iron Horse, by providing the means, such that others could know of this... a task well done, sir.

What a great idea, Iron Horse, and they will have a memorial that will last for all time, with a little bit of up keep. At least some people are thinking.

Rn'R.

Rn'R, it's nice just to be able to copy some one else's words, and use them to express your self, in a manner one may find difficult... thank you.

I can understand your frustration. Sometimes you just and wonder what the hell happened to common sense.

I hear you, Rob...


OCR

 

[australian pete]

those carvings are brilliant, the local council must be made up of people with feelings, foresight and brains.

 

[Squizzy246B]

local council must be made up of people with feelings, foresight and brains.

Thats a....oxymoron...or something... You said "council" "foresight" and "brains" in the same sentence..

Over here its much better managed...if you want your Mayor to develop some "feelings, foresight and brains" {ie to approve your new canal development} you just whip him 40 G's under the table at lunch.......just don't let your ratepayers find out!:cool2