I’m not saying here what make and model of vintage tractor I have.

Instead, can you work it out?

Are you a vintage tractor enthusiast? And can you identify my tractor, just from the sound of the engine?

Thought it might be fun to find out.

So have a listen.

To find out if you have got it right, just click “Am I Correct?”.

And please leave a comment, if you get it correct!

One of the great things about plants is the fact that they are so versatile. They are lovely to have them inside the house.

There are several things that you will need to keep in mind whenever you are keeping plants inside the house. By just following a few simple rules, from the type of plant pot that you use to the variety of plant, you will have a green environment that will be both healthy and beautiful to look at.

The first thing that you’re going to need to decide whenever you want to keep a plant indoors is the variety that you need. There is an almost endless variety of plants that can be grown inside, mainly because the environment is fairly stable. In fact, if you have a warm enough environment inside your home you can even grow tropical plants in a cold weather area. You should keep in mind, however, the amount of sunlight that your particular room will get and choose your plant accordingly.

Depending on the type of plant did you choose, you’re going to have to pick a plant pot that fits that particular variety. One thing that you don’t want to do is overwhelm your plant with too large of a pot. This would reduce the beauty of the plant itself. Try to choose a plant pot that is right around the same size as what the roots of the plant need. By doing this, you will ensure that your plant has enough room to grow but the size of the pot will not overwhelm it.

Having plants inside your home or at the office is a great way to add beauty to it. And because they recycle the air we breathe replenishing its oxygen, it is also a healthy choice to make.

So choose the plant that you like and put it in an attractive plant pot. Then you can enjoy caring for it indoors, close by your side.

However, land is a very interesting asset class in its own right, with some highly attractive investment aspects.

Let us take a look at six powerful factors relating to land as an investment…

1. Reality Check

If you buy a piece of land, it is real. You can see it, touch it, walk on it and even drive all over it, vehicle permitting!

Most other investments these days, such as shares, bonds and bank deposits, are not real. You spend thousands and all you get are just pieces of paper, with a few computer printed numbers on them.

2. Easy To Measure And Value

Land is easy to measure, because it is real and tangible.

Compare this to a stock certificate. It might say you own x shares in xzy company, but how much is that? What percentage of what?

You need to be a company analyst to understand what it means in percentage terms and even then, you can’t value it. So many assumptions are needed and so many variables can alter.

Land is easy to value. There are local comparatives almost always and they are usually based on a simple per-acre valuation.

There is one big unknown in land valuation - that is the development potential of the land. This can multiply the value several fold.

However the likely value of the land with development consent is still relatively easy to estimate. It is the probability of obtaining consent which requires more judgement.

3. Limited Supply

It’s an old cliche that “they aren’t making land anymore”, but it happens to be true.

Land is a finite resource and in my crowded corner of UK, most of it seems to be used already. Of course, the use to which a piece of land is put can alter, but there does not seem to be much land going spare.

You don’t need to be a top economist to know that if the supply of a resource is restricted, it does not take much to raise the price.

Which brings us on to the demand side of the balance…

4. Rising demand?

Populations are increasing and the desire for living space is increasing faster, due to the trend to smaller households.

There does seem to be something of a housing problem here in crowded UK, at least. This is increasing demand for land to use as housing and tranches are being released, creating excellent returns for the owners.

Demand for agricultural land may also increase if food crops, have to compete with biofuel production.

Some people suggest that biofuel crops may transform the usage of agricultural land in the next decade or two.

5. Low Holding Cost

Land has a very low holding cost.

Compare it to holding a house or appartment as an investment. With a house, there are property taxes, repairs, utility bills and insurance. None of these usually apply to land in my area, although other areas may be different.

6. Permanence And Low Risk

Land just sits there in a passive way. Something pretty extreme has to happen environmentally, to reduce its usefulness or damage its value.

Summary

Land investments are attractive anyway, but if these six special factors apply, then land is pretty persuasive as an asset class.

So I am starting to do some research…

Energy Secrets Guide
How you can instantly save money on fuel and energy.

These wind turbine generators seem to be getting quite common. I see them on buildings, in fields and even fitted to roadside signs, to seemingly power the sign’s illumination.

As I have started to look into the subject, it is quickly clear that there are many options to consider.

I was initially tempted to perhaps just go out and buy one of the small commercially available wind turbines, that are even available now from highstreet retail stores. But I now see that it is best to examine your requirements and site situation more closely before buying, so as to avoid disappointment.

So I have been looking specifically at how these wind generators work, the important site considerations and the options (buy or build, commercial or homemade) for getting one….

Poor Man’s Guide to Wind Power & Battery Systems

Make a 1,000 watt wind turbine
for less than $150 , including
the tower!

How Do Wind Turbines Work?

The most visually obvious part of a windmill generator are the rotating blades. The diameter is the key size consideration. Most of the windmills I have seen, have blades rotating about a horizontal axis, but some do use a vertical axis.

When the wind blows it causes the blades to turn with a rotational rate (revs per minute) that depends on the windspeed. This rotation is used to drive an alternator, which is rather like an electric motor being driven in reverse - when the shaft is turned, it generates electricity. The amount of electricity generated depends on the rotational speed and the design of the alternator.

What Can You Do With The Electricity You Generate?

The most attractive way of using the electric generated, is to connect your turbine to the electricity grid that supplies your property.

This must be done in conjunction with your electric supply utility company, but apparently, they are mostly willing to modify the metering arrangements for your property, so you can take advantage of your home-generated electricity.

Any electric generated from the wind turbine will then reduce the electric drawn from the mains supply and therefore, reduce your utility bill. This sounds good to me! Even better is that if you are generating more electric than you are using, say on a windy day in summer, the excess will effectively be sold to the utility company, resulting in a credit to your bill.

If you live in a remote area and are not connected to the main grid, then you would probably use the electric generated by wind power, to charge batteries and so store any excess in this way.

Site Considerations

It is important to examine your site where you are planning to install the wind turbine.

Consider firstly the obvious question, “How much wind do you get?”. There a statistics available for different locations giving the average windspeeds etc. If your location is not very windy, you will need a larger wind turbine to generate a worthwhile amount of electricity.

Consider also where you will fit the wind turbine, from the standpoint of visual impact, unobstructed exposure to the wind and site safety. The higher above ground you can mount the windmill, the better it will work.

If you live in a residential area with other houses nearby, you will probably only be able to consider a small wind turbine of around 1 meter blade diameter.

Commercial Or Homemade?

Should you buy a wind turbine or make one yourself?

It looks there is a thriving band of homebuild enthusiasts who have successfully built their own. It seems perfectly possible to make your own wind turbine generator, although quite a lot of work.

The DIY’ers carve the windmill blades from wood, to their chosen size and aerofoil profile. Then they either use a car alternator as the generator (which is a poor option), or make a custom generator (better option) from a car brake drum, magnets and coils.

If you don’t fancy making your own, there are of course many commercial offerings, starting at around $1000 and heading on up in price. For your money, you would expect to get a tried and tested design that should work reliably for many years.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is a lot to consider before taking the plunge and installing a windpower generator. I’m not going to just go out and buy a small commercial wind turbine. I am tempted by the homebuild option but I need to do more research.

I will report back…

I couldn’t help noticing this interesting motorcross track, tucked away in a corner of a private field….

This dirt track covers perhaps two acres and has climbs, dips, jumps and sharp turns. It sure looks like a fun ride to me.

Creating a track like that, might take more work than you first think. Although a big machine, with a digging bucket and a scraping blade, would definately speed things up.

It would depend on the land you were starting with. If naturally undulating, then you could work with natural dips and crests. If flat, there might be a lot more soil to move.

Any large rocks and trees in the way, would present a special challenge.

If you were to build something like this, you would need to think about any neighbours, and the noise or dust considerations. Also, any possible detrimental effect on nearby animals and wildlife.

Security would also need thought - you wouldn’t want uninvited (and uninsured) people trying out your track.

Permanent earthworks might need planning permission so you should check with the local authority.

Once you had a facility like this, you might decide not to just keep it for your own.

You could consider renting it for public motorsport events. I’ve heard that there is good demand.

Many public motorsport events, both regular and occasional, are held on private farmland. Often planning permission is not needed, as a certain number of days per year, can be allowed under “permitted development” rights.

Public events are usually organised and run by a local motorsport club. The landowner just rents the land to them, by the day.

Any reputable and established club, would be regulated by a national motorsport body such the Auto Cycle Union. This combination should take care of proper standards for noise, safety, insurance and other important issues.

© 2006-2007 CountryLandOwner.com All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without permission prohibited.

I’ve created two orchards on my land in the last few years and each one has given enjoyment and reward.

As well as fresh fruit, an orchard can also improve your land by providing a natural screen between one area and another, and giving an attractive sight to look at, especially in Spring when the trees are in blossom.

At the start, it does require some work to plant the trees and get them established.

In the first year or two, you have to control grass and weeds around the trees and make sure they receive enough water through rain or irrigation.

But in later years, there’s not too much to do. It’s mainly pruning and picking the fruit, plus perhaps some spraying to control insect pests, although you may choose not to do this.

An orchard doesn’t have to be big. As few as ten trees will give you plenty of apples for your own use.

Of course, if you want to sell your apples in local shops and farmers’ markets, or turn them into a product like apple juice, then you’ll probably want a greater number of trees.

Selecting the best variety and type of trees is important.

Apple trees consist of two parts grafted together. At the bottom is the Rootstock - this controls the growth and eventual size of the tree. At the top, is the Scion - this is the part that produces the branches that bear the fruit.

I’ve found that local commercial suppliers of fruit trees are very helpful and willing to advise, even if you’re buying only a small number of trees. They’re also knowledgable about local growing conditions.

In discussion with your supplier, you’ll want to consider several factors including:

* Your intended use for the fruit
* Desired eventual size of tree
* Local climate, soil and need for disease resistance
* Polination
* Seasonality

Use for your fruit

Do you want desert apples (like gala or cox) to eat raw, or cooking apples (like bramley) to make, for example, pies or chutneys? If you are going to produce juice, then a combination of sweet and tart varieties is usually good.

Size of tree

The eventual size of tree is largely determined by the rootstock. Smaller trees are preferred by growers as they are easier to prune and pick.

Rootstocks are identified by “M” numbers and range from extreme dwarf (M27), through dwarf (M9 and M26) to semi-dwarf (M7 and M106). The smaller varieties require longterm support from stakes or wires.

Local factors

Soil conditions and local climates vary from area to area. Some rootstocks tolerate wet or dry soils and cold winter conditions, better than others.

There’s also a number of common apple tree diseases, and their prevalence varies according to local conditions, especially whether the local climate tends to be wetter or drier.

Different tree varieties and rootstocks show different susceptability to diseases.

Polination

Some varieties are better at self-polination than others. It’s usually recommended to have 2-3 complementary varieties in an orchard to encourage polination.

Seasonality

Some varieties produce their fruit earlier in the season than others. I have some Discovery trees that can be picked in June/July whereas my Saturn trees are not ready until Late September or October.

Let’s now look at how to actually plant the trees. I’ll explain what I did when I started my orchards.

Receiving the trees

Assuming you buy from a commercial supplier like I did, your trees will be bare-rooted, not growing in pots as a garden centre would sell them. They will be around 1.2-1.5 m tall and probably tied together in bunches of about 10.

If the trees have significant branches, these will be gently bent and tied-in, so the bunch is not bulky. A bunch of ten such bare-rooted trees, is light to carry, and several bunches can quite easy to fit in an estate car or small van.

Whether you collect your trees yourself, or have them delivered, you will need to store them carefully, if you’re not ready to plant immediately.

The delicate bare roots must be kept moist and be protected from frost. You can wrap the roots in plastic and keep them damp, or you can carefully and temporarily plant the trees in a sand pit, if you have one.

Click Here! To Learn The Experts’ Secrets Of Creating Your Dream Garden

Preparing to plant

When you’re getting ready to plant, it’s good to soak the roots in water for several hours beforehand, so they are moist and supple.

What you do, will depend on whether you do the planting yourself, or whether you decide it’s too much work and engage a contractor.

I’ve done it both ways.

Planting them yourself

For each tree, you’ll need a wooden post to support it, a tie to secure it to the post and a guard around the base of the trunk to protect it from rabbits and mice.

So you’ll need to obtain sufficient supplies:

* Posts are around £1 each plus delivery (and they are heavy)
* Tree tie is a special rubber tubing that comes on a big roll for the equivalent of around 10 pence per tree
* Plastic tree guard material (and cable ties to fasten it), also comes on a big roll for around 50 pence per tree.

The planting process I then used was:

* Cut the grass short where the tree will go (you may want to apply a herbicide to kill the grass, well in advance of any planting)
* Lay out a straight line as a guide
* Bang in a post
* To the side of the post, dig a hole a little wider than the spread diameter of the tree roots and deep enough so when filled-in, the finished soil level will come up to 10-15 cm BELOW the joint between rootstock and scion (this is quite easy to see)
* Put a few litres of water into the hole
* Position the tree with the scion joint scar facing away from the prevailing winds (usually facing North-ish in the UK)
* Fill-in the hole
* Tie the tree to the post with a length of tree-tie tubing
* Cut about 0.5m of tree guard mesh and clip it together, around the base of the trunk with cable ties
* Water in well
* Move on to the next tree. I reckoned on about 10mins per tree and it’s much easier with two people

I did three hundred trees like this, for my most recent orchard.

Click Here To Read The Experts’ Secrets Of Growing… (opens in a new window)

Employing a planting contractor

For my first orchard, I used a local contractor.

He arrived on the day with three men and the biggest tractor I had ever seen.

The tractor had a hydraulic post rammer attached and it just smoothly pushed each wooden post into the ground in seconds.

The men then planted the trees, using much the same process as I descibed above, but with that remarkable speed that only comes from doing a job professionally.

Again, it was three hundred trees. But this time, just four hours later they were all in.

The cost was not much over £3 per tree, including posts and other materials, so it was pretty good value, although this was a few years ago.

© 2006-2007 CountryLandOwner.com All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without permission prohibited.

Want to avoid getting out the grass-mowing equipment each week, to cut it?

Here’s what a neighbour of mine does…

A neighbour has about three acres of grass paddock he doesn’t have an immediate use for.

I used to cut it for him with my tractor and grass topper, but then he found a better way.

He has made an arrangement with a local farmer, whereby the farmer puts sheep on to the land every few weeks.

The sheep quietly munch the grass all day. They get plenty of fresh grass to eat and the land is kept neat and tidy.

Both the farmer, and my neighbour are happy.

The farmer handles everything to do with the sheep. He moves them on and off the land, and checks up on them when they are there.

No money changes hands, as far as I know. My neighbour could perhaps charge a little, but the free arrangement seems to suit everyone.

The grass is nothing special - it’s quite rough in places. The land is fenced all around, however. This is important to keep the sheep where they should be.

© 2006-2007 CountryLandOwner.com All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without permission prohibited.

Attraction 1 - Enjoy Playing On Your Land

You can walk about your land and enjoy being out of the towns and cities. Sit and have a picnic perhaps. Drive about, maybe with fun vehicles like off-road cars, motorcycles, quad bikes and tractors.

And, you can enjoy cycling with a mountain bike and getting some healthy exercise.

If there are some trees, then play in the woods - do some forestry, build a log cabin or a tree house perhaps, make a camp-site - that would be fun.

Attraction 2 - Growing Fruit And Vegetables

More and more people who care about what we eat, are choosing to grow their own produce. The taste is better and you know exactly what inputs have gone in during the growing process. It’s your choice what pesticides, fertilisers and other chemicals have been used, not the choice of an unknown commercial food producer. And it’s surprising how much fruit and vegetables you can produce, even from a small piece of land.

Attraction 3 - Keeping Livestock, Horses And Other Animals

Being able to keep animals is many peoples dream. Having some land in the country, makes it a real possibility.

Keeping chickens is getting popular. A few free-range hens provide a constant supply of high quality fresh eggs, for example. But having a few acres, makes the keeping of larger livestock like sheep and pigs, perfectly possible.

Then there are horses, of course. If there are stables on the land, this is very attractive to people who love horses. It can easily become an absorbing activity and hobby.

Attraction 4 - Lifestyle Benefits From Living On Your Land

If your land also has a farmhouse, or other type of dwelling, or perhaps just permission to station a caravan or mobile home, you can actually live on your land in the country.

This opens up many lifestyle opportunities for a “back to nature”, more relaxed life. Living on a small farm, well outside of built-up areas, is an enjoyable experience for many.

Many small farms (and some not so small farms!), are now being bought up by so-called “lifestyle farmers” and “hobby farmers”.

Attraction 5 - Increase Self-Sufficiency, Reduce Your Dependency

Some land gives the possibility of greater self-sufficiency, that is reduced dependence on on outside suppliers and reduced cost of bought-in goods and services.

You could generate some of your own energy to reduce energy bills. Generating electricity from solar panels or from small wind-powered turbines, is perfectly possible nowadays. If you generate more than you need, you can even sell the excess to the utility supply companies.

If you have woodland or even just a number of trees on your land, you also have a ready supply of firewood for heating and cooking.

With some land, you can also produce your own food, as mentioned before, reducing dependency on food shops and suppliers.

Attraction 6 - There May Be Valuable Development Potential

Land can be developed in many ways to add value to it. This is especially true if there are existing buildings.

Even poor quality buildings can often be used for stabling, animal shelter or storage. Better buildings may be converted and used for office or industrial purposes - many areas encourage rural business and new employment.

And if there is the possibility of residential development of new dwellings, this is often the most lucrative way of adding value.

Attraction 7 - Government Grants, Tax Breaks And Relief Benefits

Of course it depends on the jurisdiction and you need to check the details carefully (advised by professionals), but some areas do have favourable policies towards agriculture and rural business.

There may be grants available to landowners, to help them develop new uses for their land and employ local people.

There may also be favourable taxation treatments applying to, for example, annual income generated or capital gains crystallised on the sale or transfer of land and property.

© 2006-2007 CountryLandOwner.com All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without permission prohibited.

Some might say, it’s just a “Big Boys’ Toy”, but if you have an area of grass to control, you’re likely to find that a proper tractor, together with a good grass-cutting attachment, is not just useful but pretty much essential.

I bought this old Ford 4000 tractor several years ago for £1,600. It’s well over 30 years old now, but it’s still reliable and works well.

I got it from a local agricultural machinery dealer. From the same dealer, I also bought a paddock grass topper. This was new, not used.

I had learned from previous experience, that buying secondhand attachments like grass-cutters is often a false economy. Previous owners often work them hard and then sell, when they’re wearing out or giving trouble.

The new grass topper was made by Slewtic and it’s been excellent. With it attached to the Ford tractor, I can cut a couple of acres of grass in around 1 hour. (Image:Grass Paddock Topper By Slewtic)

The grass topper has a single, horizontal cutting blade that’s directly driven from a small gearbox, which is itself turned by the rear power take-off (PTO)of the tractor. I think this arrangement is good as there’s little to adjust, or in my experience, to go wrong.

Some years ago, I had a different type of grass topper which used belts and pulleys to drive three separate blades. Every so often, the belts would stretch, requiring frequent adjustment. Occasionally they snapped, which meant costly replacement.

The Ford tractor is a powerful machine. As well as grass-cutting, I’ve used it to plough some land. It did this well, although only using an old, three-furrow plough, not one of the monster attachments you see on modern tractors.

It’s important to get a diesel engined tractor. Some small, old tractors are petrol-powered machines, but these use more fuel per hour and are expensive to run.

But there’s an even better reason to go for diesel…

If you use a tractor on private land, you can run it on agricultural or “red” diesel fuel. This is much cheaper than normal fuel. It costs only about one-third of the price of diesel from the filling-station, that we have to use on the public roads, so it saves a lot of money.

Fuel merchants will mostly require a minimum order quantity of 500 litres and it’s best if you have a proper fuel storage tank, although they will often dispense into 200 litre oil drums, if necessary.

© 2006-2007 CountryLandOwner.com All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without permission prohibited.