The Weather Eye apparently benefitted from the Studebaker windshield washer bag, predicting the showers and thunderstorms with deadly accuracy. Will the scurs secret fall into NOAA’s hands or will they continue to fly under the radar? (pun intended). Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of an isolated shower or thunderstorm by evening. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Thursday, partly sunny with a moderate chance for daytime showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 60’s with lows in the upper 40’s. Mostly sunny Friday and cooler with highs in the mid-60’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Saturday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 60’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Mostly sunny on Sunday with a slight chance of evening showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 70’s with lows in the low 50’s. Monday, mostly sunny with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs in the low 70’s wand lows in the low 50’s. Mostly cloudy and cooler for Tuesday with highs in the upper 60’s and lows in the mid-50’s. The normal high for September 15th is 73 and the normal low is 50. The scurs will be on the lookout for those large yellow livestock haulers. Yes boys and girls, school is back in session!

The hot humid conditions of this past week pushed crop maturity along at a rapid pace. The milk line on the corn in some early planted early maturing hybrids was nearly gone by week’s end, putting it out of the danger of an early frost. Early planted early maturing fields of soybeans were starting to move out of R6 into R7 in the same timeframe. The heat is not exactly what we wanted as moving the maturity along too quickly tends to take test weight off of corn and reduce soybean seed size and weight. Luckily temperatures have moderated and a slower pace is more in line with reaching the potential we have left.

After dipping under 13 hours of daylight back on the 5th, we continue to lose daylight at nearly 3 minutes a day. The signs of fall that were starting to show last week are becoming less subtle and more pronounced. Canada geese are grouped up and looking for picked sweet corn fields or in our neighborhood, for a dinner date with a field of dry peas that was recently harvested. The leaves on the walnut tree are already turning at the ranch and with a slight breeze beginning to flutter to the ground. Other trees including the silver and Autumn Blaze maples are starting to show initial signs of their fall colors. It won’t be long and certainly not long enough.

Still, there are signs that summer may not be totally done just yet. Hummingbirds are constantly on our blooming plants. While it’s pretty clear they’re migrating, the flowers on the plants are at their peak. Orioles were still at the jelly feeders as of the 7th with four males in their bright orange plumage still keeping things hopping yet on the 6th. The monarch butterflies, the demise of which the handwringers have been blaming various boogiemen for, appear to be as bountiful as ever as this growing season comes to a close. Even the bumblebees are numerous this early September. Could it be we are not as close to the entomological apocalypse as some would have us believe? 

On the subject of insects, I consulted with the Boy Entomologist the other day to confirm I knew what I was talking about. The dark colored moths everyone keeps asking about are green cloverworm moths. A large portion of them likely came out of the soybean fields. There was an extremely heavy migration of these moths into Minnesota this spring. Most sprayed the soybeans for aphids, which in most cases controlled the larvae of the cloverworms. However the residual only lasts a couple weeks at best on most products and a day or two on others. Most products are not ovicidal and it's unlikely that they would control pupae, which are frequently on undersides of the leaves. Each generation of cloverworms takes about a month and there are several generations once they arrive here in Minnesota. Hence, the situation we're in now. There are also some lighter colored specimens I've been questioned about. Those are likely forage loopers, coming from the soybean fields as well. The good thing about them is they leave less of a mark on a light colored wall when you squash them.

The recent warm and wet conditions certainly didn’t slow the lawn mowing much. Have taken the recent lawn mowing advice in the Star Eagle to heart and for fall have started leaving the mower deck set at about 3 inches. It does seem to get the lawn out of the blocks a little faster next spring. The between mowings period appears to be shortened so it’s not a perfect tradeoff. The Border Collie poo also tends to stay on top more rather than becoming nestled down between the blades of grass. Since it’s been so wet, it also tends to stay juicy longer. Have to be vigilant, making note of where the dogs are doing their business and exercise caution when one strolls about the grounds. 

Mom would’ve turned 90 this past week. Time has flown since her passing in 2013, but the memories of spending time with her on her birthday have become precious beyond enumeration. It’s not surprising as she was one of those who was just tickled you’d thought of her no matter what you’d bring for a gift. Among her favorites were things out of the garden and writing cards, especially if they included wildlife or in later years Border Collies. Her dog Fudgie is still with us and serves as a reminder of those days not all that long ago when we could get together and relax while enjoying the day together. It frequently included a trip to the local Dairy Queen or A&W and watching the birds afterwards, especially the hummingbirds as they’d come to the window feeder on the kitchen window. Those were special days, something to always treasure as we move into fall and beyond.

See you next week…real good then.

With the Weather Eye firmly entrenched in their weather forecasting arsenal, the scurs have been right more often than not. They still have a hard time with predicting precip a week out. Maybe need to add the windshield washer bag from the Studebaker. Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of an isolated shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the upper 60’s. Thursday, mostly sunny becoming partly cloudy with a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the upper 60’s. Mostly sunny Friday with a slight chance of daytime showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-80’s with lows in the upper 60’s. Saturday, partly sunny with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the mid-80’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Partly sunny on Sunday with an increasing chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-80’s with lows around 60. Monday, mostly sunny with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the low 50’s. Partly cloudy and cooler for Tuesday with highs in the mid-60’s and lows in the upper 40’s. The normal high for September 7th is 76 and the normal low is 54. The scurs will be having one last Pronto Pup to celebrate the end of another Great Minnesota Get Together. Fat lives matter!!!!

After a cooler week last week, Mother Nature turned summer back on to a sticky and uncomfortable setting. Heavy dews at the ranch have resulted in accumulations in the official rain gauge each night of around one hundredth of an inch. This is the kind of weather that is conducive to all kinds of leaf diseases. However, with the crop moving to maturity as quickly as it is, damage caused by late developing leaf disease should be minimal. Corn is R5 and already showing a milkline across much of the area. Early planted, early maturing soybeans on fast ground are showing R7 maturity, meaning that there is one normal sized pod on the main stem that is mature color already. Some of those will likely be ready to combine in a few weeks. Rainfall this past week was general and fell slowly, allowing it to soak in. There is plenty of soil moisture to finish the crop out and any leftover will go toward fall recharge, something we haven’t talked about over the past several years.

Another State Fair is in the books for us at the ranch. The Cheviots competed, but perhaps not at the level we would’ve liked. We managed a reserve champion, which is still something, although when one remembers some of the dominant groups we once brought to the show, it’s a little disappointing. It’s still the same amount of work raising them if not more now and the level of competition isn’t what it once was. Still, that’s not why we raise them and like everything else, success in the show ring is cyclical and can be fleeting. A wise shepherd once told me you have to raise what you like. Indeed, if one looks at the breed type on our flock, there are very few really ugly specimens. 

We seem to be perpetually mowing lawn at the ranch just like everybody else. There was another large hatch of toads again this year, though so I’ve tried to be as careful as possible not to hit the small amphibians as they struggle to get out of the long grass ahead of me. I’ll stop the mower and get off if I have to in order to move them to safety. These are the “good guys” when it comes to controlling things like flies and mosquitoes and I appreciate their efforts. Without them and other natural control agents we would be up to our necks in flying insects.

In the limited time I seem to have to drive it, discovering the subtle nuances of the Silver Hawk has become a favorite pastime. Having exposure to only one other Studebaker prior to this, it is an adventure each and every time out. I recently discovered how to operate the overdrive in the Silver Hawk more by accident than by design. The factory build sheet said it came equipped with overdrive, but there was no overdrive handle in evidence under the dash. I was uncertain if the overdrive was operational, if someone had disabled it or worse yet, totally removed it. The kind gentleman I had purchased the car from had no idea how it worked so I was on my own. Overdrives were popular options, especially on Ford and Studebaker automobiles and trucks. On the ’59 Silver Hawks, it was standard on the 3-speed transmission models. Quick shifting the car from 2nd to 3rd, it goes into 3rd regular drive. There is a technique to getting them into 3rd overdrive. One night coming home after a car club function, I happened to wind the car up in 2nd, let off on the gas allowing the RPMs to fall to idle then dropped it into 3rd. Letting the clutch out, the engine was instantly pulling hard and by the time I got it wound up to the speed limit, it was basically running at a fast idle with lots of gas pedal to spare! This was good news as checking the mileage recently, it was a less-than-stellar 12, about the same as my 4-wheel-drive pickup. 

Putting the car up on a hoist confirmed that the overdrive was still intact. The Borg-Warner unit was on the tail shaft of the T-96 transmission with the solenoid on one side and the governor on the other just like in the pictures I’d seen. The lockout cable was also still attached to the switch on the side of the unit and the switch was pushed back in the engaged position. The cable did not however go through the firewall to the bracket under the dash and there was no chrome plated handle in sight. Not totally surprising. The cables were prone to corrosion so many just left their cars in overdrive. This is OK except for one thing: Being able to lock it out of overdrive is advantageous under steep or hilly terrain. If you have the overdrive engaged and try to use the engine to help brake the car by shifting down, it freewheels until the engine catches up with the ground speed. In other words, you are relying totally on the brakes to slow the vehicle. The brakes are OK, but they are a far cry from what’s on today’s machines. Restoring that cable to its original function is probably a good idea from a safety standpoint, not to mention it returns the vehicle to its original condition. Unless of course I really want to live on the edge. At my age I find that’s becoming less of an option. Living to nap another day sounds like a better plan.

See you next week…real good then.

The scurs and their Weather Eye seem to be invincible. There are even rumors of someone starting a new Nash-Rambler Corporation. Can’t miss. How much more of this success can the scurs take, or are they doomed to wind up on the ash heap of history? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with highs in the low 70’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Thursday, mostly sunny becoming mostly cloudy with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows around 60. Mostly cloudy and slightly cooler Friday with a good chance of daytime showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 70’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Saturday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Mostly sunny on Sunday with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the low 60’s. Monday, mostly sunny with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the low 60’s. Partly cloudy for Tuesday and slightly with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms in the daytime hours. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the low 60’s. The normal high for August 31st is 80 and the normal low is 59. The scurs will be heading to their favorite foot long hotdog stand by the northwest corner of the Coliseum upon their arrival at the Great Minnesota Get Together. One with fried onions, please.

The Full Moon for the month arrives on the 29th and goes by several names, the most common of which is the Full Sturgeon Moon. It also goes by the Full Green Corn Moon and the Full Grain Moon. The Ojibwe were fond of calling this the Berry Moon as the blueberries are generally plentiful in August. The Sioux were also fruit lovers, calling this the Moon When Cherries are Black. At the ranch, we like our fruit a little larger perhaps, but it frequently is the Full Cantaloupe Moon.

Corn and soybeans both made steady progress this last week, although it was slowed somewhat by wetter weather and a cool-down over the weekend. When highs are in the mid-60’s as they were on the 20th, that corresponds to the highs we see in early October. No wonder we caught a glimpse of fall heading our way. Corn has dented, although few fields have begun to exhibit a milk line just yet. Soybeans to a large degree are now R6 meaning that the seed fills the seed cavity at a pod on one of the uppermost four nodes on the plant with a fully expanded leaf. Both SDS and white mold became more apparent this past week, although it appears at this point they will nibble at yields rather than gobble them in most instances. Soybean aphids have largely been subdued, although some who sprayed too early wound up repeating the process. Sweet corn yields continue to sound impressive as yields reported over 10-ton-per-acre are still common.

After returning safely from another Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour, I was thinking the orioles were probably done for the season. Not so fast! Sunday morning I thought I heard a male in the tree scolding me as I was gawking out the window after morning chores. I went in the house and returned with some grape jelly to see if I could entice the noisy bird out of the tree. It didn’t take long once I was back in the house. He descended from high in the ash tree and cautiously made his way to the feeder. Once there, the brightly colored orange and black male quickly took several beak-fulls of jelly and disappeared. He was back the next morning however and seems to be settling in. For a while anyway. Now he has company in the form of another male equally as developed as he is and a young male. They seem to spend a lot of time bickering and squabbling over the feeder contents. Oh well, there’s plenty of grape jelly in the refrigerator. The goldfinches continue to feed regularly at their usual stations with the color on the males beginning to fade ever so slightly. The hummingbirds have a vast array of flowering plants to choose from. With 4 o’clocks, nasturtiums, morning glories and too numerous to mention types of salvia, they definitely have it made as they get ready for their long journey south.

Area gardens continue to yield a bountiful harvest of produce. At the ranch, the green beans have about run their course and the cukes are showing signs of slowing down. The first planting of sweet corn is in prime form now, tomatoes are becoming abundant and the first of the muskmelons has ripened. The flavor of some of the garden stuff has been slightly disappointing, possibly due to the over abundant rains we’ve had. Not to say that can’t change. Sometimes as we move into the cooler part of late summer and early fall, the amount of sugars being deposited in the fruits and veggies increases, making them more flavorful than their earlier season counterparts. Next up should be the apple crop. When it’s ripe in late September, there should be a lot to choose from. The sheep have been taste testing the ground falls to this point. No complaints from them. 

The cooler weather certainly agrees with the resident canines. Even Fudgie at 13 trots around the yard like a much younger dog, looking forward to her trips outside with large blocks of time consumed when the lawn or garden need attention. She tires more easily than Ruby, but then who doesn’t? Ruby’s just one of those Border Collies with boundless energy, sometimes to the point where it becomes annoying. It’s at those times especially when trying to take a breather from the day’s activities, it’s OK to let her become fixated on staring at a ball for 15 or 20 minutes. At least she’s quiet and sitting still. The show must go on.

See you next week…real good then.

The scurs and the Weather Eye clicked for a third week in a row. Suddenly junkyards are being flooded with calls for used heater controls from AMC products. Who knew? Will the scurs continue to be bulletproof or are their days of being golden limited? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Thursday, partly sunny with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows around 60. Sunny and warmer Friday with highs in the low 80’s and lows near 65. Saturday, mostly sunny with a good chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 80’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Partly sunny on Sunday with highs in the low 80’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Monday, partly sunny with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the low 60’s. Mostly cloudy for Tuesday with a good chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the low 50’s. The normal high for August 22nd is 80 and the normal low is 59. With a sudden break before the Stat Fair, the scurs are suddenly lost without a cause.

Crop progress continues to be steady. With sweet corn yields reported over 10 ton per acre in areas, it could be a very positive sign of things to come. Corn was beginning to show some dents already, especially on the ear tips, which still makes it R4 corn but is approaching R5 rapidly. Soybeans continued to operate within the R5 level of maturity with some of the early-planted, early-maturing soybeans beginning to show signs of R6, soybeans with full seed in the pod at one of the four uppermost nodes with a fully developed leaf. Soybean aphid control measures have been a mixed bag with some fields, especially those treated prior to threshold levels requiring retreatment. This is why waiting until threshold is a good idea. Thinking one can outsmart Mother Nature is a fool’s game, especially with a pest we have only slightly more than decade’s worth of experience with in the U.S.

Observations from the window of the oval office the other morning included the sighting of a bull thistle in the pasture. When one is an agronomist, one makes mental notes of such things since you don’t want the neighbors to think you’re some kind of slob. After chores, pursuit of the cirsium vulgare was on. Armed with my trusty bean hook, I was determined to make a quick end to the problem weed. In addition I also found plumeless thistles (Carduus acanthoides). Spellcheck really sucks, by the way, if you’re trying to write about anything agronomic, but I digress. Anyway, of course when you find one thistle you generally find a dozen without looking very hard. Thistles tend to bolt at varying times so no matter how hard one tries, there always seems to be another one showing up. And worst of all, you’ll probably miss one or two so your neighbors will still think you’re a slob.

The garden at the ranch continues to move along. More muskmelons arose from under the canopy of leaves and the sweet corn should be nearing perfection within the next week. Numerous squash and pumpkins are also evident as the vines begin to show signs of winding down as fall approaches. The tomatoes are beginning to behave as though their fruit will start to ripen once September draws near. Given the number of plants it should result in an avalanche of tomatoes. Cukes and string beans are continuing to produce, although they too are showing signs that without some rains in the near future, their eventual demise is certain.

The dogs continue their appreciation for air conditioning. When Mrs. Cheviot travelled south to the Iowa State Fair, Mr. Cheviot turned the AC back on. The humidity in the house had risen to unacceptable levels and Fudgie and Ruby weren’t sorry when the thermostat was dialed down to 75. Besides, with the Pro Farmer Crop Tour looming near on the horizon, Mr. Cheviot needed his beauty rest. After chores, the last thing needed was more panting from the dogs or Mr. Cheviot.

The Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour will be well underway by the time this reaches print, so those of you getting this electronically will be the beneficiaries of this preview. Things looked about the way through the windshield as I would’ve expected. Minnesota and Iowa on the route from home to the Illinois border looked general fantastic from the road. As we moved into Illinois from about Galesburg on, the corn crop in particular began to be up and down, not to mention nitrogen deficient. The appearance of the soybeans was more subtle with damage from excess moisture becoming more evident as we got closer to the Illinois and Indians border. Larger drown out spots were apparent and the crop was beginning to show signs that rain would be beneficial in areas. In Indiana, there was some decent looking corn and soybeans along with the same variability we’d seen in Illinois. Ohio was much the same from the Indians border to Columbus. What does that tell you? It tells you looking out the windshield, we really can’t know much other than physical appearance. That’s why we’re out here, to take an actual measurement of the crop yields as well as a close up and personal rating of its condition. Follow us on AgWeb.com and our Tweets on #pftour15 as we roll through the eastern Corn Belt to our final destination Thursday night in Rochester, MN.

See you next week…real good then.