By R. Ricardo

1. In the Beginning

The U. S. Constitution was ratified before the Industrial Era came into existence. To all intents, the Republic’s overall political structure was implemented in the days of agricultural quasi-feudalism, which goes to show that the economy, though a powerful factor in a country’s makeup, does not have to dictate how we the people should live and be governed, at least not all the time.

Influenced by Karl Marx, historians found they had to classify Capitalism as an epoch unto itself, confusing, as is their ghastly habit, politics with reality, economy with history, and the joy of scientific honesty with the paycheck. Originating in the Age of Industry, Capitalism was merely an economic system requiring many hands to be productively employed by relatively few companies. Once hired, most employees were asked to perform simple, mindless, repetitive tasks. Under Capitalism, large firms rather than individual specialists took it upon themselves to produce and deliver to the so-called consumer anything and everything, from the basic staples to luxuries.

The end of that ponderous era came in sight once the first assembly line was set in motion by Henry Ford in the early years of the Twentieth Century.

Some analysts anticipated gleefully new possibilities and prospects. Others, less tediously optimistic, pointed out that automating production of goods might leave many folks without a job. To offset everyone’s fears, the optimists maintained that mechanized labor was going to create a lot of spare time for everyone which they could use to improve their spiritual standards, take long gratifying vacations in exotic regions, learn to appreciate art more, vote, and so on, and Santa Claus would eventually show up to pick up the tab.

In the end, neither view proved valid. Reality hardly ever lives up to people’s, much less economists’, expectations. Even though scientific fortunetelling differs from the traditional version in that more people pretend to take it seriously, the methods and the end result are similar. The lingo-ridden vagueness of prediction is resorted to in order to safeguard the fortuneteller against exposure as a fraud. Some forecasts come true periodically (albeit hardly ever two in a row from the same source) to prevent the layman’s complete dismissal of the entire field.

World War One created a great, if mostly artificial, demand for many more hands in the workplace. Military supplies had to be produced in large quantities. Even before it was over, though, drastic political changes occurred everywhere, most notably in the Russian Empire. The most radical group of people ever to convene on that country’s territory seized and maintained power against tremendous odds, making a wild, ill-informed, and monstrously misguided attempt to humanize the Age of Industry, already a thing of the past then, by introducing (supposedly) some basic Christian values to it. Greedy as radicals always tend to be, they had no desire to share their power with anyone, and I mean anyone, including God, whom they cheerfully decided to exclude God from the equation. Their mistake (indeed, everyone’s mistake today, almost a century later) was to expect Christian ethics to work without the Ultimate Judge of Such Matters, much as if one were to expect a high-speed train, finely designed and assiduously assembled, to work without electricity. Nevertheless, the Socialist Revolution in Russia forced certain folks elsewhere to examine their own conduct. Unless they wanted more revolutions, they had better mend their ways and start treating the workforce as if it were composed in some degree of sentient human beings. It was already too late. It was no use. Whether oppressed and exploited, or appeased and unionized, most of the workforce had to be laid off. Machines were faster, cheaper, more precise and, having no immortal souls, less cumbersome.

The downfall, known in the U.S. as the Great Depression, came on top of many panicky decisions and annoying results. Resurrected by World War One, the Age of Industry was still grotesquely alive but could not go on unless products were purchased, consumed, and purchased again: hard to accomplish with half the consumers out of work and half the newspapers suggesting, with irritating consistency, that Socialism might be a healthy alternative after all.

(The onslaught of ideological nuances so befuddled the period’s thinkers, it never occurred to any of them that Socialism, and even Communism, however Utopian, were Capitalism’s siblings rather than antipodes, since they, too, were thoroughly industrial, required employment of many, discouraged individual thinking, and were just as eager to sacrifice fuzzy numbers at the altar of the Gross National Product. It does not make much difference in the long run whether a few dozen corporations are running the show, or just one (i.e. the Federal Government), and how many of them are state-owned. As for the peculiar treatment by the Soviets of their own population, why, you wouldn’t expect folks who have openly renounced God to behave charitably. One can govern with promises, handouts, and some guns, or promises, no handouts, and a lot of guns. It is strictly a matter of preference and has little to do with the economy.

2. Once the Dust Had Settled

The period immediately following World War I was anything but rosy. The machines were taking over. France, in her own salacious way, alleviated some of her economic problems by bleeding Germany (World War One reparations, etc.), but Germany and England were hit very hard indeed. Unemployment rates skyrocketed everywhere. As oftentimes is the case, governments around the globe proposed tough measures and took none. The debates went on until the famous market crash put and end to them.

Some politicians and businessmen spent the following couple of years trying to pick up the pieces of an era long gone by, the one Henry Ford had sent packing, to no avail. There was no way for the average consumer to obtain an income other than by hiring himself out to someone who could use a pair of hands and, in some special cases, a brain. It was an impasse. Only a portion of the workforce could be employed, but the entire country had to have an income to be able to purchase the results of employment.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Teddy’s distant relative and, some years later, Stalin’s good friend and drinking buddy, was the one who decided the situation was, well, unacceptable. A man of wit and considerable political courage, he deviated from his immediate predecessors’ laissez-faire approach by actively seeking, and eventually finding, a sensible solution.

Redistribution of wealth was out of the question. It generally is. Folks will not part voluntarily with anything that might conceivablybenefit others.

Roosevelt looked at the tax revenue and decided to make good use of that. He could not simply give the money away: governments, if they wish to be taken seriously, must never indulge in direct charity. Instead, he explained that the country was in dire need of railroads, highways, bridges and such (which was true), and that his administration was quite eager to compensate those willing to construct same.

This new approach soon became an integral part of the economic picture. Those who produced the basic staples and so on were taxed; the resulting funds were transferred to those who produced the improvements. Simply put, it was a well-organized attempt to find a meaningful occupation for everyone. The New Deal (as the new approach was dubbed) was, in fact, a noble idea. Little by little, the outdated conventions of the Industrial Age would fall away, 20% or so of the workforce would easily provide the food, clothes, and shelter for everyone, whether employed or not, allowing the rest of the country to work on various improvements and innovations. Sooner or later, anyone would be able to take as much time as they wished to find and realize themselves in any of the numerous available fields. Those still uncertain about their true vocation would be given enough public assistance to be able to afford passable living conditions.

Thus the Republic was going to show the world a healthy alternative to humanity’s unrealized and seemingly unattainable dream (i.e. Communism, Star Trek style). A superior alternative, too, since there was seemingly no need for gory social experiments, radical leaders, or incongruous ideologies.

But there was Germany, and there was France, and there was Japan, and there was World War Two.

The capture of Czechoslovakia by German troops was pointedly ignored. The division of Eastern Europe between Hitler and Stalin, who reckoned they had their own economic experiments to conduct, was also ignored, although there was less flippancy this time around. German planes rained bombs on London. The English started paying attention. France was, of course, occupied, but since the cafés were active, the Metro still functional, and the Opera performed more regularly than it does today, everyone decided that it was okay. Then came Hitler’s invasion of Stalin’s territories. Some people looked up from their desserts. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was, in fact, covered by the press.

As it progressed, the new World War confused and frightened almost everyone. The Age of Industry had to be rescusitated once again. Millions of hands were once again needed at plants and factories everywhere. The New Deal was put on hold indefinitely.

3. Once the Dust Had Seettled Once More

When it was all over and the shock wore off and the tragedy of the 400,000 dead was somehow accepted, America found herself in a state of mindless euphoria. Some years later, the ephoric fog lifted, revealing a new challenge and a new and amazing field in which some folks could now make a living.

Computers looked very promising at first, the way Ford’s assembly line had looked promising earlier. Some economists objected, realizing that just as Ford’s innovation had done millions of laborers out of a job, so would the computer relieve (interesting word) multitudes of clerks (a lot of whom would have been factory workers in a different epoch: the rapid proliferation of so-called office jobs was the first postwar echo of Roosevelt’s New Deal, distorted and rendered meaningless; pencil pushing is easier, to be sure, than bridge and railroad construction). Then someone had the bright idea to let the democratic (or was it Communist?) principle take over: share and share alike. Instead of replacing a thousand workers with one mainframe machine and one operator, why not give each of them a terminal? Later on, the concept was further improved by introducing every clerk to his or her own Personal Computer. Now every dozen clerks required a technician to maintain their computers for them, and every five technicians a supervisor to oversee the maintenance and attend to the employees’ morale.

The difference between the New Deal and this was that computers, when all is said and done, offer just one type of activity to those who wish to be important outside of the production of basic staples. Called upon to solve the problems of many, the new industry quickly hit the limit of usefulness and continued to expand into the murky area where production is replaced by something called, in lawyers’ lingo, work creation, ceasing to be a genuine industry and attaining phantom qualities far quicker than the economists, who always

By Mark Jarvis

Farmall tractors was originally a model name that later on grew to become a tractor brand, that was produced by International Harvester (IH). Initially, Farmall had been really general purpose and had narrowly spaced wheels at the front end. This particular "tricycle" sort of design and style together with a large ground-clearance permitted the tractor to maneuver effectively inside the field during crop cultivation. Though at the same time, it was efficient at accomplishing any work which up until then had been accomplished using a team of horses.

It was certainly not long before different manufacturers launched comparable kinds of tractor, purely as a result of Farmall tractors popularity.

IH started building Farmall tractors in the early 1920's and the prototype was introduced in 1923. This was exclusively launched in Texas as a result of concern that there may not be enough sales. Nonetheless, by 1926 it was evident that the Farmall tractor was indeed destined to be successful and IH scaled upward creation by developing a new Farmall Works plant at Rock Island, Illinois.

Then in 1932 a more powerful engine was assigned to the Farmall with the designation of F-20, that was the replacement unit to the prototype. Additional fresh versions were manufactured and the series became known as the F-Series. That included amongst others:

F-30 (1931)

F-12 (1932)

F-14 (1938)

Before 1937, all Farmall tractors were painted in the color of battleship gray. Just after 1937 however, a different color ended up being chosen - "Farmall Red".

The Farmall Letter Series

In 1939, the Farmall letter series came into existence: A, B, BN, C, H, M, MD. The industrial developer Raymond Lowy was commissioned to provide the revolutionary Farmall a more sleek appearance. It had been devised for the smaller-sized to moderate American plantation and the new letter series offered a bigger engine, a variety of options for add-on apparatus thereby better abilities all-round. The more robust versions kept the "tricycle" narrowly-spaced front wheel as a result of its capability at quick steering as well as ability to move, that was a lot better than the rival at the time - Ford 9N.

The A, B and BN models were small in dimensions which provided the end user wonderful visibility as well as maneuvering. The C and M series were more robust thereby more substantial - better for intense plowing. The MD model provided a diesel engine. The complete Farmall range therefore offered American farming an iconic standing. The tractors were crafted from very heavy duty resources and were designed to last longer and deal well with serious use. Even these days, you can observe Farmall tractors in use on farms - especially and in particular, the two highest capacity units - the H and the M.

By Brenda Skidmore

The average modern day vegetable producer has done a wonderful job of feeding massive amounts of people on a large scale. The trade off, however, seems to be at the expense of optimal taste and nutrition. During tough economic times, it can be a rather daunting task to find the best nutritional value for your family's budget, when it comes to fresh vegetables, in super-sized grocery stores.

According to Donald R. Davis, a former research associate with the Biochemical Institute at the University of Texas, Austin claims, "there is definitely a correlation between the high and low yield varieties, and in the varying amount of nutrients they contain."

What is commonly known, today, as the 'genetic dilution effect', was first discovered and published in a 1981 study conducted by W.M. Jarrell and R.B. Beverly in the "Advances In Agronomy". What has been less studied, are the nutritional effects of selective genetic breeding of plant foods chosen specifically for higher yields.

In 1996 and '97', a study was performed in South Carolina using a variety of broccoli chosen for its high yields. It was shown that selective genetic breeding lead to a loss of protein, amino acids, and as many as six different minerals. Davis says, "jumbo sizing the end product is no assurance of increased nutrition and is, in effect, winding up with more dry matter that dilutes mineral concentrations, making for a nutritionally emptier food source."

Loss of important nutrients can also be attributed to the industrialization of agriculture that relies, heavily, on chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and rushed harvesting techniques. When plant foods are harvested earlier, the plant has had less time to take up minerals from the soil it needs to go through its natural synthesis process.

Farming practices such as those mentioned above, along with lack of crop rotations, has led to over using soils to the point of mineral depletion. Not only do plants need a wide variety of nutrients to grow healthy, we need them to be in the plant food source, in abundance, so they are naturally healthy for us to eat.

It is estimated that there is somewhere between 5 to 40 percent less protein and minerals in commercially grown vegetables, when compared to organic or locally grown produce. Fifty years ago, this was less of a problem than it has become today, and it is uncertain how much fruits are effected when compared to vegetables.

As intimidating as this information like this may sound to you, don't let it shake you up so much. This may be one reason why nutritional health experts have recently started recommending 7 to 9 servings a day (or more) of this important food group. The old recommended 5 a day guideline has suddenly become outdated.

Realistically, what can we do to increase our benefits of adding more fruit and vegetable nutrition to our daily diets? Well, you can try growing a small vegetable garden. If you don't have the green thumb know how, then the simplest alternative is to shop as organically and locally as you possibly can.

Focus on getting more whole foods that are grown and raised as nature intended with sustainable growing practices. Most people will agree food raised this way not only tastes better, it is often of better quality and is much fresher.

When it comes to buying organic, buyer beware of the shady business tactics of big agri that has tainted the organic food label. Just because the label says it is organic, does not mean it actually is. Many smaller, local farmers raise organic quality food, but are unable to afford the expensive certification process required to legally label them as such.

If you frequently shop local farmers markets, and organic is important to you, just talk with the people who raise the food you are buying. Striking up a conversation is the easiest way to find out what you are wanting to know. Organically grown produce definitely bumps up your nutritional intake of this food group, so much so, that eating 5 a day may be a sufficient amount to keep you relatively healthy.

Depending on your regional climate and soil conditions, a lack of locally grown fruits and vegetables may leave you very few options other than to eat commercially grown produce. If this is the case, don't worry so much about it. Certainly, it is far better to eat them, no matter how they are grown, than not at all.

It is possible to take advantage of what few nutrients may be available in them, making them work more effectively for you, by drinking more water. I am not kidding you on this, nothing more than pure water will do a better job of carrying nutrients to cell membranes, aids in nutrient absorption by keeping cells well hydrated, plus it washes away oxidative waste residues and toxins.

Water does not count as pure water if it is in the form of sodas, teas, and coffee, or juices. Water needs to be the dominate beverage that gets you through each and every day, saving those other drinks for occasional use, and in mindful moderation.

By Macon Gravlee

Raising cattle for the agricultural market is one of the largest industries found within the commodities market and one which comes with distinct rewards and challenges. Whether it be a small scale ranch run by several generations of family members or a huge commercial cattle enterprise there are several aspects of cattle ranching you will find necessary to understand prior to venturing into this field.

Breeds of Cattle

The type of cattle which you will raise will determine the type of ranch that you will operate. Some cattle such as Angus cattle are particularly prized for both their bloodlines as well as their end products. Breeding Angus cattle is one of the most rewarding types of farming that you can find in terms of monetary value. Raising other breeds of cattle particularly if you operate a commercial undertaking can also prove to be a great means of living.

Caring For Cattle

Many cattle ranches operate on the premise of providing these fine animals for both food and breeding purposes. Taking care of your cattle is the most important aspect of cattle ranching if you are in the business for breeding your cattle. You will require plenty of quality green pasture land which grows a diverse variety of grasses and grains as well as the necessary time to monitor your cattle on a regular basis.

You will need to be able to care for any sick cows and make sure that your herd has been properly vaccinated as determined by federally accepted standards. Your herd will require a degree of special care in the winter when you may find it necessary to move them to a warmer location or to provide them with shelter for the cooler months.

Long Hours

Cattle ranching will involve a lot of long, hard hours many of which many are often unplanned. You will need to be available or have someone else on hand seven days a week, around the clock. Animal emergencies can happen at any time of the day and raising cattle is no exception to this rule.

Your business will require extra ranch hands during the spring season when most of the animals give birth to their young. This is a special time of the year for most cattle raisers as they will be able to sell or to purchase additional cattle as soon as the calves are weaned. Most ranchers work on a set schedule in reguards to buying and selling their cattle. Usually the rancher will start doing a bit of research at this time of the year to track the price of cattle in their area prior to placing their stock up for sale. All cattle placed for auction or sale is required to be healthy and to be certified as such.

Cattle Auctions

Cattle auctions are often used when you merely have one or two cows that you desire to sell quickly. Many people take advantage of cattle auctions on a small scale basis while commercial ranches tend to sell herds of hundreds of cattle at a time. In addition to raising your animals for food if you happen to have a milk farm you will need to invest in some additional equipment before you can safely sell your milk on the commercial market.

By Lance Winslow

Is there a way to make it rain in the outback or near the coastline in Australia? The drought issues are so grave that agriculture is suffering and water restrictions have been placed in many regions at Level III. Can we develop giant desalination projects, which are self-powered from Ocean Wave Generation Plants? The Online Think Tank believes it is potentially possible with the right performance partners.

The Australian Government would jump at a chance to have some industrial entrepreneurial capitalist save them from their crisis and come to the rescue, but things are so bad is it even possible? With Regards to Australia and Out Back farming, sure sounds like a good idea. Of course lets not forget the Cyclones there that might destroy such an infrastructure project; remember the Cat 5 at Darwin.

Is there an Ocean Wave Generation infrastructure design, which could take that level of pounding, as they need the water badly? Well it appears there are but a couple of ocean wave making concepts, which could in fact do the job. And the water would need to be transported too, but pipelines are expensive, yet Australia is looking for solutions so a pipeline via a Bechtel or KBR or something plus a huge ocean wave energy-making infrastructure, plus desalination plant would make sense.

Actually they need 3 of them strategically placed each with their own power grid and an overlay of a separate grids, which gives them a net-centric base to protect the system thru redundancy. With reservoirs, pipelines, power and water resources you could have something capable of handling millions of people and watering abundant farmland.

Similar to when my ancestors; Smith Family, brought water into the central valley in CA for farming or when The Chandlers brought the water in from the desert to Los Angeles. It is all doable; just look at Dubai, and other places? Look what can be done? Think of Las Vegas; that is in the middle of nowhere for sure. Hoover dam, hydro power now there is water, power and lights! It just takes a team of folks and the right capital to make it all happen. I hope this article propels thought in 2007

By Howard Hehrer

In the original human society, people traveled together in groups of about 30 or 40 people, gathering food and supplies as they went, and rarely had any need to trade. Because of this, everyone had about the same amount of everything, and for the most part everyone was equal.

In the next stage of interaction, people discovered how to breed animals and grow plants. This created the first supply surplus, and thus inequality was born. People began to live in a single place; their groups grew larger, and for the first time were able to focus on tasks other than finding and consuming food. People began to splinter off to create new, useful supplies such as leather, weapons, and so on. Some began to accumulate more possessions than others, and the effects of this change remains with us today.

One of the major landmarks in human development of inequality came with the invention of the plow. This made land much more productive and much more easily cultivated. The results were agricultural societies. Even more people were freed from the need to produce food, and more division of power and labor shortly followed. Trade expanded, and trading centers turned into cities. Power shifted from the agricultural community to ruling elites. The result: great political, economic, and social inequality.

Another invention that furthered the effects of inequality was the birth of the steam engine in 1765. This land marked the arrival of the industrial society. Because of the usefulness and ease of machine operation, societies created a surplus like the world had never seen. This also encouraged trade, thus more inequality. Some people even opened up factories, exploiting their employees for minimal wage and long hours of work. As these elites gained wealth, they began to use it to gain influence in politics, as well - corrupting and buying up political positions to further their interest in industry.

As may be expected, as surpluses grew, the emphasis changed on the production of new goods to the consumption. In 1912, sociologist Thorstein Veblen coined the term "conspicuous consumption" to describe this shift in people's orientations. He noted that the Protestant ethnic identified by Weber - and emphasis on work and savings - was now turning to a desire to gain wealth for the sake of flaunting it to others.

In 1973, we saw a new type of society emerge. To refer to this new society, sociologist Daniel Bell used the term "postindustrial society". This included six distinct characteristics: a service sector so large that it employs mostly workers, an even greater surplus of goods, extensive trade among nations, a wider variety of goods, an "information explosion", and the globe is linked by faster communication (global village).

The global village can be better thought of as a globe divided into three large neighborhoods, which represent the three worlds of industrialization. Because of the arrangement of politics and economics, some nations are located in the poorest part of the village. Their citizens squeeze a meager living out of menial work, while fellow villagers who live in the rich sections feast on the best that the world has to offer.

By KJ Halliday

With all the talk of global warming and going green it is a pertinent subject to discuss within the context of trade and production. While most of our pollution comes from industry and farming followed by transport it is important to note the shift towards a carbon credit system. This seems to me to be a sly way of turning previously worthless commodities into a tradeable item. It also allows those companies that are polluting to continue to do so by merely changing some of their investment strategies towards buying carbon credits.

[How will we switch to a green world?]

If you think about this issue closely you will find that it would then be possible to convert all resources into carbon credits. National Parks for example would be invested in by the private sector to offset any pollution their company creates. It could also include unused land (sometimes fertile farming land) being used to grow permanent trees and therefore reducing the overall capacity of a nations farming output. Is this a wise strategy when we are experiencing a world shortage in food production? This comes at the same time as ethanol becomes mandatory in some fuel mixes. For those of you who do not know ethanol is mainly produced using either corn or sugar cane, reducing the percentage of these commodities available for consumption.

The green movement is misled if it thinks that global warming is its messiah in terms of changing the way the world works. It is only through ground roots change that true stabilization of our environment can be attained. This is still not taking into account the huge changes that occur naturally in the Earth's continuing cycles. What about ice ages? I am not denying the huge impact of humans on their environment though I am also not denying the huge impact the environment has on humans.

While we advance more in terms of technology and understanding we are still vulnerable to our environments. Harsh winters still occur. Heat waves. Tsunamis. Hurricanes. The list goes on. Human society also develops in relation to its environment. It affects language, food, clothing, housing, farming, everything. It is why in places like Australia we are still learning to use this unique environment correctly. Other places have had thousands of years to develop their agriculture, while Australia was settled by Europeans with specific ways of farming that they brought with them. A European farm in a completely unrelated environment.

While our environment has managed so far to keep producing, it is showing some signs of hitting a breaking point. Some indicators so far have included: increased salinity, mass erosion, empty rivers, blue-green algae and of course chemical and other pollutant levels in city river systems. The solution can not be to stop all agriculture and industrial practice as that would be equivalent to a national suicide. Rather it is to use these industries to monitor and rectify the problems facing them. It is in a farmer's interest to have a sustainable farm whether it is to produce crops or feed livestock, it must be "environmentally healthy" to sustain production. It is improving and repairing the environment that will increase production rather than hinder it.

Likewise with industrial production, as they will find the increased efficiency that comes with going green (rather than buying carbon credits) will save huge sums in production costs. I do not support industry as oppossed to the environment (quite the opposite actually) but I think there has to be a happy medium.

I would see the best solution as more localised production on a smaller scale to begin with in order to create a diverse production. This would also provide a buffer against market changes particularly in a diverse farm. This is because while some commodity prices might be down, another commodity produced by the farm may be higher in order to componsate for the loss. This localised production would see better prices for the community and also fresher produce being delivered. This also saves a massive amount on transport. These are all options for the modern era where it will probably come down to a "sink or swim" solution in places like Australia where our environment is already at breaking point.

If we continue with a carbon trading scheme it will become just like the stock market and subject to declines, losses and manipulation. This is using an old world solution in a modern era where the shape of the old markets are quickly blurring into something that could resemble more of what Adam Smith was talking about. Supply and demand. With local producers providing primarily for the local market.

By Benedict Perez

Everyone knows the contribution of agriculture and the role of industrial tires is very vital in the field. The use of such rubber implements are a necessity as there are needed machinery to produce crops and yields for food supplies. Heavy equipment is very important especially in agricultural aspects and for heavy equipment which work in our everyday lives.

The farm tractor is one of those heavy machinery using industrial tires. These are heavy duty rubber stuffs especially built for longer wear and tear. They have deeper treads, thick rubber and powerful rim guard protection. These are made to sustain the daily hazards of the field to work effectively and efficiently.

Most industrial tires manufacturers have been in the business for several scores and their name in the industry is still keeping a good name. They are responsible for the production of the best quality rubber wheels being used since time immemorial. The modern innovations are even much better that those of the previous generations with the introduction of modern technology for these things to persevere.

Not all farm or field terrains are created equal and so are these tires to fit to the environmental condition when already in use. There are several designs of industrial tires which can be used depending on the needs of the users. The front and back wheels may be using different sizes and designs so these loads are also considered. The strength of the rubber is well-considered for perfect functioning particularly on different terrains of the field or farm.

You can check on the internet for more details and information on the appropriate rubber wheels that you need for your particular purpose. There are certain manufacturers with websites that can fully address your specific concerns. You may browse and check on their products and inquire from some trained representatives regarding your needed industrial tires.

By T J Thomas

With the adoption of an economic policy that emphasized self-sufficiency and barred foreign investment capital and banking competition, the role of the Banking Industry in Spain is strengthened. Subsequently, as industry grew stronger, many of the banks' equity holdings were sold to the public through stock exchanges. The banks, however, continued to play a vital role in providing new funds for industry. Banking system in Spain comprises of three main groups, private banks, savings banks, and official credit institutions. Commercial banks, which are larger and more numerous, served the general public; they were the principal source of short-term credit for the private sector, though they also competed for long-term loans. Mergers were undertaken with the government's encouragement in order to create large Spanish financial holdings that could adequately compete with their European rivals.

The second major group in the banking system consisted of savings banks, which predominated in rural areas that could not attract branches of the leading private banks. In terms of deposits, the Barcelona-based Caja de Pensiones para la Vejez y de Ahorros de Cataluna y Baleares, popularly known as La Caixa, was the country's largest savings bank. Another large savings bank was La Caja de Madrid. After the relevant restrictions were lifted, a large-scale merger process commenced among savings banks.

Spanish banking industry consisted of official credit institutions. These are under the control of the Directorate General for State Assets and they were supervised by the Official Credit Institute, which received funds from the state that were then lent to the credit institutions. The largest of these was the Industrial Credit Bank, which specialized in general industrial loans. The Mortgage Bank of Spain provided mortgage loans for urban and rural properties. The Agricultural Credit Bank provided credit for agriculture and related sectors. During the process of financial liberalization required by the EU, the government tried to promote a series of mergers within the banking industry, which it hoped could enable the banks to compete more effectively.

By Jono Craven

The procedure of investment in land that awaits future urban development has been carried out for generations by both big businesses and private investors. For several it has been a gainful venture, resulting in many folks gathering large land portfolios and substantial amounts of wealth. Mainly, this investment has taken place in agricultural plots surrounding towns, villages and cities as these are seen as ripe for development as settlements expand. This type of investment has recently been opened up to the masses with many companies offering chances to unite funds for part ownership of land.

The chances to harvest large financial rewards from land investment are great. In some cases it is not even required to offer a large financial inoculation, part ownership schemes have allowed investors to begin investment in land for as little as fifty pounds, paid on a weekly basis. As a result investors differ from those attempting to build up a retirement nest egg to those struggling to get on the possessions stepladder.

In terms of the rewards some estimates consider that an investment of twelve thousand pounds could lead to a return of more than fifty. This will take about ten years but when compared to other investment opportunities the returns are excessive; obviously however, as with most investments the greater the risk, the higher the profits. As a result, those allowing for buying land should always research a number of companies carefully as an approach without intimate knowledge can be seen as foolish. This appraisal should include an appraisal of a company's credibility and past history in giving investors honest returns.

In the media the land investment business has not received the best of press in recent years. There are still a large number of companies out there that is measured trustworthy; all it takes is a little effort in researching the industry to find them. Once this research has been carried out, the returns from share purchasing can obtained quickly.

Eventually a company that appreciates the privilege of investors to research proposed opportunities is the ideal; in addition, they should also readily supply this information so their clients can make informed choices pertaining to any investments. Part of this information should include reports from local authorities on the transport links, mains supply and chances of planning permission for any plot of land. It is worth remembering however that while the benefits are certainly there, they are never guaranteed; investment is a risk and hence there is always the chance of losing money. As the demand for land for housing continues to grow however, this risk is reducing to some extent, through astute financial investment, profits should become realism.

As well as the profits, many investors are choosing land as a way to avoid certain government legislation. For example, agricultural land and forestry is a great way to get certain tax breaks; one example is that owners of these types of land do not have to pay legacy tax as long as they have been in ownership of this land for more than two years; with certain dodge, this type of investment is also a way to avoid the capital gains tax.

Obviously investment in land is popular with many. Thanks to a selection of companies it has also been opened up to members of the general public making speculating an attractive profit making chance. As government plans to increase towns and speed up residential construction continue with pleasure, investing can be seen as a truly sensible way to make money.

By Gaurav Doshi

Introduction

The textile industry in India is substantial, and largely diversified. It is hard to cover all its aspects even within hour-long presentation, however, research team of Fibre2fashion.com has attempted to gather significant pieces of massively complicated puzzle of this industry.

The Indian textile industry roots thousands of years back. After, the European industry insurrection, Indian textile sector also witnessed considerable development in industrial aspects. Textile industry plays an important role in the terms of revenue generation in Indian economy. The significance of the textile industry is also due to its contribution in the industrial production, employment. Currently, it is the second largest employment provider after agriculture and provides employment to more than 30mn people.

Prospect

Considering the continual capital investments in the textile industry, the Govt. of India may extend the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) by the end of the 11th Five Year Plan (till 2011-2012), in order to support the industry. Indian textile industry is massively investing to meet the targeted output of $85bn by the end of 2010, aiming exports of $50bn. There is huge development foreseen in Indian textile exports from the $17bn attained in 2005-06 to $50bn by 2009-10. The estimation for the exports in the current financial year is about $19bn. There is substantial potential in Indian exports of technical textiles and home-textiles, as most European companies want to set up facilities near-by the emerging markets, such as China and India.

The global demand for apparel and woven textiles is likely to grow by 25 percent by year 2010 to over 35mn tons, and Asia will be responsible for 85 percent output of this growth. The woven products output will also rise in Central and Southern American countries, however, at a reasonable speed. On the other hand, in major developed countries, the output of woven products will remain stable. Weaving process is conducted to make fabrics for a broad range of clothing assortment, including shirts, jeans, sportswear, skirts, dresses, protective clothing etc., and also used in non-apparel uses like technical, automotive, medical etc...

It is been forecasted that the woven textile and apparel markets will sustain their growth from current till 2010. The imports of apparel and textiles will rise from developed economies like the USA and the western countries of Europe and Japan, along with some newly emerged economies, such as South Korea and Taiwan. Certainly, import growth has been witnessed vertical rise in the previous year.

Apparel is the most preferred and important of all the other applications. Woven fabrics are widely used in apparel assortments, including innerwear, outerwear, nightwear and underwear, as well as in specialized apparels like protective clothing and sportswear. Home textile also contributes considerably in woven fabric in products assortments like curtains, furnishing fabrics, carpets, table cloths etc.

Special kind of woven fabrics are utilized in medical as well as industrial applications. The medical applications include adhesives, dressing bandages, plasters etc.

Where as, industrial applications includes;

o Geotextile - interior upholstery, trim, airbags and seat belts and lyre fabrics.

o Sailcloth - tent and fabrics used architectures, transportation and tarpaulins.

And many more applications...
The Indian Industry foresees huge demand for industrial woven products for medical and automotive applications. Demand for woven fabrics is anticipated to be rise vertically in the sector of home textiles.

Non woven sector has great future in terms of global demand, thus major facilities of cotton yarn are currently concentrating just on home textiles. It is mandatory, that the peak management of the cotton yarn manufacturers analyze the future prospect and growing graph of demand for non woven products.

Conclusion

Anticipating massive growth in medical and automobile sectors, these sectors assures substantial demand for non woven facilities in India. Albeit, home textiles also will lure higher demand, there are specific demands for home textile facilities also.

The 7th Five Year Plan has huge consideration on agricultural growth that also includes cotton textile industry, resulting a prosperous future forecast for the textile industry in India. Indian cotton yarn manufacturers should rush forward for joint ventures and integrated plans for establishing processing and weaving facilities in home textiles and technical textiles in order to meet export target of $50bn, and a total textile production of $85bn by 2009-2010.

By Jim Staller

The Industrial Revolution refers to the period in the mid 1700's in which significant advancements were made in the application of our technological knowledge and discoveries. It signaled a transition from an economy based on manual labor in agriculture to an economy dominated by industry and machine manufacturing. The first industrial revolution had a profound impact on modern society. Although there is some debate surrounding the origins of the movement, most agree that it began in Britain with the invention of the steam engine.

The steam engine was powered by the burning of coal, which boiled water, and created pressurized steam. This pressurized steam was used to power industrial machinery, primarily used in the manufacture of textiles. The second industrial revolution merged with the first industrial revolution sometime around 1850, when the benefits of the first phase became fully realized. The second industrial revolution was a direct product of the wealth and technological advancements created by the first phase.

This particular era of the industrial revolution is characterized by the development of steam powered railways and ships. In the early 1900's, the internal combustion engine began to be used en masse. Although the notion of a combustion engine had been imagined for some time, it was not fully realized until 1860 when Jean Joseph Etienne Lenoir produced his famous gas-fired internal combustion engine. This engine type is still by far the most popular type used in the world today.

The automotive industry played a major role in the creation of wealth and the refinement of certain technologies. The assembly line production model was first employed during this period. While more and more people left the farm for the factory, their opportunities for upward social mobility increased. People had more work and more money, and this led to an overall increase in the general wealth of the populace. Naturally, the automotive became a symbol of one's wealth and social standing. These technological advances precipitated some enormous changes in society.

The ideas developed and realized in Western Europe and America, spread throughout the world bringing immense social change. The industrial revolution played a central role in the establishment of modern city centers. This was due mainly to the influx of agricultural workers into the areas in which the factories were being built. The industrial revolution also had a profound impact on the legal system of many nations, as legislation to establish the rights of workers was introduced. Modern life would be very different today were it not for the industrial revolution.

By Gerald Crawford

Livestock is the largest agricultural sector in South Africa, with a population of some 13.8-million cattle and 28.8-million sheep. Stock breeders concentrate on the development of breeds that are well adapted to diverse climatic and environmental conditions.

Dairy farming:

Dairy is produced throughout South Africa, with most farms in the eastern and northern Free State, North West, the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, the Eastern and Western Cape, Gauteng and the southern parts of Mpumalanga. The four major dairy breeds in South Africa are the Holstein, Jersey, Guernsey and Ayrshire.

The dairy industry is important to South Africa's job market, with some 4 300 milk producers employing about 60 000 farmworkers and indirectly providing jobs to 40 000 people. Milk production for 2003/04 was estimated at 2-billion litres.

Beef farming:

South Africa produces 85% of its meat requirements, with 15% is imported from Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Australia, New Zealand and the EU. Local demand generally outstrips production, even though there are untapped reserves in the communal farming areas.

Cattle ranches are found mainly in the Eastern Cape, parts of the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and the Northern Cape. Popular beef breeds include the indigenous Afrikaner and Nguni and locally developed Bonsmara and Drakensberger. European and American breeds such as Charolais, Hereford, Angus, Simmentaler, Sussex, Brahman and Santa Gertrudis are maintained as pure breeds or used in cross-breeding.

Sheep and goat farming:

South African sheep farming is concentrated in the Northern and Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Free State and Mpumalanga, with Ermelo in Mpumalanga being one of the largest wool-producing districts. Fifty percent of sheep are fine-woolled Merinos. Other breeds include the locally developed Afrino, a woolled mutton breed adapted to arid conditions, the South African Mutton Merino, the Dohne and the Merino Landrace. South Africa's mutton is produced from the Dorper - a highly productive and locally developed mutton breed for arid regions - and the woolled Merino.

Karakul sheep are farmed in the more arid areas, with some 20 173 pelts with a gross value of R3-million produced in 2002/03. The indigenous meat-producing Boer goat accounts for about 30% of all commercial goats. The Angora goat is used for mohair production.

Poultry and pig farming:

South Africa's poultry and pig farms are more intensive than the extensive sheep and cattle production, and are found near the metropolitan areas of Gauteng, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. The predominant pig breeds are the South African Landrace, the Large White, the Duroc and the Pietrain.

South Africa's annual poultry meat production is 960 000 tons. Broiler production contributes about 82% to total poultry meat production, with the rest made up of mature chicken slaughter (culls), small-scale and backyard poultry production, ducks, geese, turkeys and other specialised white meat products. Income from poultry and egg production amounted to R11.3-billion in 2002/03.

South Africa accounts for 67% of world sales of ostrich products - leather, meat and feathers. The gross value for ostrich feathers and products during 2002/03 was R276.5-million.

Game farming:

South Africa has more game and a wider variety of game species than most countries. Game farming has grown over the years, and today is a viable industry with great economic potential. The country's main game areas are in Limpopo province, North West, Mpumalanga, the Free State, the Eastern Cape, the Karoo, the Kalahari in the Northern Cape and the thorn scrub of KwaZulu-Natal.

A descriptive game-production model has been developed for optimising intensive animal production on game farms, with the potential to increase the global produce of the game industry by between 8% and 15%.

Aquaculture:

The aquaculture industry in South Africa continues to make meaningful progress in cultivation technology, marketing strategy, marketing practice and scientific innovation. Mussels, trout, tilapia, catfish, oysters and waterblommetjies (Cape pondweed) are the major aquaculture species. Mussel farming occurs mainly at Saldanha Bay.

By Andrea Pellarin

For the contemporary mind, city and countryside are often seen as opposite concepts, the first being related to the idea of modernity, as opposed to the idea of nature and primitive life of the latter. This concept established itself over the centuries, especially after the industrial revolution of the 19th century.

Yet, if we go further back in time, 10000 years ago in the area of the Middle East called the Fertile Crescent, where agriculture was born, things take a different perspective.

It is generally agreed that the city, as a centre of civilization could not exist without agriculture. The idea of "civilization" and "city" are strictly connected. They come from the Latin "civitas" and "civilitas" respectively, which, in turn come from "civis," "citizen."

The invention of agriculture had several consequences on humanity. It generated concept that did not exist before, like the one of accumulation of goods and technologies, or the one of human beings as separated from Nature, capable of building their own space. With agriculture, humanity ceased to simply adapt itself to the environment, but started to (sometimes utterly) modify it instead, taking cultivations out of their original areas and introducing them in other environments. Two good examples are rice and wine growing in Asia and Central-Northern Europe respectively: both represented a technological challenge against the environment conditions, which started in the Middle Ages and continued in the Modern Age.

It is in this context that the first agricultural societies, although rooted in the cycles of nature and seasons, elaborated the concept of "civilized man", who "artificially" created a food that otherwise would not exist. This very step marks the difference between man and animals, between Nature and Culture. Again, it is interesting to note the interrelation between ideas. "Culture," often used as synonym of civilization, also comes from Latin "colere", to cultivate.

What we call "culture" indeed is a concept between tradition and innovation. It is tradition in so far it is a set of knowledge, techniques and values which are handed down to us, and it is innovation in so far these knowledge, techniques and values modify the role of human beings in the environment, enabling them to create new realities. Tradition is a successful innovation, and culture is the interface between these two perspectives.

By Ali Withers

2010 has been designated the UN's International Year of Biodiversity - a celebration of life on earth and of the value of biodiversity for our lives.

In the context of climate change and the pressure on the planet's resources it's an important moment for us all, nowhere more than in the issues of food scarcity and security and the challenge to produce more to feed the world's growing population.

We want as consumers to be sure that the food we're buying is safe and healthy for our families. More and more we are changing our shopping habits to take account of issues like our carbon footprints and fair trade.

One difficulty for consumers is finding sources of genuinely objective information about how our food is produced, farming methods and the new bio-technologies that are argued to be essential to increasing food production and pest control in a sustainable way.

Because most human activities, including food production and supply, are businesses driven by the need to make a profit, it's not surprising that there should be a degree of competition and therefore confidentiality about the details of the new low-chem agricultural products companies are developing and a degree of promotion to sell them.

The research and development of such products is, after all, expensive when you add up the cost of several trials and the long process of getting them registered for use in more than one country, each with its own regulatory process.

We are bound to be told they are safer, better and more environmentally friendly but how can we be sure this is the truth? What sources of objective information are there?

There's a valuable, not for profit, scientific and research organisation with headquarters in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK, which is dedicated to information sharing.

The mission statement on its website describes it a science-based development and information organization, improving people's lives by providing information and applying scientific expertise to solving problems in agriculture and the environment.

It's perhaps not as high profile as some of the big environmental campaigning or agrochemical research organisations but it's actually celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

It's called CABI, (the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux International) and it focuses on improving food security, protecting biodiversity, helping farmers and providing information. There are CABI centres in China, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Pakistan, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, UK and the USA and projects in more than 70 countries on the basis that farmers in the developed world face the same problems as subsistence and smallholder farmers in developing countries - pests and diseases, access to markets, access to quality seeds, credit, the best way to process produce.

It aims to help farmers grow more and lose less by improving crop yields, safeguarding the environment and improving access to agricultural and environmental scientific knowledge.

This includes helping them improve their crops by introducing natural or 'bio' pesticides and sustainable techniques such as integrated pest management as well as advising on trade and quarantine issues.

It has expertise in agriculture, animal and veterinary sciences, environmental sciences, human health, food and nutrition, leisure and tourism, microbiology and parasitology, and plant sciences.

CABI also manages one of the world's largest genetic resource collections, the UK's National Collection of Fungus Cultures, conducts microbiological identifications, provides cultures for sale, and offers preservation and consultancy services.

It offers a range of microbial services to businesses, academic institutions, agriculture and government departments worldwide. Customers come from industries including food and drink, medicine, research and environmental conservation.

Perhaps CABI's range of activities indicates that there is at least one place where consumers can get objective information on the production of the foods the only get to see when they're one the store shelves.

By Alex Newman

Food scientists are responsible for maintaining the integrity of the American food supply, and they will study farm crops and animals in order to improve their quality and yields. These agricultural scientists will also discover ways to conserve soil and other nutrients and how to convert raw agricultural materials into healthy food products for the American people.

In the past 20 years, agricultural science has been booming field as an increased desire to develop biofuels such as ethanol have required the services of food scientists. Environmental remediation, which involves the reclamation of damaged land as a result of mining or other pollution, is another area of expansion.

Nanotechnology is also revolutionizing the field of ag science, as manufacturing technology attempts to improve food yields and to control pests. Most individuals will work in research and development, and developing new foodstuffs and agricultural chemicals.

Food scientists will predominately work in processing industries, finding better ways to package and store food for consumer consumption. They will also analyze the nutritional contents of various foods in order to try to increase the nutritional value of certain consumable products.

Plant scientists are responsible for finding new uses for fiber crops, and they will try to improve the nutritional yield and quality of crops in seed. Soil scientists are responsible for analyzing the composition of soils and improving their quality, in addition to protecting topsoil from erosion and environmental damage.

These professionals will typically work outdoors 40 hours a week investigating new production techniques, and the government hires a number of these individuals in order to improve the quality of the nation's food and farmland. Agricultural scientist training will usually require a master's degree in order to work in research fields, however, some animal scientists require no more than an associate's degree.

In 2006, these professionals had about 33,000 jobs in America, with about 15% working for Federal and state governments. Another 15% of these individuals are self-employed. working as consultants for food production companies. Future job prospects for agricultural scientists should be bright, and growth is expected at 9% over the next 10 years.

In 2006, the middle 50th percentile of employees earned between $37,740 and $76,960. The National Association of Colleges and Employers found that offers for entry level food scientists came to $37,908 a year.

By Tino Toskala

As a farmer you are like a small business professional. You need to sell your agricultural products - crops, soil, livestock, cattle, cows, pigs, dairy, farm machinery and equipment. You need agriculture leads so that you can sell and make a living.

The good news is that it is quite easy to generate agriculture leads via the internet. The number of farms that have their own website is still relatively quite low. If you create a website for your farm you would be a technological leader in the industry. You could get the majority of web searchers that are looking for your products.

Not only could you receive organic search visitors to your site but to receive more sales leads, you could advertise in the sponsored results of search engines. The way it works is that you purchase whatever keywords you want (for example, beef, pork, wheat, cattle, crops, soil, farm equipment, farm machinery) and whenever someone searches those keywords and clicks on your link they are taken to your website and you receive the agriculture leads.

You can hire a website designer to create a professional looking website these days for under $100. To purchase ads on internet search engines is so easy that you can do it yourself (DIY). All the main search engines allow you to purchase ads, including Google, Yahoo, MSN, and Ask.com. And, it is so inexpensive that it would cost you a mere pennies each time someone clicks on your ad.

The internet is a great source for sales leads, even agriculture leads.

By Spencer Porter

Despite the ever increasing number of people who decide to move from the rural to have a taste of the urban life, it cannot be denied that farming is something that will not be a total threat to urbanization.

Even if more people decide to migrate from their rural areas, there are still people who won't leave their lands in exchange for the urban life. For as long as food and fresh air are still part of our basic necessities, farming and agriculture would not or should not be left in careless abandon.

Even if the world is constantly developing or progressing, it will not make any sense if food, healthy food at that, will no longer be accessible to all. Because of progress, the world may be able to afford to pay for the food they are going to eat but if the farmers gradually start to lose interest in farming or agriculture, then people might have to endure the consequences of modernization and urbanization. Our hope lies on the rest of the farmers who weren't thinking about switching to a different career. Fortunately, because of progress and modernization, technology has made way for efficient forestry and agriculture equipment such as farm tractors (John Deere, Caterpillar and other famous brands), plows, tillers, loaders and other farming related innovations to help them deliver the best of their production.

Even rich people who decide to move out of the city because they want to live in a peaceful, healthy and stress-free suburb would also know the importance of eating healthy food that they are also into farming themselves. Some of them are buying large hectares of land and devote a large area for farming and agriculture, both for consumption and commercial purposes. Soon enough, we will already solve shortage of food production if we ourselves will put an effort to produce our own food, even if our planting or farming be limited only to growing selected vegetables, crops and fruit-bearing trees in our backyard.

For the record, there is an increasing demand for forestry and agriculture equipment, like tractors, loaders, wagons and other farm machinery. This is hopefully an indication that we are getting better towards balancing modernization, industrialization, livelihood, farming and agriculture.

By Anne Costigan

al-Andalusia's Water Raising Systems
Saqiya's were Egyptian in origin and were in use since 250 BC. Saqiya's were animal-powered waterwheels. The Moors introduced them to the Iberian peninsula. Thousands of Saqiya's pumped and supplied water to the vast Valencian Orchards

Norias were self-turning waterwheels. They were a large wheel, edged with scoops, that emptied their contents into a tank or aqueduct. They functioned alongside rivers with currents.

Ship Mills operated mid-stream, in swiftly flowing rivers, rendering the heavier work. There were four in the Guadalquivir River in Cordoba; three functioned until recently.

al-Jazari
A maestro-designer of many water pumps and water clocks of the 13th century. The suction-pump design was derived from al-Jazari's work. Renaissance piston pump designs originated from many Islamic designs.

How Important were Water-Powered Mills and Wheels?
Extremely - Whole Industries Thrived from Their Crushing or Grinding Abilities.

* Textiles: wool was compacted
* Metals: gold ores were crushed
* Paper Manufacture: fibres were crushed to pulp
* Wood Mills: Timber was sawn
* Agriculture: flour was ground, rice was husked, sugar-cane was pressed

Other Industries Arose

* Sugar refineries
* Production of Gunpowder
* Textile weaving: silk, cotton, specialising in Merino wool
* Steel production lead to ship building
* Paper manufacture
* Ceramics/Porcelain: losa dorada: lusterware tableware and glazed tiles
* Tanneries: Cordovan embossed leather work
* Inlaid marquetry
* Steel and Gold Manufacture.

al-Andalus commodities

* Granada was a major silk producer and of guns and knives
* Exquisite silks and brocades were woven in Almeria and Sevilla
* (Spanish Christians and European royals were enthusiastic clients for al-Andalus merchandises)
* Cordoba specialised in tapestries and leather work
* Toledo was famous for its swords, inlaid in gold and silver Damascene decor
* Malaga was famed for the quality silks and wool
* Salibat for paper production
* Almeria for glass manufacture and brass
* The Algarve was famous for its tiles

What was Introduced?
Moorish Agriculture introduced many plants, the most significant were sugar-cane and cotton. Diet, fashion and culture were revolutionized.

The Moors brought many new vegetables: aubergines, asparagus, spinach, and artichokes. New fruits appeared: Pomegranates, limes, lemons, oranges, melons, cherries, coconuts, peaches, strawberries, figs, pistachios and coffee. New crops: rice, hard wheat, maize, sesame. New spices: saffron, ginger, mustard, cloves, nutmeg, cumin and cinnamon.

Iberian peninsular vines and olive groves were improved on. Mulberry bushes were grown: the staple diet of the silk-worm.

Crops were cultivated for three basic reasons: General Consumption, Animal Foodstuff or for Fibre.

Soil Preparation
Organic growing ruled. Crops were harvested more times in al-Andalusia than in the any other European country. Spain became a green garden. The warm climate, however, was not the the reason why.

Every event was carefully documented. Soil was repeatedly analysed and studied for many, many years. Different manures were applied to distinct soils. Al-Andalus crop rotations spanned over a period of several years - unlike European crop systems. Land quality was re-optimized with regenerating plants.

Watching the Calender
Clocks and calenders fascinated the Arabs. Land timetables existed for watering times, prayer time and optimum harvest dates were always documented. Grafting: when-and-where was a speciality, equally: rising plant-sap and its repose periods, to know when to prune. A famous treatise on botany was published: the Cordova Calender. It cleverly linked agricultural important dates to Christian Holy dates.

Continuation
The snaking irrigation channels: acequias and water storage tanks: aljibes were built - by the farmers. They knew each section and how they had constructed them. Unlike the Roman army, who built, in place of the populace. The farmers would prove vital if something needed repairing. Landownership created a pride for caring the individual plots - Europe functioned under a feudal system and slaves had no pride in work done.

Prosperity and well being thrived. The healthy diet of al-Andalusia created a population boom. It was water and the proper use of water that created an unsurpassed level of civilization that was unknown in Europe.

Agriculture is the backbone of our society. Without agricultural workers, no one would be able to eat. Unfortunately agricultural workers also face some of the harshest working conditions of any industry. They work longer hours, often for less pay, than people in nearly any other line of work. Even if their working conditions are less than ideal, however, they are entitled-like everyone-to work without facing discrimination.

Discrimination can affect anyone, but is most commonly faced by women and people from marginalized groups, such as religious and ethnic minorities. Discrimination because of personal characteristics unrelated to the line of work is illegal. When a worker faces unfair treatment because of their race, age, religion, gender, or other characteristics, legal action can be taken to put an end to the discrimination.

It is also illegal to discriminate against an employee by citizenship status. Setting aside other factors, simply being a foreign resident has no impact on a person's ability to do a job. There are many citizens who are less capable and experienced than immigrants, and often not enough citizens to fill the demand. In short, what passport you hold doesn't affect your ability to work.

Many of America's agricultural workers are temporary migrants from Mexico. Since there are often not enough American citizens who are willing to do agricultural work, Mexican workers step in to fill the gap. Contrary to popular belief, most of them return to Mexico for most of the year. The arrangement benefits both sides: American agriculture receives work that would not otherwise get done, Mexican workers take better pay home to help their families.

If you or someone you love have faced discrimination in agricultural work, you are entitled to take legal action against discriminatory employers. Everyone, no matter what their background, is entitled to a discrimination-free workplace.

To learn how an experienced Texas employment attorney can help you, call the compassionate Texas employment lawyers of the Ross Law Group today.

By James Wachai

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) has come up with this online database of women scientists working in the field of agriculture.

The database's objectives are:

* To promote activities such as diversity-positive recruitment.

* To promote international teamwork among women agriculturalists

* To promote cross-cultural communications among women scientists in the agricultural sector.

* Showcase women talent in the field of agriculture.

* Advance women's interests by availing information on scholarships and agricultural-related training opportunities.

I am more interested in the last two objectives. CGIAR largely operates in developing countries that suffer chronic food shortages. Among its many programs, CGIAR uses modern agricultural biotechnology to solve poor countries' food problems.

There is a whole gamut of women scientists working in the field of agricultural biotechnology. Many have, and continue to excel in their respective areas of specialization. Africa, for example, has Dr. Florence Wambugu who has distinguished herself as an ardent advocate of agricultural biotechnology as an affective tool to alleviate hunger and malnutrition.

There are more women scientists of Dr. Wambugu's competence in the developing world, but they are hardly known beyond the borders of their countries. Existing societal biases makes it hard from them to explore opportunities for advancement. This makes it hard for them to grow both professionally and career wise. This database must elevate the profile of such women scientists. The agricultural world needs them.

The biotech industry is fast gaining prominence. Africa and other developing regions of the world would only benefit from the many potential applications of biotechnology not only by developing a mass of well trained biotechnologists, but also exposing them to the world. This database is an invaluable avenue for women scientists wishing to explore the world.

To ensure that this database better benefits women scientists, CGIAR should consider working closely with national and international scientific institutions because they well understand the needs of their women scientists.

By Jim R Regan

The industrials sector of the stock market is where I am most involved nowadays. While the big names like General Electric (NYSE: GE) and Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) may not jump out at you as big gainers, plenty of these rock-solid companies have been hit unfairly, and I see value. As an added bonus, industrials companies often act as a hedge to thriving markets like agriculture. We've got some killer stock picks for this week, lets see what we can dig up.

Industrial Machinery - Harsco (NYSE: HSC)I may be a sucker for fallen stocks, but Harsco's drop off their highs was especially unwarranted. You want proof? How about beating fourth-quarter earnings estimates of $0.70 with $0.74 and increasing 2008 guidance. How about topping revenue expectations by $75 million. Harsco manufactures in mill services and gas technologies.. they are the top dogs in a boring market, and I'm loving it. A whopping 70% of their sales are international, and even in a slowing world economy, an unusually high rate of recurring service revenues gives me confidence in Harsco's ability to maintain earnings momentum. Don't be concerned with rising costs and problems in home construction, Harsco's end markets such as global steel production and non-residential construction are expected to remain firm in 2008.

Despite slight challenges in Mill Services in the most recent quarter, Harsco outperformed with strong gains in Rail & Mineral Technologies. I see nothing but upside in growth for 2008, and with a key acquisition possibility, Harsco could completely out-do themselves. Access Services has a nice hedge against a possible falling non-residential construction since about 25% of their industrial maintenance business is recurring. Very protected from a slow-down, and undervalued at $55 versus a target of $75... I put a purchase price at under $54 for Harsco. Conglomerates - 3M (NYSE: MMM)3M is big-time diversified, offering everything from scotch tape to respirator devices. After raising 2008 guidance, multiple firms have issued BUY upgrades from HOLD in January. Investment research firm Stern Agee believes that 10% EPS growth in 2008 appears done deal under virtually any scenario." This kind up build-in security net from a further economic downturn is just what we want. 3M right now is the kind of excellent company that investors are a bit antsy about buying back into after a fall-off from previous highs of $95 to $75. I affirm that there is no problem here; get in now before the big movers start to buy the shares back up.

We love international growth in a bloated US market, and 3M has 65% growth overseas... 30% of that in high-growth emerging markets. They are the "no magic required" investment we want in 08'. None of their business segments should have ANY problem creating the level of growth built into current valuations, and Reuters has downside estimated at 5% compared to a 15%-17% upside. There certainly aren't any bells and whistles about 3M, but their global footprint in emerging markets positions them well to benefit from steady business ventures with relatively low risk. With a target price at $95, and an appropriate purchase price at $77-$79, I feel that this conglomerate juggernaut is a winner.

Industrial Engineering - Jacobs Engineering Group (NYSE: JEC)In their most recent earnings release (January 21, 2008), management at Jacobs Engineering Group hinted toward strength in key end markets, such as energy, which leads me to believe they will be at least matching their 15% year-over-year growth initiative. Also in this call, they beat earnings estimates by a few cents and increased 2008 guidance, citing a favorable pricing environment among other factors. This positive outlook "includes variance in the U.S. Economy." But what I like most about Jacobs is their visibility. Operating margins fared better than expected in a challenging environment, and backlogs increased to nearly $15 billion, yes billion. Granted, this stellar growth may be more of a challenge for the year, but I feel that they can at least produce strong gains in the second quarter. If guidance remains positive at this point, the sky is the limit.

JEC is undervalued in my opinion, and their continued performance hasn't missed a beat. When the market turns, Jacobs should be ready to ride the bull. On top of a strong free cash flow position, they have virtually no debt. They operate in four sectors: oil & gas, chemicals, national government and infrastructure, each with plenty of potential. Energy seems to be their most anticipated gainer in 2008, suggesting that clients offer a "commitment to spending" amid low volatility incurred by oil prices. Add this in with a steady pipeline of products, and we see oil & gas well leveraged in the market. I target Jacobs at a one-year $96 tag, and feel an appropriate purchase price should be from $70-$73.

Ag. Machinery and Construction - Manitowoc (NYSE: MTW)I have been a fan of Manitowoc cranes for the past few quarters, now we finally have the market underpricing this company like we want. Manitowoc competes with Terex (NYSE: TEX), an excellent company by all marks with high growth potential. However, I feel that most analysts miss on the fact that Terex's cranes are low quality... workers want Manitowoc! They have already capitalized on international demand, and smashed earnings estimates of 68 cents with 74 cents. Earnings reports also yielded that continuing operations performance rose 119% year-over-year and sales of cranes jumped 56%. Manitowoc's management confirmed that despite worries about the housing construction market, MTW's operations were indeed minimally exposed to the pain.

There is no reason for this trend to slow in 2008, and trading under $40 is just not fair. We all know that the agriculture market has been surging as of late. Manitowoc has a hand in producing related equipment, and is also a major player in the emerging Asian markets... where non-residential construction is constant. Management believes they can maintain strong growth by focusing on new product introductions, market share increases (achieved by cross-selling through its expanded distribution network), and improved penetration in Asia. Prior to the sell-off in late-2007/early-2008, the crane industry was seen as "in the middle of a multi-year up-cycle" in demand and production. I expect this trend to continue now that shares of Manitowoc have unprecedentedly been crushed off their highs. I can see them hitting $54 a share, with an appropriate purchase price just under $39 for optimal value.

There are plenty of places to look for growth in 2008 out of the industrials sector. While I did not find any defense & aerospace companies particularly appetizing, I am bullish on the industry and would suggest looks at United Technologies (NYSE: UTX), Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT). Agriculture giants like Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) may make viable investments as well, but you must be wary of the premium you often need to shell out for shares of stock. Please feel free to email me any stock questions you may have. -The Net Fool