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| Country Views (Spring 2007) |
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PROTECT TENDER EARS
There are lots of reasons NOT to carry a child on your lap while driving a lawn tractor - the danger of the child falling off, the operator’s inability to reach controls, and the distraction factor. Deborah Reed has one more reason - hearing loss.
Louder noises
“A small child is much closer to the source of the noise,” cautions Reed, agricultural occupation nurse with the College of Nursing, University of Kentucky. “Their tender ears get hit by louder noises than the adult driver. Even if a tractor ride ends without any visible injury, it still might have caused some hearing damage.”
Surefire child proofing
Reed notes the only safe place for a child while the lawn is being mowed is in the house, far away from spinning blades and engine noise.
HERB WINS AWARD
There’s a “Person of the Year,” a “Car of the Year,” but a “Herb of the Year”? Indeed there is, and for 2007 it’s lemon balm. “The Herb of the Year was started by the International Herb Society in 1995,” says Donna Frawley, of Frawley’s Fine Herbary, and the secretary of the society. “The goal is to educate the public about the uses of a particular herb - for cooking, medicines, and cosmetics.”
Tea time
Lemon balm is a scented member of the mint family and is a bushy perennial that over-winters in hardiness zones 4 and 5. You can plant it from seed in spring, or through cuttings and root division. Frawley notes that fresh lemon balm can make a refreshing tea or a salad garnish. The dried leaves are often used in potpourris. You can learn more about the many uses of lemon balm through the Herb of the Year book the International Herb Society publishes each year. It’s available on the Internet at www.iherb.org.
KEEP IT COOL
With winter behind us now, it’s easy to think we can forget about antifreeze for a while. That would be a bad idea, asserts Jim Walton, John Deere product manager for coolants. “The protection coolant provides goes way beyond just keeping the radiator and engine from freezing,” he maintains. “Coolant protects internal engine parts and limits radiator deposits all year long.”
Avoid water
If a radiator boils over in summer, Walton cautions against simply adding water. Rather, he recommends keeping a jug of 50/50 antifreeze mix on hand at all times. If your radiator gets low, it’s then easy and convenient to fill it with a fluid that offers both summer and winter protection. “If you do mix water with concentrated antifreeze, always use distilled or mineral-free water,” he says. “Mineral-laden tap water can cause problems for internal engine parts.”
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