United Kingdom BSE outbreak

The United Kingdom was afflicted with an outbreak of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, also known as "mad cow disease"), and its human equivalent variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (vCJD), in the 1980s and 1990s. Over four million head of cattle were slaughtered in an effort to contain the outbreak, and 177 people died after contracting vCJD through eating infected beef. A political and public health crisis resulted, and British beef was banned from export to numerous countries around the world, with some bans remaining in place until as late as 2019.
The outbreak is believed to have originated in the practice of supplementing protein in cattle feed by meat-and-bone meal (MBM), which used the remains of other animals. BSE is a disease involving infectious misfolded proteins known as prions in the nervous system; the remains of an infected animal could spread the disease to animals fed on such a diet.
Background.
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a neurodegenerative disease of cattle caused by misfolded proteins known as prions. Symptoms include abnormal behaviour, trouble walking, weight loss, and eventual paralysis. Prion diseases such as BSE are universally fatal; the time between infection and onset of symptoms is generally four to five years and time from onset of symptoms to death is typically weeks to months.
At the time of the outbreak, cattle farming was the largest sector of British agriculture, comprising up to 38 per cent of the United Kingdom's entire agricultural product, and was capable of providing the vast majority of domestic demand for beef and dairy. This was due to policies enacted after World War II to reduce reliance on food imports and sustain rural areas, and strengthened after the United Kingdom's 1973 entrance to the European Economic Area provided the Common Agricultural Policy and a larger export market for farmers. The cattle industry had produced a breed of dairy cattle that had high milk yields when fed a high-protein diet. Feeds derived from animal sources, such as meat-and-bone meal (MBM), had been used since the early 20th century and were found to increase milk yields more than those derived from non-animal sources such as soybeans. That dairy herds were fed such feeds more than beef herds ultimately proved immaterial since most British beef came from cattle in dairy herds.
British cattle are believed to have become infected in large numbers in the 1980s through the use of MBM, which contained the remains of other animals. This included the remains of cattle which had spontaneously developed the disease as well as sheep infected with scrapie, a similar disease in sheep, while the inclusion of brain and spinal cord tissue in MBM increased the likelihood of infection.
Timeline of outbreak.
1980s: First cases of BSE in cattle.
The earliest suspicions of BSE were on a farm in Sussex in December 1984, and the earliest confirmed case was by a post-mortem examination of a cow from the same farm in September 1985, although it was not confirmed as such until June 1987.
By November 1987, the British Ministry of Agriculture accepted it had a new disease on its hands. In 1989, high-risk foodstuffs like offal were banned for human consumption and widespread fear about beef led many British consumers to stop purchasing it.
1990–1994: Spread to other animals.
A crucial basis for the government's assurances that British beef was safe was the belief that BSE-infected meat products would not be able to infect other animals. This was founded on their experience with scrapie-infected sheep, which had proven unable to cause any illness in humans.
However, scientists studying BSE were already questioning this assumption and, on 10 May 1990, it was widely reported that a Siamese cat named Max had become infected with BSE, providing the first confirmation outside the laboratory that BSE could in fact be transmitted between species through eating infected meat. Despite this, the government maintained that British beef was safe and, later that month, the then-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, John Gummer, appeared on TV encouraging his daughter to eat a beef burger, and declared British beef to be 'completely safe'. Many more cats would go on to develop the disease, as would numerous other animals including at least one tiger in a UK zoo.
Cases of the disease in cattle continued to rise despite bans on feeding offal to cows, and peaked with 100,000 confirmed cases in 1992-1993. In an attempt to stop the spread of the disease, a total of 4.4 million cattle were slaughtered during the outbreak.
1994–1996: Spread to humans.
In late 1994, a number of people began to show symptoms of a neurological disease similar to CJD, a fatal disorder that occurs naturally in a small percentage of people, though usually only later in life. This new form of the disease would go on to be identified as variant CJD (vCJD), occurring primarily in younger people and caused through eating BSE-infected meat. The first known death from vCJD occurred on 21 May 1995, when the 19-year old Stephen Churchill died although the UK government continued to emphasise the safety of British beef and, in September 1995, concluded that there was 'insufficient evidence' to link BSE and vCJD. It was not until 20 March 1996 that Stephen Dorrell, the Secretary of State for Health announced that vCJD was caused by eating BSE-infected meat.
177 people (as of June 2014) would go on to contract and die of the disease.
Regulations and bans of British beef.
When BSE was identified, the United States banned the importation of British cattle in 1989, and 499 cows who had been recently imported from the United Kingdom were destroyed. The United States slaughtered an additional 116 British cows in 1996.
Between December 1997 and November 1999, the British government banned the sale of beef on the bone.
A week after Dorrell's announcement, on 27 March 1996, the European Union (EU) imposed a worldwide ban on exports of British beef. The ban would go on to last for 10 years before it was finally lifted on 1 May 2006, although restrictions remained on British beef containing vertebral material and beef sold on the bone. The ban, which led to much controversy in Parliament and to the incineration of over one million cattle from at least March 1996, resulted in trade controversies between the UK and other EU states, dubbed a "beef war" by media. France continued to impose a ban on British beef illegally long after the European Court of Justice had ordered it to lift its blockade, although it has never paid any fine for doing so.
The BSE inquiry.
During the height of the crisis, as well as after cases began to decline, the UK government came under criticism for its response, and in particular for how slow it was to acknowledge the problem, to inform the public, and to take steps to deal with the outbreak.
On 22 December 1997, an inquiry was announced in parliament to investigate the history of the outbreak and the actions taken in response. The inquiry was conducted by a committee consisting of Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, June Bridgeman, and Malcolm Ferguson-Smith. It provided its report in October 2000, and the report was published in full by Nick Brown, the secretary for agriculture at the time.The inquiry report was critical of the government, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and Sir Donald Acheson the chief medical officer.
Future risk.
The original outbreak of vCJD only affected individuals with a particular genetic makeup; those who only make an M form of a particular protein. Studies of similar diseases in other parts of the world have shown that individuals with the M form tend to become ill quickly in a first wave, while individuals with the other, V form can be infected but asymptomatic for years or even decades. This has led some researchers including Graham Jackson of the University College London to warn that there could be a second wave of vCJD infections years later.
In late 2014, the first case was reported in an individual with the V form of the protein.


Corojo Label

Corojo Label is a brand of handmade premium cigar owned by Cigar.com, Inc..
History and background.
The development of this proprietary brand was begun in 2004 by the in-house blending team. In early 2006, the company sought out Pepin Garcia and with his aid and that of his son, Jaime, the desired final blend was obtained. It was introduced in late February 2007. The cigars are manufactured in Estelí, Nicaragua, at Tabaclera Cubana (TACUBA). This brand is one in a series of brands, called "House Blends", developed by Cigar.com and made for them by various manufacturers.
Description.
Full bodied, the wrapper is a Nicaraguan Corojo, the binder is Honduran and the filler is Nicaraguan. The cigars are packaged celloed in slide-top cabinet-style boxes of 20.


Norman L. James

Norman Leslie James (November 29, 1840 - November 25, 1918) was a farmer, lumber manufacturer and hardware retailer from Richland Center, Wisconsin who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Wisconsin State Senate.
Background.
James was born November 29, 1840 in Deerfield, New Hampshire. He received a common school education, and came to Wisconsin with his family, eventually settling in Richland Center.
With his little brother David, James entered the United States Army in 1861, joining Company F of 16th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment, upon the outbreak of the American Civil War. He participated in the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, and was discharged in 1862.
Public office.
James served as a member of the town and village board, and village treasurer. He was first elected to the Assembly for Richland County's first Assembly district (the Towns of (Towns of Buena Vista, Henrietta, Ithaca, Orion, Richland, Rockbridge, Westford and Willow) in 1872 as a Republican; he did not seek re-election, and was succeeded by fellow Republican Joseph McGrew. He was elected again in 1874, with 776 votes to 659 for Democrat V. G. Harter. He was not a candidate for re-election in 1875, and was succeeded by Democrat J. L. R. McCollum.
James served as a delegate to the 1880 Republican National Convention. He was elected state senator for the 28th District (at that time consisting of Iowa and Richland Counties) in 1884 (Republican incumbent William Meffert was not a candidate), receiving 4,712 votes, against 4,291 for Democrat George Crawford and 573 for Prohibitionist John Lee. He served as chairman of the standing committee on railroads. He was not a candidate for re-election in 1888, and was succeeded by another Republican, Robert Joiner
Career.
James was described in the Wisconsin Blue Books as a merchant and a hardware merchant. He testified in a Congressional hearing that he manufactured lumber, and sold lumber at retail.
In 1911, he testified before the United States Senate about his involvement in the election of Isaac Stephenson to the Senate from Wisconsin. He described himself as a longtime friend and supporter of Stephenson, whom he had met when they were both delegates to the 1880 Republican National Convention, and with whom he often went fishing. He testified that the only money he had been paid from the campaign was reimbursement for expenditures he'd made in support of Stephenson's election. He testified that while he was not (as had been inquired) "a man of some means," nonetheless "... I have always taken an active part in politics. That is, I have always had some man as a candidate that I was interest in."
Personal life.
James' brother, David Goodrich James, was a member of the Senate from the same district from 1909 to 1912. His niece Ada James became a noted suffragist.
He died in Richland Center on November 25, 1918.


Purina Dog Chow


Wool measurement

A micron (micrometre) is the measurement used to express the diameter of wool fibre. Fine wool fibers have a low micron value. Fibre diameter is the most important characteristic of wool in determining its value.
Every fleece comprises a very wide range of fibre diameters—for example a typical Merino fleece will contain fibres of as low as 10 microns in diameter, and there could be fibres with diameters exceeding 25 microns, depending on the age and health (or nutrition) of the sheep. What is usually referred to as wool's "micron" is the mean of the fibre diameters or average diameter. This may be measured in a number of different ways.
Small samples can be taken from the side or fleece of a sheep and measured using a portable instrument such as an OFDA2000 (Optical Fibre Diameter Analyser); or a mobile instrument system called a Fleecescan. Both these systems have been studied extensively and if used correctly, they should give reasonably reliable results. Pre wool classing micron test results are a useful guide for classers in determining lines of wool to be made. Samples of fleece can also be shorn from the animal and sent to a laboratory for measurement ("midside sampling"). Most modern fleece-testing laboratories use related instruments to those mentioned—either the OFDA models or the Laserscan. Merino stud rams are mid-side sampled and the test results are displayed in the sale catalogues.
Once the fleeces are baled and prepared for sale as lots, they are commonly sampled by coring in the broker store and the samples sent to certification laboratories. Here the core samples are cleaned, dried and prepared for measurement under strict test methods. Merino wools are normally measured on Laserscan instruments in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, although OFDA instruments may also be used in some cases (the results from these two types of instrument are quite similar). The “coefficient of variation of fibre diameter” (CVD) is a measure of the variation in fibre fineness within the sample fleece, relative to the average fibre diameter. Crossbred and coarse wools are often measured for mean fibre diameter by older instruments—"Airflow" in many parts of the world, and even a projection microscope in some cases.
Weaner and hogget wool is finer and generally more valuable than the wool from older sheep. Most wool between 11.5 and 24 microns in fibre diameter is made into clothing. The remainder is used for other textiles such as blankets, insulation and furnishings.
The finest bale of wool ever auctioned sold for a seasonal record of 269,000 cents per during June, 2008. This bale was produced by the Hillcreston Pinehill Partnership and measured 11.6 microns, 72.1% yield and had a 43 Newtons per kilotex strength measurement. The bale realised $247,480 and was exported to India.
In 2010 a soft ultra-fine, 10 micron fleece, from Windradeen, near Pyramul, New South Wales set a new world record in the fineness of wool fleeces when it won the Ermenegildo Zegna Vellus Aureum International Trophy.


Old Henry

Old Henry is a brand of premium cigars owned by Holt's Cigar Company. It was created by José "Pepin" Garcia and is manufactured at Tabacalera Cubana in Estelí, Nicaragua.
Description.
Old Henry, a Bulldog, was the mascot at Holt's for many years until his death in 2006. The cigar was developed as a tribute to a "beautiful pooch with champion features."
It is described as "full-bodied and robust, yet balanced and complex." The filler consists of aged Nicaraguan leaves. There are four wrapper varietals: Nicaraguan Corojo (Old Henry), Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro (Old Henry Maduro), Connecticut natural (Old Henry Gold Label) and Ecuador Sumatra (Old Henry Pure Breed).


Rainbow lorikeet

The rainbow lorikeet ("Trichoglossus moluccanus") is a species of parrot found in Australia. It is common along the eastern seaboard, from northern Queensland to South Australia. Its habitat is rainforest, coastal bush and woodland areas. Several taxa traditionally listed as subspecies of the rainbow lorikeet are now treated as separate species, 6 species have now been identified (see "Taxonomy").
Rainbow lorikeets have been introduced to Perth, Western Australia; Tasmania; Auckland, New Zealand; and Hong Kong.
Taxonomy.
Rainbow lorikeets are true parrots, within the Psittacoidea superfamily in the order Psittaciformes. They include two subspecies: the Swainson's Lorikeet ("Trichoglossus moluccanus moluccanus"), which includes the Lake Eyre Lorikeet ("Trichoglossus moluccanus eyrei"), and the Northern Moluccan Lorikeet ("Trichoglossus moluccanus septentrionalis").
The rainbow lorikeet has often included the red-collared lorikeet ("T. rubritorquis") as a subspecies, but today most major authorities consider it separate. Additionally, a review in 1997 led to the recommendation of splitting off some of the most distinctive taxa from the Lesser Sundas as separate species, these being the scarlet-breasted lorikeet ("T. forsteni"), the marigold lorikeet ("T. capistratus") and the Flores lorikeet ("T. weberi"). This is increasingly followed by major authorities. In 2019 The rainbow lorikeet in Australia was split into 3: rainbow, coconut ("Trichoglossus haematodus") and red-collared lorikeets ("Trichoglossus rubritorquis").
Description.
The rainbow lorikeet is a medium-sized parrot, with the length ranging from , including the tail. The weight varies from . The plumage of the nominate race, as with all subspecies, is very bright. The head is deep blue with a greenish-yellow nuchal collar, and the rest of the upper parts (wings, back and tail) are green. The chest is orange/yellow. The belly is deep blue, and the thighs and rump are green. In flight a yellow wing-bar contrasts clearly with the red underwing coverts.
There is little to visually distinguish between the sexes.
Juveniles have a black beak, which gradually brightens to orange in the adults.
The markings of "Trichoglossus moluccanus" resemble those of the Coconut Lorikeet ("Trichoglossus haematodus"), but with a blue belly and a more orange breast with little or no blue-black barring.
Dimorphism.
Unlike the eclectus parrot, rainbow lorikeets do not have any immediately discernible dimorphic traits. Males and females look identical, and surgical sexing by a vet or DNA analysis of a feather is used to determine the sex of an individual.
Behaviour.
Rainbow lorikeets often travel together in pairs and occasionally respond to calls to fly as a flock, then disperse again into pairs. Rainbow lorikeet pairs defend their feeding and nesting areas aggressively against other rainbow lorikeets and other bird species. They chase off not only smaller birds such as the noisy miner and the little wattlebird, but also larger birds such as the Australian magpie.
Diet.
Rainbow lorikeets feed mainly on fruit, pollen and nectar, and possess a tongue adapted especially for their particular diet. The end of the tongue is equipped with a papillate appendage adapted to gathering pollen and nectar from flowers. Nectar from eucalyptus is important in Australia, other important nectar sources are "Pittosporum", "Grevillea", "Spathodea campanulata" (African tulip-tree), and "Metroxylon sagu" (sago palm). In Melanesia coconuts are very important food sources, and rainbow lorikeets are important pollinators of these. They also consume the fruits of "Ficus", "Trema", "Mutingia", as well as papaya and mangoes already opened by fruit bats. They also eat crops such as apples, and will raid maize and sorghum. They are also frequent visitors at bird feeders placed in gardens, which supply store-bought nectar, sunflower seeds, and fruits such as apples, grapes and pears.
In many places, including campsites and suburban gardens, wild lorikeets are so used to humans that they can be hand-fed. The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in Queensland, Australia, is noted for its thousands of lorikeets. Around 8am and 4pm each day the birds gather in a huge, noisy flock in the park's main area. Visitors are encouraged to feed them a specially prepared nectar, and the birds will happily settle on people's arms and heads to consume it. Wild rainbow lorikeets can also be hand-fed by visitors at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Semi-tame lorikeets are common daily visitors in many Sydney backyards, though many people, ignorant of their dietary requirements, feed them bread or bread coated with honey. This is an inadequate source of the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that the rainbow lorikeet requires and can lead to health and feather formation issues in young lorikeets. Packet mixes with a nutritional mix suitable for feeding lorikeets are generally available from vets and pet stores.
Breeding.
In southern Australia, breeding usually occurs from late winter to early summer (August to January). Elsewhere in Australia, breeding has been recorded in every month except March, varying from region to region due to changes in food availability and climate. Nesting sites are variable and can include hollows of tall trees such as eucalypts, palm trunks, or overhanging rock. One population in the Admiralty Islands nests in holes in the ground on predator-free islets. Pairs sometimes nest in the same tree with other rainbow lorikeet pairs, or other bird species. The clutch size is between one and three eggs, which are incubated for around 25 days. Incubation duties are carried out by the female alone.
Rainbow lorikeets are mostly monogamous and remain paired for long periods, if not for life.
Status.
Overall, the rainbow lorikeet remains widespread and often common. According to the annual Birdlife Australia census, it is the most commonly observed bird in Australia. It is therefore considered to be of least concern by BirdLife International. The status for some localised subspecies is more precarious, with especially "T. h. rosenbergii", the Biak lorikeet (which possibly is worthy of treatment as a separate species), being threatened by habitat loss and capture for the parrot trade.
As a pest.
The rainbow lorikeet was accidentally released into the southwest of Western Australia near the University of Western Australia in the 1960s and they have since been classified as a pest.
A feral population of rainbow lorikeets was established in New Zealand after a North Shore, Auckland, resident illegally released significant numbers of captive-reared birds in the area in the 1990s, which started breeding in the wild. By 1999, a self-sustaining feral population of 150–200 birds had been established in the region, proving that they could survive and adapt to the New Zealand environment. The Department of Conservation, concerned that rainbow lorikeets would outcompete native honeyeaters and by the possible threat to pristine island habitats such as Little Barrier Island, began eradicating the feral population in 2000. MPI (the Ministry of Primary Industries) Bio-security, in partnership with DOC and regional councils, now manages rainbow lorikeets under the National Interest Pest Response initiative. The aim of the response is to prevent rainbow lorikeets from becoming established in the wild. Late in 2010, five of these birds were discovered living in the Mount Maunganui area. They were fed for a few days before being trapped by a Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries contractor.
Many fruit orchard owners consider them a pest, as they often fly in groups and strip trees containing fresh fruit. In urban areas, the birds create nuisance noise and foul outdoor areas and vehicles with droppings.
In Western Australia, a major impact of the rainbow lorikeet is competition with indigenous bird species. This includes domination of food sources and competition for increasingly scarce nesting hollows. Bird species such as the purple-crowned lorikeet, the Carnaby's black cockatoo, and the Australian ringneck are adversely affected or displaced.


Mossom Boyd

Mossom Boyd (7 December 1814 – 24 July 1883) was an Anglo-Irish entrepreneur who developed and operated a large lumber business on the Trent river system in Ontario, Canada.
Biography.
Early life.
Mossom Boyd was born in India to Captain Gardiner Boyd, ‘a North of Ireland officer of the Bengal Army,’ and his wife Arabella Chadwick. Both of his parents died in 1829 during the cholera epidemic, after which, Mossom Boyd and his sister Anne were sent to live with guardians in London. Because their behaviour was considered ‘difficult’, they were promptly relocated to Ireland's Derry district to live with an aunt. Boyd expected to be called upon to serve in the British Army, but after the Napoleonic Wars fewer men were recruited. At the same time, modern production methods were reducing other opportunities for employment in Ireland. Boyd, encouraged by his friend John Darcus, decided to join the many others emigrating to Britain's North American colonies, and left for Canada.
Life in Canada.
Landing in Canada in 1834, Boyd made the long trek to his newly acquired of land in Verulam Township. Upon arrival, Boyd began clearing the land, and soon befriended some of the ‘gentleman' farmers, including members of the Need, Langton, and Dunsford families. The connections made with these members of the local gentry helped Boyd make the transition from working farmer to a successful entrepreneur. Anne Langton described him as a ‘most resolute home-stayer and a very industrious settler,’ who ‘has chopped all his own land himself.’ She declared ‘he is a favourite of mine; he is not brilliant or animated, but has much goodness and kindness, and simplicity of character, and is an example to all our young men for industry, attention to business, and study of economy.’
In 1844 Boyd solidified his connections with John Langton and the Dunsford family by marrying Caroline Dunsford. This led to a short-lived partnership between Boyd and John Langton. In 1845 Mossom and Caroline's first son, Gardiner Boyd, was born. Caroline and Mossom had six children altogether: Gardiner, Anne, Mary Arabella, Caroline, Mossom Martin, and Emma Blackall. Boyd's wife Caroline died a year after the birth of her last child, Emma, in 1857; Boyd was left with six children under twelve. Unable to maintain his business while caring for the children Boyd contacted Letitia Magee Cust, a childhood friend from Derry, proposing marriage. He warned her that she ‘may not find me at all what you imagine or be able to conceive what effects such a rough life may have had on me, both in appearance and in all other respects.’ Letitia agreed to undertake the long journey alone to Bobcaygeon. Upon her arrival she married Boyd and took control over house and children, eventually adding to the brood with three of her own, one of which died. Mossom Martin attended school until age sixteen, after which he worked in his father's lumbering business. One of Boyd's other sons, William (W.T.C.) from his marriage with Letitia, was also inducted into the family business. In 1880 an addition was built over the south wing of the Boyd home; these new rooms were for Boyd's private use during his illness. Mossom Boyd died on the evening of July 24, 1883, and was buried in the Peterborough cemetery on July 27, 1883.
Lumbering.
Boyd was a hard worker, clearing all of his own land upon arrival in Verulam Township. When after a few years Boyd found farming to be less profitable than expected, he hired himself out to mind Thomas Need's sawmill and store, on the site which is now Bobcaygeon, while Need returned to England for business. This provided Boyd with some cash, and opportunity for future advancement. Need increasingly relied on Boyd to look after his property and mill as he made more and more frequent trips to England. On March 15, 1843 Need began leasing ‘part of lot 15 in Concession X, Verulam, the mill reserve, with "gristmill, sawmill and tenement thereon", for a term of seven years,’ costing £40 per annum to Boyd. The same year as Boyd's marriage to Caroline (1844) Need received his inheritance, which enabled him to permanently return to England.
John Langton writes about Boyd:
‘Boyd is an Irishman whose blood got an extra boiling by being born in India… Boyd is admirably adapted in many respects for the work he is at. When a raft is once started almost everything must yield to dispatch, and a restless being who can keep himself and everything that comes in contact with him in a state of excitement for two or three months at a time is just the man to drive a river."
Because of Langton's ill-health, Boyd and Langton's partnership in 1849 did not last, and upon his recovery in 1851, Langton made a transition from lumbering to politics.
In 1851, Need leased his roughly , and two mills to Boyd for 21 years with an annual rent of £15 a year for the first seven years. Boyd was given the right to purchase the lot and mills for £500 after five years. By paying £100 a year Boyd was able to buy Need out by 1855.
Quebec.
There was a large demand for Canadian white pine, oak, and elm, both in European and America, with the result that lumber prices were high. Conditions at the Quebec City harbour were conducive to lumber trade, and the superior quality of Boyd's pine logs gave him an edge in the competitive Quebec market. Boyd manned his first river driving expedition to Quebec City in 1848, with the help of a neighbour, Kelly. He began his journey early in the spring with a quantity of masts, but the strong current caused by melting snow and heavy rainfall delayed their arrival at Peterborough until July, three months after they began. At this point Kelly dropped out; Boyd continued on, reaching Quebec late in the season, and selling all of the pine.
The following year, Boyd formed a partnership with John Langton and James Dunsford, but both lacked enthusiasm for the Quebec trade and soon removed themselves from the business. Langton remained involved with Boyd after he withdrew, often backing Boyd when his credit was low. After 1851 Boyd operated on his own. Boyd was one of the last lumbermen to participate in the Quebec market.
Expansion.
Around the 1850s Mossom Boyd began to expand his lumbering activities. He purchased Crown land ‘in the northern part of Verulam as well as in Somerville and Harvey townships.’ Boyd was able to clear these lands of their best pine, and later sell them to prospective settlers. These partially cleared lands were a more favourable purchase for the settlers, who often found clearing heavily forested areas daunting.
In the 1860s the Department of Crown lands began to recognize the advantages of having land cleared before settlement commenced. The Crown auctioned rights to clear Snowdon, Glamorgan, and Monmouth townships, which Boyd was able to acquire. The length of time these rights would remain available to Boyd was not guaranteed, so he was reluctant to expand further without gaining a contract that would survive a minimum of ten years. The opportune moment came in 1861, when The Canadian Land & Emigration Company purchased the townships which are now in the county of Haliburton. Because fewer than eighty families moved onto the land that they had purchased from CL&E, the company decided to sell one township with little viable farmland to the lumbering company Thompson and Dodge. The outright sale of the land angered company member C.R. Stewart, who resigned. He advised his brother Hartley Stewart to contract with a lumberman to harvest the larger trees in the remaining nine townships. With existing operations on the Trent water system, Boyd was able to get the cutting rights on Canadian Land & Emigration Company Land for ten years.
Boyd's business expanded as far as Ottawa and Quebec, and by 1882 he had begun sending rangers to explore Nipissing, Manitoba, and Minnesota. A Gravenhurst firm cut the lumber from his land in Havelock, which was later, shipped into Buffalo. At the time of his death, lumbering around northern Peterborough had come to a halt, as well as in Burnt River. His last timber raft went to Quebec in 1883.
Legacy.
Mossom Boyd's lumbering company was taken over by his two sons: Mossom Martin Boyd, and William Thornton Cust Boyd. They continued to operate the company until the First World War.


Klots Throwing Company Mill

Klots Throwing Company Mill is a historic silk mill located at Cumberland in Allegany County, Maryland, United States. It was built in 1902–1903, and is a long two-story brick building with double-gable roofs and paired stepped parapets. An addition was built in 1909. It was operated by Gentex Corporation and closed in 1972. The building was subsequently used for storage. From 1988 until 2002, the north end of the building housed the Western Maryland Food Bank. The building will be converted to loft apartments.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.


Peoples State Forest Nature Museum

The Peoples State Forest Nature Museum is a state-run museum on Greenwood Road in the Peoples State Forest in Barkhamsted, Connecticut. It features displays on forestry, plants and animals native to Connecticut, local history, rocks and minerals, and insects. The museum is open seasonally from Friday through Monday. The rustic style building was constructed in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
Building history.
The Peoples State Forest Nature Museum is located in the southern part of Peoples State Forest, which is located on the east side of the West Branch Farmington River. The museum is set in a clearing on the west side of Greenwood Road, a forest road providing vehicular access to the forest's interior. It is a single-story structure, built mainly out of rubblestone, with a bellcast gabled roof covered in wooden shingles. The main facade is oriented to the southwest, with large window openings flanking the main entrance. A small stone ell extends to the right, partly sandwiching a rubblestone chimney. The interior of the museum is finished with a bluestone floor, chestnut paneling on the walls, and exposed queenpost truss timber framing with wrought iron strapping for the roof.
The museum was built in 1934-35 by a crew of the Civilian Conservation Corps based across the river in American Legion State Forest, and was formally dedicated by Governor Wilbur Cross in 1935. It closed in the early 1950s, and was reopened in 1992 after standing unused for many years.


Newmills Corn and Flax Mills

Newmills Corn and Flax Mills () is a grain mill located in County Donegal, Ireland. The mill is situated on the R250, Churchill road, beside Newmills Bridge on the south bank of the River Swilly, 5 kilometres west of Letterkenny in the small town of Milltown. It features one of the largest operating waterwheels in the country. The millrace is 1 km long and powers two separate millheels, one for grinding oats and barley and the other for flax.
History.
Corn and flax mills have been located there since the early 19th century when the Joseph Hunter. This combination of corn and flax mills is found mainly in Ulster where both types of mill were intimately linked to the surrounding farming economy. In 1861, Joseph Hunter sold the mills to John Devine and when Patrick Gallagher moved to Newmills in 1892, he bought the complex from William Devine, John's son. In addition to the mills, Gallagher purchased a residence, public house, grocery and ancillary buildings, including a scutcher's cottage This was located in a field beside the mill pond. The complex also included a forge on the opposite side of the road as well as a sizeable farm of land. The business at Newmills was continued by his son, P.F. Gallagher until his death in 1980.
In 1892 the buildings were in a very poor state of repair and, according to the Valuation Office, the corn mills were disused and had been converted to use as farm buildings. Patrick Gallagher made extensive improvements to the corn mill around 1907 when he fitted the waterwheel present today as well as improving the machinery within the mill. During the Second World War, P.F. Gallagher took advantage of the revival of the flax industry when the British Government offered grants to increase the production of flax to guarantee the supply of linen for the war effort. He demolished a small single-storey flax mill in the early 1940s to make way for the relatively modern looking building. The public house and grocery were an important part of the whole enterprise and proved quite successful in the early years of the 20th century. Indeed, a lively export trade developed and when Sir Thomas Lipton started his grocery business in Glasgow, he received his first consignment of butter, bacon, eggs from Newmills.
The importance of Newmills was recognised in a 1978 An Foras Forbatha inventory of industrial archaeological monuments which identified it as by far the best example of a mill complex in County Donegal. In 1986, the mills were purchased by the state for preservation as a national monument. Under the direction of the Office of Public Works, a group of Irish and international volunteers restored the mills and millrace in 1989.
Corn mill.
The corn mill handled mainly oats and barley grown locally as well as imported maize. The mill is a three-storey building and all the apparatus of the mill, stone, sieves, bucket elevators, fans and a sack hoist are powered by a 7.63-metre (25 ft) waterwheel manufactured by J.Stevenson's Strabane Foundry in 1867. The waterwheel turned at three revolutions a minute generating eight horsepower which was transferred from the waterwheel to the mill apparatus by means of gearing and belting. The building also housed a kiln for drying the grain. Harry Pinkerton from Raphoe, the miller at Newmills for some years after the Second World War, stated that the mill was in operation nearly all year round. From the harvest in late summer right up to April or May the following year the mill was engaged in grinding the locally grown grains. During the summer months, animal-feed was prepared, usually by mixing maize with oats.
The first processing of the grain that had been delivered by the farmer to the mill was to dry it. The grain was spread to a depth of around 15 cm (6ins) on the drying floor, made up of perforated metal plates on the ground floor. These were heated by the kiln on the lowerground floor, which was fired with a mulled coal, a smokeless fuel, somewhat like anthracite. Turf was not used as it gave the oats an unpleasant flavour. The kiln could dry two tonnes of oats a day, but this could be increased to another half tonne by putting on a load over night.
The grain was then moved to the shelling stones, one or two sets of stones on the ground floor. These separated the hull or husk from the kernel of the grain. The kernels were then ground into oatmeal by the grinding or milling stones. These were usually of a stone known as French "burr". The grinding faces had to be "dressed" or "picked" at regular intervals to keep the cutting edges sharp. The upper or runner stone could be raised or lowered depending on whether fine, pinhead or coarse oatmeal was required. The meal was lifted to the first floor or upper level where it was cleaned, winnowed and sieved on a series of shakers and fans located there. After this, it was taken back to the lower ground floor to be bagged and then hoisted to the storage area to await collection. Using an ingenious combination of hoists, belts, pulleys and elevators, the whole milling process was highly mechanised and could be managed without too much difficulty by one man. It took 75 kg (1.25cwt) of oats to make 50 kg (1cwt) of meal, although it could be more depending on the quality of the oats. The ground meal was weighed by the miller and "muthered", which meant that the miller retained 4.5 kg (10 lbs) of meal from every 50 kg bag, as payment for his work.
The original family home, shop and pub still on the grounds are also owned by the National Monuments Section of the Office of Public Works and are presently undergoing renovation.


Ducal (cigarette)

Ducal is a Luxembourgish brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by "Landewyck Tobacco". Ducal is French for Duke.
History.
Ducal was founded in 1969 by Landewyck Tobacco as a response to the price war which emerged on the cigarette market in the 1960s, which opted smokers to go for filtered and king size 25-pack cigarettes instead of the traditional 20-packs. The brand became very popular from the 1970s onward and is one of the most popular regional brands, along with Lexington.
Advertising.
Various adverts were made for Ducal, such as ashtrays, billboards and advertising pins.
Controversy.
In 2014, two young E-cigarette businessmen named their product "Ducal", similar to the traditional cigarette brand. Currently, Ducal is protected under class 34 of the International Classification of Goods and Services, namely that of tobacco and smokers. However, the same law also falls under the field of which the electronic cigarette sits. In January 2018 a judge has yet to decide whether or not the name is a breach of the brand protection law.
Markets.
The brand is mainly sold in Luxembourg, but also was or still is sold in Belgium, Netherlands (as rolling tobacco), Germany and Peru.


Maya Selva

Maya Selva (born August 9, 1965) is a Honduran cigar maker and tobacco grower.
Early life.
Maya Selva was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, to a French mother and a Honduran father. She grew up in Tegucigalpa, but moved to France at age of sixteen to study. After graduating from high school, she trained to be an engineer in the - School of Engineering (EISTI) and completed her education in the United States with a Master of Science degree.
In 1991, she returned to Honduras, where she explored several career possibilities, and eventually those links to tobacco.
Early career.
In 1993, Maya Selva met Nestor Plasencia, a renowned tobacco grower and cigar maker. After sharing with Plasencia her dream of introducing a high-quality premium Honduran cigar to the French market, she began learning the business, with him as her mentor, in his "Tabacos de Oriente" factory in Danli, Honduras. Maya spent more than a year learning how cigars are made, and how to produce a top quality cigar.
Maya Selva in Honduras.
Maya was always interested in the cigar know-how and tradition in Honduras, where the hand-rolled cigar activity is considered an Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Republic by the National Congress of Honduras.
She consider Honduras one of her two homes, and her connection with the people who make her cigars in Honduras has a strong bond. The values that are "Maya Selva Cigares’" hallmark are stringent quality requirements and respect for the land and its communities.
She is fully involved in the Honduran tobacco industry and is one of the founding members of the Honduran Association of Cigar Makers along with the Plasencias, Eiroas, General Cigar, and Consolidated Cigar. She was one of the organizers of the first cigar festival in Honduras in 2011, called "Humo Jaguar".
Maya Selva label.
In 1995, Maya started "Flor de Selva", her first brand, made from tobacco grown in the highlands of the Jamastrán Valley, in El Paraíso, Honduras. "Flor de Selva" included five cigars that went on sale in France the same year: Panetela, Robusto, Corona, Churchill and Doble-Corona.
In 1997, the Flor de Selva Robusto, was called a classic by "L’Amateur de Cigare magazine".
The collections of "Flor de Selva" are Classic, Maduro and Colección Aniversario N° 20.
In 1999, Maya Selva debuted with a new brand called "Cumpay", made from tobacco grown in the volcanic highlands of the Jalapa Valley in Nicaragua.
"Cumpay" collection goes by the slogan "Puro Nicaragua".
In 2002, Selva partnered with Armando Andres Diaz—who had helped her develop "Flor de Selva" and "Cumpay" with Plasencia—to open her own factory in Danli, to produce her third line of Cigars: "Villa Zamorano".
"Villa Zamorano" was created to offer aficionados a real handmade cigar from the finest tobaccos for a machine-made price.
This line includes Classic and Reserva collections.
The "Maya Selva Cigares" headquarters are located in central Paris, managing the distribution in Europe, the tobacco plantations and factories are located in Honduras and Nicaragua, and a distribution center for the USA is in Hollywood, Florida.
"The Maya Selva Cigars brands" were launched in 2017 in Hong Kong and Japan.
Maya Selva and her brands are fully established in the European market. The specialized magazine "Cigar Journal" named her Europe’s most prominent female cigar manufacturer, in the 2015 Fall issue.


Beef aging

Beef aging (American English) or ageing is a process of preparing beef for consumption by aging it, in order to break down the connective tissue within the meat.
Dry-aged beef.
Dry-aged beef is beef that has been hung or placed on a rack to dry for several weeks. After the animal is slaughtered and cleaned, it is hung as a full or half carcass. Primal (large distinct sections) or sub primal cuts, such as strip loins, rib eyes, and sirloin, are placed in a refrigerator unit, also known as a "hot box". This process involves considerable expense, as the beef must be stored near freezing temperatures. Subprimal cuts can be dry aged on racks either in specially climate-controlled coolers or within a moisture-permeable drybag. Moreover, only the higher grades of meat can be dry aged, as the process requires meat with a large, evenly distributed fat content. Because of this, dry-aged beef is seldom available outside of steak restaurants and upscale butcher shops or groceries. The key effect of dry aging is the concentration and saturation of the natural flavour, as well as the tenderization of the meat texture.
The process changes beef by two means. Firstly, moisture is evaporated from the muscle. The resulting process of desiccation creates a greater concentration of beef flavour and taste. Secondly, the beef's natural enzymes break down the connective tissue in the muscle, which leads to more tender beef.
The process of dry-aging usually also promotes growth of certain fungal (mold) species on the external surface of the meat. This does not cause spoilage, but rather forms an external "crust" on the meat's surface, which is trimmed off when the meat is prepared for cooking. These fungal species complement the natural enzymes in the beef by helping to tenderize and increase the flavor of the meat. The genus "Thamnidium", in particular, is known to produce collagenolytic enzymes which greatly contribute to the tenderness and flavor of dry-aged meat.
Dry-aged beef is typically not sold by most supermarkets in the U.S. today, because it takes time and there is a significant loss of weight during the aging process. Dry-aging can take from 15 to 28 days, and typically up to a third or more of the weight is lost as moisture. This type of beef is served in higher-priced steakhouses and by select restaurants.
Dry-aging can be done at home under refrigeration by three means: open air, with the presence of salt blocks, and with the use of a moisture permeable drybag to protect the meat while it is aging. Since the mid-2010s, some chefs have experimented with a "quick" or "cheat" dry-age by coating a cut of beef with ground koji (rice inoculated with "Aspergillus oryzae") to simulate the effect of traditional dry-aging; the results are not quite the same, but can be achieved within 48 to 72 hours. The koji technique can also be applied to chicken and shrimp.
When dry aging using a moisture permeable material, surface mold growth is not present, flavor and scent exchange within the refrigerated environment is not a concern, and trim loss of the outer hardened surface is measurably reduced. The flavor and texture profile of the beef is similar on all dimensions to the traditional open air dry-aged results.
Historically, it was common to store mutton or beef joints at room temperature for extended periods; even after the invention of refrigeration hanging sides of beef in large coolers for a few weeks as part of the processing was standard.
Wet-aged beef.
Wet-aged beef is beef that has typically been aged in a vacuum-sealed bag to retain its moisture. This is the dominant mode of aging beef in the U.S. and UK today. It is popular with producers, wholesalers and retailers because it takes less time: typically only a few days and there is no moisture loss, so any given piece of meat sold by weight will have a higher value than a dry aged piece where moisture loss is desired for taste at the expense of final weight. The beef is usually kept for a period of 4 to 10 days in wet aging. Modified-atmosphere packaging (MAP) is usually employed for the vacuum packaging of meat; typically between 60 and 80 percent oxygen to retain its appetizing color, with red meat such as beef needing a higher oxygen level than less vividly colored meat such as pork. The vacuum packed beef is stored at a temperature of 32 °F to 45 °F (0 °C to 7.2 °C).


Tipo Carora

The Tipo Carora or Carora is a Venezuelan breed of dairy cattle. It was bred in the early part of the twentieth century by artificial insemination of local Criollo cows with imported semen from Brown Swiss bulls. It is named for its place of origin, the town of Carora in the Venezuelan state of Lara.
History.
Breeding of the Tipo Carora began in the 1930s in the Venezuelan state of Lara, in western central Venezuela. Brown Swiss semen from Europe and North America was used in artificial insemination of cows of the Amarillo de Quebrada Arriba, a local breed of Criollo cattle which was well adapted to the tropical conditions of the area, until about 85% of the genotype of the resulting stock derived from the Brown Swiss. A breeders' association, the , was started in 1979, and in 1982 the breed was officially recognised by the Venezuelan government. During the 1980s there was a sharp fall in breed numbers. In 1992, the breed was denominated a "Patrimonio Nacional" or national heritage; a programme of genetic improvement was begun, and a herd-book was established. In 2013 the registered population numbered 13 682 cows and 644 bulls.
Characteristics.
The Carora has black skin and a white or pale fawn-coloured coat. In approximately 90% of the cattle, the hair of the coat is glossy and short; this is caused by the slick hair gene often found in Criollo cattle. Selection for this characteristic in the Carora is intentional: bulls found – through observation of their male progeny – not to be homozygous for it are killed. The sleek short coat helps the cattle to stay cool in hot and humid tropical conditions; in their area of origin, monthly average temperatures vary between about and , and humidity may reach 90%.
Use.
The Carora was created as a dairy breed capable of producing well in a tropical climate. In 1998, cows were found to give an average of of milk in a lactation of 305 days; milk protein averages about 3.7%. Carora bulls – or semen from them – are extensively used for cross-breeding, both with Holstein cows to produce dairy animals with good tolerance of heat, and with cows of indicine breeds to produce dual-purpose cattle.


Fernando Bale

Fernando Bale (born December 3, 2013) is a retired Australian greyhound whom many in Australia thought to be the greatest greyhound racer in Australia.
Appearance.
Fernando Bale was mostly white in color with most of his body and legs white. But he also had a brindle rump and face (except a white stripe in the middle of his face).
Career.
His first victory was 525 m Maiden special weight at the Meadows. After two further wins he won his first of seven G1 races in the National Derby at Wentworth Park. After the Ballarat derby Fernando won the G1 Golden Easter Egg. His last two G1 wins were in the Adelaide Cup at Angle Park and the Top Gun at the Meadows. He kept running, and even tried to win another G1 in the Melbourne cup Final and was nosed out. He then won the G2 Ballarat final and a free-for-all before injury took him to stud.


Tudor Mill, Ashton-under-Lyne

Tudor Mill was cotton spinning mill in Ashton-under-Lyne, in the historic county of Lancashire, (now Greater Manchester) England. It was built between 1901 and 1903 for the Ashton Syndicate by Sydney Stott of Oldham. Tudor Mill was next to the Ashton Canal Warehouse at Portland Basin. It ceased spinning cotton in the 1960s and was used as a warehouse until it was destroyed by fire in 1970
Location.
Tudor mill was built on the site of the former Portland House and the Stamford brewery, next to the Portland Basin on the final section of the Ashton Canal, where it joined the Huddersfield Narrow Canal.
History.
The Minerva Spinning Company Limited was registered in 1891 to build the
Minerva Mill at Whitelands. The directors were Messrs Barlow, Marland, Coop, Newton, Pollitt and Pownall; they were later referred to as the Ashton syndicate. The syndicate went on to build the Rock Mill, Curzon Mill, and then, in 1901, the Tudor Mill. It was built with a capital of £70,000. It opened in May 1903 with 250 workers and 85,464. The Tudor Mill Company became part of the Atlas Mills Limited in the 1920s. Further mills built by the syndicate were Cedar Mill and finally the Texas Mill.
The cotton industry peaked in 1912 when it produced 8 billion yards of cloth. The Great War of 1914–1918 halted the supply of raw cotton, and the British government encouraged its colonies to build mills to spin and weave cotton. The war over, Lancashire never regained its markets. The independent mills were struggling. The Bank of England set up the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1929 to attempt to rationalise and save the industry. Atlas Mills Limited was taken over by the LCC in 1929. Thus, Tudor Mill was one of 104 mills brought into LCC ownership, and one of the 53 mills that survived through to 1950, though its spindleage had been reduced to 54,104. It closed in the 1960s and was used as a warehouse.
It was destroyed by fire on 24 June 1970.
Architecture.
This was a Sydney Stott building. It was six storeys high built on a basement. It was 11 bays long (65 m), and 40m wide with a corner water tower and a detached engine house. The chimney was round and displayed the two rings that were a trademark of a Sydney Stott mill.
Power.
The steam engine was an 1800 hp triple expansion vertical engine by George Saxon & Co, of Openshaw built in 1906. It had an 18-foot flywheel that operated at 75 rpm. The flywheel drove 40 ropes that transmitted the power to each floor. The cylinders all had Corliss valves. They had a 48" throw, the high pressure was 22½" in diameter, the intermediate was 34" and the low pressure was 56". The air pump was driven from the low-pressure crosshead, there was a Saxon governor on the high-pressure end of the bed.
Equipment.
The preparation machinery was provided by Brookes and Doxey, and the mule frames by Hetherington and Sons Ltd. There were 85,464 mule spindles spinning fine counts of twists and weft from Egyptian cotton. By 1948, this had been reduced to 54,104.
Usage.
Tudor Mill was used for spinning fine counts of Egyptian cotton, both twists and weft.


Fumadores

Fumadores is a brand of handmade premium cigar blended and made by José "Pepin" García.
History and background.
First released in May 2007, this low-end brand is manufactured at Pepin's factory, Tabacalera Cubana in Estelí, Nicaragua. It is the first low-end cigar made by Pepin.
Description.
This is a medium to full-bodied mixed-filler Cuban sandwich style cigar. The filler is Nicaraguan Corojo, Criollo and Habano, the binder Nicaraguan and the wrapper is Ecuadorian. The three vitolas in this brand come packed 20 to the box.


Nanday parakeet

The nanday parakeet ("Aratinga nenday"), also known as the black-hooded parakeet or nanday conure, is a medium-small, mostly green, Neotropical parrot native to continental South America.
Taxonomy.
The nanday parakeet was previously regarded as a member of the monotypic genus "Nandayus" one of the rough 16 genera of Neotropical parrots of tribe Arini which includes the conures and macaws. However, phylogenetic evidence showed that it is positioned in one of the four groups in the genus "Aratinga". When the genus "Aratinga" was revised and split in four separate genera, this species was included in the current genus "Aratinga". This revision was based on earlier studies. According to a mtDNA-based phylogenetic analysis of the genus "Aratinga" by Ribas & Miyaki (2004), the nanday conure forms a monophyletic group with the sun conure ("A. solstitialis"), jenday conure ("A. jandaya"), and golden-capped conure ("A. auricapilla"). Tavares "et al." (2005) in a mitochondrial and nuclear DNA analysis of 29 species representing 25 of 30 genera of Neotropical parrots found the nanday conure's closest relative to be "Aratinga solstitialis", the sun conure, and the time of divergence of the species to have been 0.5 to 1.3 Mya.
Hybrids of the nanday and sun conures, nanday and jenday conures, and nanday and blue-crowned conures are known.
A prehistoric relative, "Aratinga vorohuensis", was described from Late Pliocene fossils found in Argentina.
Description.
The nanday parakeet is long, weighs , and is mostly green in color. Its most distinguishing characteristic, for which it is named, is its black facial mask and beak. It also shows black, trailing flight feathers on its wings and has a long tail edged at the end in blue. The upper chest is bluish-green and the lower chest is a paler green. Feathers covering the thighs are red.
Distribution.
The species is native to South America from southeast Bolivia to southwest Brazil, central Paraguay, and northern Argentina, from the region known as the Pantanal. Caged birds have been released in some areas, and the birds have established self-sustaining populations in Los Angeles, California, San Antonio, Texas, and several areas of Florida (including Pasco, Sarasota, Pinellas, Manatee, Broward, and Miami-Dade Counties).
Behavior.
Food and feeding.
The bird feeds on seeds, fruit, palm nuts, berries, flowers, and buds. Feral birds also come to bird feeders. Wild birds primarily use scrub forest and forest clearings around settlements. They frequent open savannah, pastures, and stockyards in South America, where they are considered as pests in some areas.
Breeding.
Nanday parakeets usually find holes in trees to nest. Females lay three or four eggs. After raising their young, all birds form rather large communal roosts until the next breeding season.
Aviculture.
The Nanday Parakeet is sometimes kept as a companion parrot. It is a loud, energetic bird that requires much mental and social stimulation as well as significant time outside of its cage in order to thrive. It may not be a suitable pet for small children due to its powerful beak. When kept in captivity, it may learn to talk and is also capable of learning tricks. The World Parrot Trust recommends that the Nanday Parkeet be kept in an aviary of 2–3 metres in length. The longest verified lifespan for this species is 18.7 years - however, there are also reports of Nanday Parakeets living for 30.2 years in captivity.


Heron Mill, Hollinwood

Heron Mill is a cotton spinning mill in Hollinwood, Oldham, Greater Manchester. It was designed by architect P. S. Stott and was constructed in 1905 by the Heron Mill Company Ltd next to Durban Mill. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964. Production ended in 1960, and it was used by Courtaulds for offices, warehousing, and some experimental fabric manufacture. Courtaulds occupation ended in 1994.
Location.
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester. Oldham is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham; Chadderton and Hollinwood are such settlements. Chadderton and Hollinwood are served by the Rochdale Canal and the Hollinwood Branch Canal. A rail service was provided by the Oldham Loop Line that was built by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway.
History.
Oldham rose to prominence during the 19th century as an international centre of textile manufacture. It was a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution, and amongst the first ever industrialised towns, rapidly becoming "one of the most important centres of cotton and textile industries in England", spinning Oldham counts, the coarser counts of cotton. Oldham's soils were unfavorable for crop growing, and so for decades prior to industrialisation the area was used for grazing sheep, which provided the raw material for a local woollen weaving trade. It was not until the last quarter of the 18th century that Oldham changed from being a cottage industry township, producing woollen garments via domestic manual labour, to a sprawling industrial metropolis of textile factories. The first mill, Lees Hall, was built by William Clegg in about 1778. Within a year, 11 other mills had been constructed, but by 1818 there were only 19 of these privately owned mills.
In the second half of the 19th century Oldham became a world centre for spinning cotton yarn. This was due in a large part to the formation of limited liability companies known as Oldham Limiteds. In 1851, over 30% of Oldham's population were employed in the textile sector, compared to 5% across Great Britain. At its zenith it was the most productive cotton spinning mill town in the world. By 1871 Oldham had more spindles than any country in the world except the United States, and in 1909, was spinning more cotton than France and Germany combined. By 1911 there were 16.4 million spindles in Oldham, compared with a total of 58 million in the United Kingdom and 143.5 million in the world; in 1928, with the construction of the UK's largest textile factory Oldham reached its manufacturing zenith. At its peak, there were over 360 mills, operating night and day.
The cotton industry peaked in 1912 when it produced 8 billion yards of cloth. The Great War of 1914–18 halted the supply of raw cotton, and the British government encouraged its colonies to build mills to spin and weave cotton. The war over, Lancashire never regained its markets. The independent mills were struggling. The Bank of England set up the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1929 to attempt to rationalise and save the industry. Heron Mill, Hollinwood was one of 104 mills bought by the LCC, and one of the 53 mills that survived through to 1950.
Architecture.
The 5-storey mill was built in a group with Durban Mill and the earlier Brook Mill. It was designed by P.S.Stott. It was extended in 1977. In 1951 it still displayed the decorative features typical of a P. S. Stott mill including the double bands on the mill chimney.
Power.
The mill's machines were driven by a 1400  hp vertical cross compound engine, built by George Saxon & Co in 1902. It had a 16  ft flywheel with 32 ropes which operated at 80 rpm. The cylinders 26" HP, 50" LP had a 4  ft stroke. There were Corliss valves on both cylinders. Air pumps were driven from LP crosshead.
Equipment.
This was a mule mill with 105,000 spindles in 1915, supplied by Asa Lees.
Usage.
It is now used as a warehouse.


Hide box

A hide box is a box placed in an animal's enclosure which allows it to hide from view.
Many species of animals are easily stressed by the presence of humans or activity when they are kept in a captive situation. Most of these animals benefit from having a hiding area in their enclosure, where they can retreat from view and feel secure.
Hide boxes can be made of a variety of materials: wood, plastic, cardboard, or ceramic. Something easy to clean and sterilize is preferred. While an actual box can be constructed, hide boxes may also be shaped like natural caves, fallen logs or bark, or tunnels. In general, a hide box should be large enough for the animal to fit into completely and comfortably, but small enough that the animal within it can feel the walls and ceiling close around it.
Hide boxes may also be placed high in trees, as homes for birds to breed in. This provides both protection from predators (for endangered species) as well as protection from the elements.


Resistograph

Resistograph is a mechanical resistance measurement device, developed by Frank Rinn (since 1986 in Heidelberg, Germany).
Driven by a drill motor, a long, thin needle is inserted into a wood log or structural wood beam in order to gain an idea of its density, often to identify areas of substandard structural integrity such as decay. Variations in resistance to torque are recorded by a stylus on graph paper. Newer models may record information digitally but the purpose of the instrument is the same.


Flat iron steak

Flat iron steak (US), butlers' steak (UK), feather blade steak (UK) or oyster blade steak (Australia and New Zealand) is a cut of steak cut with the grain from the chuck, or shoulder of the animal. This produces a flavorful cut that is a bit tough because it contains a gristly fascia membrane unless removed. Some restaurants offer it on their menu, often at lower price than the more popular rib-eye and strip steaks of the same grade. This is used, in some places, as a means of selling a less expensive cut from the same animal, for example Kobe beef.
The cut.
This cut of steak is from the shoulder of a beef animal. It is located adjacent to the heart of the shoulder clod, under the seven or paddle bone (shoulder blade or scapula). The steak encompasses the infraspinatus muscles of beef, and one may see this displayed in some butcher shops and meat markets as a top blade roast or informally called a "patio steak". Anatomically, the muscle forms the dorsal part of the rotator cuff of the steer. This cut is anatomically distinct from the shoulder tender, which lies directly below it and is the teres major.
Steaks that are cross cut from this muscle are called top blade steaks, or chicken steaks. To make it more marketable, the cut which makes up this steak, which has the fascia dividing the infraspinatus within it, has increasingly been cut as two flatter steaks, with the tough fascia removed. This method of breaking down the larger cut was creation of the flat iron steak as we know it today. As a whole cut of meat, the top blade usually weighs around two to three pounds; it usually yields four steaks between eight and 12 ounces each. Flat iron steaks usually have a significant amount of marbling.
In the North American Meat Processor (NAMP) meat buyers guide, it is item #1114D Beef Shoulder, Top Blade Steak. This variation on the original flat iron cut was identified in 2002 as part of a National Cattlemen's Beef Association initiative, in conjunction with the University of Nebraska and the University of Florida to find lower-priced cuts which could be trimmed into steaks and roasts. Kari Underly was one of the meat cutters who helped develop the steak.


Dog meat consumption in South Korea

The consumption of dog meat in South Korea, where it is known as "Gaegogi" (, literally "dog meat"), has a long history originating during the Three Kingdoms of Korea period of the first century AD. However, in recent years, it has become controversial both in South Korea and around the world, due to animal rights and sanitary concerns.
According to some sources, consumption of dog meat is becoming less common in modern-day South Korea, especially among younger people, and the practice is declining. Estimates of the number of animals consumed vary widely. According to the Korean Animal Rights Advocates (KARA), approximately 780,000 to 1 million dogs are consumed per year in South Korea. Sales at Moran Market have been declining in the past few years and were down to about 20,000 dogs per year in 2017. South Korea's Statistical Information Service 2015 agriculture census reported a total of 24,671 facilities holding 521,201 dogs, though this figure includes both animals raised for the pet industry and those raised for meat consumption. In 2018, the Taepyeong-dong complex, which served as a slaughterhouse for hundreds of thousands of dogs on a yearly basis, was closed by the South Korean government. This move came five years after a vote by the city council of Seongnam, the city where the slaughterhouse was located.
In June 2018, a South Korean municipal court ruled that killing dogs for their meat was illegal, though this does not make it illegal to consume dog meat.
History.
As a general practice, dog meat has never been a mainstream part of the Korean diet throughout the nation's history. The consumption of dog meat can be traced back to antiquity in isolated cases, and dog bones were excavated in a neolithic settlement in Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. A wall painting in the Goguryeo tombs complex in South Hwanghae Province, North Korea, a UNESCO World Heritage site dating from the 4th century AD, depicts a slaughtered dog in a storehouse (Ahn, 2000).
Starting in the Silla Dynasty (57 BC – 935 AD) and then during the Goryeo Dynasty (AD 918–1392), Buddhism was the state religion and eating beef was considered immoral and was at first discouraged and then banned (cows were regarded as human work companions). In general, animal life was regarded as sacred and eating meat was minimized; however, eating seafood remained common. During the latter part of the Goryeo Dynasty, the practice of eating dog meat was introduced by the nomadic Khitans, who as war refugees spilled into Goryeo during the Mongol invasions. The invading Mongols lifted the beef ban and legalized the consumption of meat during their rule. During the Joseon Dynasty (AD 1392–1910), the minority Khitans eventually assimilated into the social structure as the "Baekjeong," the first butcher class, occupying the lowest class of society. The Joseon government assigned the Baekjeong the task of addressing the feral dog problem, and thus dog meat became a food item for the poor (and lower classes). During the Joseon Dynasty, certain government officials argued that dogs were human companions and wanted to ban the consumption of dog meat.
In approximately 1816, "Jeong Hak-yu", the second son of "Jeong Yak-yong", a prominent politician and scholar of Joseon dynasty at the time, wrote a poem called "Nongga Wollyeongga" (농가월령가). This poem, which is an important source of Korean folk history, describes what ordinary Korean farming families did during each month of a year. In the description of the month of August, the poem tells of a married woman visiting her birth parents with boiled dog meat, rice cakes, and rice wine, thus showing the popularity of dog meat at the time (Ahn, 2000; Seo, 2002). "Dongguksesigi" (동국세시기), a book written by Korean scholar Hong Seok-mo in 1849, contains a recipe for Bosintang including a boiled dog, green onions, and red chili pepper powder.
There is a traditional anniversary in South Korea called Sambok (三伏), during which Koreans in the modern day eat Baeksuk, a chicken soup with rice and herbs. However, some South Koreans choose to consume Bosintang instead, a soup containing dog meat.
Current situation.
In 2014, 329 restaurants served dog meat in Seoul, and the numbers are continuing to decline each year. Some restaurants are reporting declines in consumption of 20–30% per year.
Dog meat is often consumed during the summer months and is either roasted or prepared in soups or stews. The most popular of these soups is "Gaejang-guk", a spicy stew meant to balance the body's heat during the summer months. This is thought to ensure good health by balancing one's "ki", or the vital energy of the body. A 19th-century version of "Gaejang-guk" (개장국) explains the preparation of the dish by boiling dog meat with green onions and chili powder. Variations of the dish contain chicken and bamboo shoots.
On December 13, 2016, the termination of dog slaughter and the closure of slaughtering facilities at Moran Market was announced by the local government and vendors' association. The decision was reached in an effort to mitigate the negative views of the market by remodeling it as part of a city project. All of the dog slaughtering facilities in the market were planned to be removed by May 2017 and the vendors were to be aided financially by the government in the process.
Inspired by this decision, protesters gathered at Gupo Market in Busan in February 2017, calling for the closure of the dog meat vendors there. The Gupo Market is of similar size to the Moran Market and has been around since the Joseon Dynasty. In recent decades, the number of dog meat vendors in the market has decreased to only 22 due to the efforts of the government trying to improve the image of the city for tourists. In July 2019 animal groups in South Korea including KARA, KAWA, Busan KAPCA and Humane Society International/Korea assisted the Busan mayor in closing down Gupo dog meat market. The authorities plan to replace it with a public park. https://www.hsi.org/news-media/south-korea-shuts-down-gupo-dog-meat-market/
On November 21, 2018, South Korea closed the country's main dog slaughterhouse, known as Taepyeong-dong. The slaughterhouse was located in Seongnam. The Seongnam city council, which voted in 2013 to close the slaughterhouse, will turn the area into a community park.
Dogs used for meat.
The primary dog breed raised for meat is a non-specific landrace commonly named as "Nureongi" (누렁이), or "Hwanggu" (황구). Nureongi are not the only type of dog currently slaughtered for their meat in South Korea. In 2015, "The Korea Observer" reported that many different pet breeds of dog are bred to be eaten, including, for example, labradors, retrievers, and cocker spaniels, and that the dogs slaughtered for their meat often include former pets.
Humane Society International/Korea has been working cooperatively with dog farmers since 2015 to help them close their farms, and rehome the dogs. As of August 2020 HSI has closed down 16 dog meat farms and rescued more than 2,000 dogs. The charity documents every farm closure to show the conditions, and it is clear that all breeds of dog are found on these facilities including golden retrievers, beagles, poodles and huskies alongside tosas and jindos.
According to the Korean Animal Rights Advocates (KARA), there are approximately 3,000 dog meat farms operating across the country, many of which receive dogs as overflow from puppy mills for the pet industry. With declining demand for dog meat in Korea, a more serious problem now is excess dogs stemming from the puppy mill industry.
The majority of dogs are slaughtered by electrocution, though some are hung or beaten over the head before exsanguination, even though such practices are illegal under the 2007 Animal Protection Act.
In 2015, it was reported that when retrievers are sold as meat dogs, they cost over 200,000 Korean Won (£140 British pounds or $180 US dollars).
Legal status.
Between 1975 and 1978, dogs had the full legal status of livestock animals in South Korea, but the legality of the dog meat trade is now highly disputed. South Korea adopted its first Animal Protection Law in May, 1991.
Currently, Article 7 of the Animal Protection Act does not explicitly prohibit the slaughter of dogs for food; however, it "prohibits killing animals in a brutal way". In addition, it "forbids killing the dogs in open areas such as on the street or in front of other animals of the same species".
The controversy over dog meat has led to lobbying for/against regulation by charities such as NoToDogMeat, as well as differing interpretations of existing laws.
Dog meat is subject to the Food Sanitation Act/Food Hygiene Act of 1962, which simply defines food as "all foodstuff, except taken as medicine". However, unlike beef, pork, or poultry, dog meat is excluded from the list of livestock under the Livestock Processing Act of 1962, which is "the principal statute governing hygienic slaughtering of livestock and processing of meat." Hence, dog meat farming is under-regulated compared to that of other stock animals.
As a result, there are no regulations requiring the humane slaughter of dogs for meat. The controversy over dog meat consumption often centers on the slaughtering methods employed, which include electrocution, strangulation by hanging, and physically beating the dog to death. Some dogs are still alive when they are blow-torched or thrown into boiling water to remove their fur. Some people believe that dog meat should be expressly legalized so that only authorized preparers can deal with the meat in more humane and sanitary ways, while others think that the practice should be banned by law.
In 2008, the Seoul Metropolitan Government proposed a recommendation to the national government to add dogs to the list of livestock whose slaughter is regulated by law. However, activist groups attacked the proposal as legitimizing or legalizing the trade in dog meat. The city dropped the proposal, but an official from the national government was quoted as saying “It’s the sole idea of the city. We have not been consulted at all ... I don’t think we are planning to even consider this option.”
In June 2018, the municipal court of the city of Bucheon ruled that killing dogs for their meat was illegal. The landmark decision came after much criticism from animal advocates in the country. The court case was brought forward by animal rights group Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth (Care) against a dog farm, which they said was killing animals without a real reason.
International scrutiny.
During the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, the South Korean government urged its citizens not to consume dog meat in order to avoid bad publicity during the games, along with a request to butcher shops not to hang dog carcasses in the windows. It also closed all restaurants serving "Gaejang-guk" to better improve the country's image to Western visitors. A 1998 Salon article reported that despite officially being banned by the government for a decade, nearly 20,000 restaurants at the time were still serving dog meat. South Korea's successful bid to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1996 prompted a new wave of criticism against its dog meat culture.
The controversy surfaced again in 2001 during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The organizers of the games, under pressure from animal rights groups such as PETA, demanded that the Korean government re-address the issue. Brigitte Bardot, a prominent head of a French animal rights organization which is named after her, launched a campaign during the 2002 FIFA World Cup to have dog meat outlawed in Korea. She encouraged people to boycott the games if the government did not outlaw the sale of dog meat in restaurants in Seoul.
In October 2018, a leading Egyptian MP (Margaret Azer) suggested that Egypt export stray dogs for meat consumption to countries like South Korea as a solution to the problem of overpopulation of stray dogs in the country.
Azer's statements sparked a wave of criticism among animal rights advocates and rescuers in Egypt, although no such plans were ever proven to be in place.
Humane Society International is one of the leading international charities working in South Korea to end the dog meat trade, working in partnership with other local Korean groups such as KARA and KAWA. Their dog meat farm closures and associated dog rescues gather much global media interest, and receive support from notable international celebrities such as Ricky Gervais, and Simon Cowell who donated £25,000 to help the charity close a dog farm.
Controversy.
In Korea, some people eat "Bosintang" (literally "invigorating soup"), believing it to have medicinal properties, particularly as relates to virility. In China, dog meat is also believed to encourage one's energy or virility. There is no scientific evidence to support any purported health benefits from consuming dog meat.
Many Korean Buddhists consider eating any kind of meat an offense.
In recent years, some South Koreans have changed their attitudes towards eating dog meat as a matter of "personal choice" to considering it an "unnecessary cruelty." Animal rights activists in South Korea protest against the custom of eating dog meat. Since 1988, international animal welfare activists – most notably, French actress Brigitte Bardot – have campaigned against dog meat consumption in South Korea. However, Korean nationalists on the internet have argued that a double standard exists, accusing non-Korean animal welfare activists of forcing "Westernization" on South Korea. A 2007 survey by the South Korean agriculture ministry showed that 59% of South Koreans aged under 30 would not eat dog. Some 62% of the same age group said they regard dogs as pets, not food. Many young Koreans think those who eat dog are anachronists.
The charity NoToDogMeat (World Protection For Dogs And Cats In The Meat Trade) opposes the consumption and trade of dog meat in South Korea, viewing it as an unregulated industry, with conditions it views as unsanitary and cruel. Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA) estimates that approximately 1 million dogs are consumed per year in South Korea. Several organizations, such as In Defense of Animals, KARA, Guardians of Rescue, and koreandogs.org, are petitioning the South Korean government to ban dog meat consumption. Since 2002, as the outcry has grown, the number of dogs raised as livestock and the number of dog farms have declined rapidly.
More recently, a June 2018 survey by Gallup Korea showed that 70% of South Koreans say they will not eat dog meat in future.
Korean Americans have used lawsuits against public figures who mention this stereotype regarding South Korean cuisine. During the 2002 Winter Olympics, TV host Jay Leno joked that the South Korean skater Kim Dong-Sung would eat his dog. The MCIC Group filed a class-action lawsuit against Leno on behalf of 50,000 Korean Americans, demanding an apology and monetary damages.
The animal welfare advocacy group Animal Welfare Institute has called for letters of protest about the dog meat trade to be sent to the South Korean president and ambassador to the United States prior to South Korea hosting the 2018 winter Olympics.
The charity World Dog Alliance raised a successful online petition in 2012 calling for the UK Government to intervene and oppose the cruelty. In 2015, the issue was finally debated in the House of Commons Chamber. A second debate on South Korea's dog meat trade in the UK Parliament was held on September 12, 2016, by the Petitions Committee, following an online petition which was started on petition.parliament.uk. Change.org has over 450,000 signatures on a petition to boycott the 2018 Winter Olympics.
In 2018 Humane Society International/Korea, Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA), and petition site Care2 hand-delivered a petition of 1 million signatures to the President’s residence, the Blue House, in Seoul, with a letter urging him to initiate a phase-out of dog meat farms.
Numerous activist groups have documented cases in South Korea and China of dogs being beaten, burned, electrocuted, and boiled alive. It is often said that in some Asian countries where dog meat is eaten, there is a myth held by some that the more adrenaline a dog produces due to distress just prior to being killed, the more tender the dog meat will be for consumption.
Until November 2019, there was no scientific evidence to evaluate welfare conditions of dogs in the South Korean meat trade. However, new scientific evidence published in The Journal of Animal Welfare suggested that dogs farmed for meat in Seoul suffer. The researchers, Natalie Maxwell, Neil Evans and Callum Buchanan, aimed to assess whether dogs from meat farms in Seoul, South Korea, exhibited higher concentrations of cortisol in hair, in comparison to pet dogs. Scientists found that farmed dogs had over twice as high levels of cortisol in hair compared pet dogs, suggesting that dogs on meat farms experience chronic physiological stress. The results, therefore, support the need for changes in the regulations, policy and legislation surrounding the farming of dogs for meat.
On October 22, 2020, the animal rights organization Humane Society International released the results of a survey on domestic edible dog consumption perceptions. At their request, Nielsen Online Research conducted two surveys of 1,000 people before and after the lucky day from June to September. As a result of the survey, 83.8% of South Koreans have either never consumed dog meat or are not willing to consume it in the future. 58.6% supported the ban on dog meat, and 57% said that consumption of dog meat had an effect on creating negative perceptions of Korea. Human Society International said, "Most Koreans do not consume dog meat, and a growing population recognizes dogs as companion animals, not edible."


Eureka Manufacturing Company Cotton Mill

Eureka Manufacturing Company Cotton Mill, also known as Tait Yarn Company and Lincoln Bonded Warehouse Company, is a historic cotton mill located at Lincolnton, Lincoln County, North Carolina. It was built between 1907 and 1910, and is a two-story, brick factory building with a three-story stair tower. Adjacent to the factory is a two-story brick office building built between 1902 and 1906. The buildings housed the Eureka Manufacturing Company from 1906 to 1937, and Tait Yarn Company from 1949 to 1966. Lincoln Bonded Warehouse occupied the buildings into the late-1990s. The buildings are owned by the Lincoln County Historical Association.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.


Desmostachya bipinnata

Desmostachya bipinnata, commonly known in English by the names halfa grass, big cordgrass, and salt reed-grass, is an Old World perennial grass, long known and used in human history. The grass is tall, tufted, leafy, perennial grass, branching from the base, erect from a stout creeping rootstock.(10) Commonly known in Hindi by names Dab, Dhab or Kusha.
Distribution.
"Desmostachya bipinnata" is native to northeast and west tropical, and northern Africa (in Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia); and countries in the Middle East, and temperate and tropical Asia (in Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand).
The species is distributed throughout the India, the studies have made on western region of India, Ahmedabad region, Nehchani region, Jodhpur region & Agra region(10)
Taxonomy and Nomenclature.
Numerous synonyms have been used for Desmostachya bipinnata but there appears to be no confusion as to this as the preferred scientific name. However, on the basis of distinct morphological and reproductive characters, four new subspecies of D. bipinnata have been described by Pandeya and Pandeya (2002); subsp. longispiculata Amita Pandeya, subsp. jodhpurensis Amita Pandeya, subsp. sheelai Amita Pandeya, and subsp. agraensis Amita Pandeya. However, it is uncertain whether these subspecies represent actual genetic differences, as Pandeya and Pandeya (2002) also note the existence of biotypes of D. bipinnata occurring in response to soil and climatic conditions in western India.
4 Subspecies (Types) of "Desmostachya bipinnata (Linn.) Stapf".
DBAHM- "Desmostachya bipinnata" subsp.longispiculata Amita Pandeya
DBJB- "Desmostachya bipinnata" subsp. jodhpurensis Amita Pandeya
DBNB- "Desmostachya bipinnata" subsp.sheelai Amita Pandeya
DBAG- "Desmostachya bipinnata" subsp.agraensis Amita Pandeya
Uses.
Medicinal.
In folk medicine, "Desmostachya bipinnata" has been used variously to treat dysentery and menorrhagia, and as a diuretic.
Religious.
"Desmostachya bipinnata" has long been used in various traditions (Hindus, Jains and Buddhists) as a very sacred plant. According to early Buddhist accounts, it was the material used by Buddha for his meditation seat when he attained enlightenment. The plant was mentioned in the "Rig Veda" for use in sacred ceremonies and also as a seat for priests and the gods. Kusha grass is specifically recommended by Lord Krishna in the "Bhagavad Gita" as part of the ideal seat for meditation.
Other.
In arid regions, "Desmostachya bipinnata" has been used as fodder for livestock.
Weed information.
In agriculture, "Desmostachya bipinnata" is a weed commonly found in wheat crops.
Notes.
  10. Pandeya A; Pandeya SC, 2002. Environment and population differentiation in Desmostachya bipinnata (Linn.) Stapf in western India.
Tropical Ecology, 43:359-362.


AQPS

AQPS ("Autre Que Pur-Sang"), translated as "Other than Thoroughbred" (not "Other than Pure-Blood"), is a general term used in France to refer to horses not listed as Thoroughbreds but destined to race. Anglo-Arabians, Selle Français (or French Riding Horse), and French Trotters plus all other crossbreds can be qualified, in theory, as AQPS. However in practical terms an AQPS is akin to a Thoroughbred but not eligible to that breed's stud-book. The designation usually means one parent is not listed in the Thoroughbred stud book and almost always applies to those horses with Selle Français breeding in the dam line, be it very remote through repeated crosses with TB stallions. Reverse crosses are also performed by crossing a Thoroughbred mare with an AQPS-approved stallion, and this has met with success on the race-track.
For many years the AQPS were registered for administrative purposes as Selle Français. Since 2005 an AQPS studbook is now maintained with its specific breeding rules.
The AQPS racing breed developed around the end of the 19th century when French farmers began to cross cart horse mares with Thoroughbred stallions to produce a fast and hardy horse that has proven to be best suited for steeplechase racing. The French national studs made available to local breeders at affordable prices "stayer" TB stallions which were disregarded by the flat-race industry. The average person most likely would not be able to see any difference between an AQPS and a Thoroughbred as evolution of the breed has resulted in AQPS horses today being a minimum of 87.5 percent Thoroughbred. The remaining 12.5 percent must be French saddle-bred, usually from AQPS itself but Selle Français and Anglo-Arab blood is also permissible. The fact that many AQPS horses have now over 98% of Thoroughbred blood is raising questions about the relevance of the breed.
The Association des Eleveurs d'AQPS is a member partner in the French Racing and Breeding Committee (FRBC).
Probably the best-known AQPS horse in the world is Al Capone II, who won the Grade One Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris in 1997 plus seven consecutive Grade One Prix La Haye Jousselin steeplechase races at Auteuil Hippodrome from 1993 through 1999. His full brother The Fellow won the Prix La Haye Jousselin in 1990, the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris in 1991 and enjoyed even greater success in England where he won the King George VI Chase in 1991 and 1992 and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1994.
Mon Mome, winner of the Grand National in 2009, followed by Neptune Collonges in 2012 are AQPS horses, as is Orphée des Blins, winner of The Grand Pardubice Steeplechase 2012, 2013 and 2014 and Edredon Bleu, winner of the Champion Chase in 2000 and the King George in 2003.


Armstrong Knitting Factory

Armstrong Knitting Factory is a historic silk mill located at Charlottesville, Virginia. It was built in 1889, and is a two-story, 11 bay, rectangular brick building with a low hipped roof. It has a central entrance tower with a mansard roof in the Second Empire style.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.


Padraccio

Padraccio is an Italian cheese made in Basilicata, typical of the Pollino National Park area. It is recognized as a prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale ("traditional regional food product") of Basilicata.
The cheese is made from a mixture of the milk of the Lucana Grey goat () - a rare breed of goat from the Apennines - and sheep's milk.
Production.
The cheese is produced between April and July. Raw milk is heated to degrees before the (sheep or goat) rennet is added. The cheese sets in 20–30 minutes. When the curds break, the cheese is transferred to a wicker container and worked with the fingers. It is then pressed, using the flat of the hand, to end up with a spherical shape. Finally, this fresh cheese with no added salt needing no ripening time is wrapped in fern leaves.


Round steak

A round steak is a beef steak from the "round", the rear leg of the cow. The round is divided into cuts including the eye (of) round, bottom round, and top round, with or without the "round" bone (femur), and may include the knuckle (sirloin tip), depending on how the round is separated from the loin. This is a lean cut and it is moderately tough. Lack of fat and marbling makes round dry out when cooked with dry-heat cooking methods like roasting or grilling. Round steak is commonly prepared with slow moist-heat methods including braising, to tenderize the meat and maintain moisture. The cut is often sliced thin, then dried or smoked at low temperature to make jerky.
Rump cover, with its thick layer of accompanying fat, is considered one of the best (and most flavorful) beef cuts in many South American countries, particularly Brazil and Argentina. This specific cut does not tend to be found elsewhere, however.
Topside and Silverside.
British cuts topside and silverside together are roughly equivalent to the American Round cut. New Zealand cuts also use these terms (or sometimes "Outside Round" for silverside).


Iams

Iams () is a popular brand name for dog food and cat food manufactured by Spectrum Brands in Europe and Mars, Incorporated worldwide. The company sells pet food for cats and dogs formulated for puppy/kitten, adult and mature. Its products are developed by nutritionists and veterinarians and can be found in three main formulas: ProActive Health, Healthy Naturals and Premium Protection. Veterinary formulas for pets with special dietary requirements are also available.
According to Iams, since 2006, studies have been conducted in pet owners' homes, P&G Pet Care's Pet Health & Nutrition Center, and locations where dogs and cats are already living such as assistance dog organizations.
History.
During the 1940s, because pet food was not available in stores, animals were predominantly fed homemade food, usually table scraps. Paul Iams, an animal nutritionist who graduated from Ohio State University in 1937, founded The Iams Company in 1946 in a small feed mill near Dayton. In 1950, he developed the world’s first animal-based protein, dry dog food and called it Iams 999. In 1969, Paul Iams formulated a new dog food and named it Eukanuba. Prior to founding Iams and Eukanuba, he worked for a number of companies including his father’s feed business in Dayton, Ohio.
In 1973 during the Arab oil embargo, the costs for meat and bone meal tripled, but sale prices in the US were frozen by a nationwide wage and price control issued by then-President Richard Nixon. Iams did not change the product formula during the price freeze mandate and the company nearly went broke. Clay Mathile, who joined Iams in 1970, purchased half of the company in 1975. By 1982, he became the sole owner and president. After expanding the company from $100,000 revenue in 1970 to $900 million in 1999, Mathile sold it to P&G in September 1999. In July 2006, P&G reorganized the Pet Health & Nutrition division into P&G Pet Care (consisting of the Iams and Eukanuba brands).
In its largest divestiture in five years, Procter & Gamble announced in April 2014 that it would sell its Iams, Eukanuba and Natura pet food brands in all markets except Europe to Mars, Incorporated for $2.9 billion in cash. P&G said the deal would allow it to lose a slow performer and generate cash to grow core businesses. The deal for P&G Pet Care's operations in North America and Latin America was completed in August 2014. Mars, Inc also exercised options to acquire P&G’s pet food business in some parts of Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, including Australia, Japan and Singapore. P&G sold its European pet care business to Spectrum Brands in December 2014.


Puck (goat)