The Small One

The Small One (also known as A Christmas Miracle in the UK) is a 1978 American animated featurette produced by Walt Disney Productions and released theatrically by Buena Vista Distribution on December 16, 1978 with a re-issue of "Pinocchio" (1940). The story is based on a 1947 children's book of the same name by Charles Tazewell and was a project for the new generation of Disney animators including Don Bluth, Jerry Rees, Henry Selick, Gary Goldman, and John Pomeroy.
The story tells of a young boy, outside Nazareth, who must part with his best friend, an old donkey named Small One. He brings it to market, but no one is in need of a "scrawny donkey", except for a tanner.
Plot.
In the Galilean countryside near the city of Nazareth, a young boy and his father own four donkeys. One of the donkeys, Small One, is old and weak, and can no longer adequately do his job of carrying the wood collected by the boy's father. The boy loads Small One with the smallest sticks, and helps him to carry them. One evening, the boy's father says that he has to sell Small One because he can no longer do enough work to cover the cost of his care. The boy, devastated by the news, volunteers to take the donkey to be sold so that he can try to find him a kind master. The father agrees and tells him that he has to sell him for one piece of silver.
The next morning, the boy takes Small One to the market. They are at first tricked into visiting the local tanner by a guard at the city gates. Terrified, they run out of the shop when they discover he only wants the donkey's hide. As they wander the streets looking for a buyer, they encounter several townspeople, shop owners, and merchants, none of whom want to buy. At last, the boy leads Small One onto the stage at a horse auction. The auctioneer has no interest in selling a "scrawny donkey," which causes the boy to insist that Small One is "good enough to be in a king's stable." This prompts the auctioneer and the crowd to laugh and poke fun. When the auctioneer attempts to sit on Small One, shoving the boy out of the way, Small One rouses the strength to buck and kick the auctioneer off him, sending him crashing into the stage and knocking it over.
The boy and Small One run away, and sit at a street corner hopelessly weeping. At this moment, a kind man comes up to the boy and asks if Small One is for sale. He needs a gentle donkey to carry his wife to Bethlehem, insists he will take good care of him, and offers one piece of silver. The boy accepts, says goodbye to Small One, and watches as the couple and Small One leave on their journey as a bright star appears in the sky.
Production.
By the early 1970s, several of Disney's senior animators had either died or retired, but the continuous success of their animated features convinced studio executives that the animation department was still lucrative but in desperate need for new talent. Veteran animator Eric Larson was selected to head the training program, in which he selected and trained graduates from colleges and art schools across the United States. Eventually, twenty-five new artists were hired from 1970 to 1977.
The idea for "The Small One" originated from story trainee Pete Young who found the book among optioned properties at the studio library. He developed the initial storyboards at home, and pitched it to Ron Miller who claimed it to be a story with "heart". To help polish the storyboards, Miller brought on veteran storyboard artist Vance Gerry to collaborate with Young. Larson had assumed he would be directing the film and brought Burny Mattinson to help re-board the story, as well as veteran animator Cliff Nordberg to help assist on the animation. According to Mattinson, the team left on Friday for the weekend, and returned on Monday to have their work tossed out because studio management had decided to give the project to Don Bluth to direct. Then-animator Betsy Baytos claimed Larson, in reaction to the news, "just shook his head and knew that he wasn't being appreciated. He felt the old days were gone." In retrospect, Bluth stated, ""Small One" was something I directed to get the crew busy until "Pete's Dragon"...[Larson] might have [been involved] in the storyboard area. [But he] didn't get to direction. I think he elected to [teach]." Given the allotted production budget, Bluth composed two songs himself with a third song composed by assistant director Richard Rich, and recycled animation of Mowgli from "The Jungle Book" (1967).
Release.
"The Small One" was released on December 16, 1978, accompanying a reissue of the Disney's animated feature "Pinocchio". That same year, on December 23, the film had its television premiere on HBO.
Home media.
On September 27, 2005, Disney released "The Small One" for the first time on Region 1 DVD as part of "". This DVD also featured "Mickey's Christmas Carol" (1983) and "Pluto's Christmas Tree" (1952). The short is edited in two places:
This short is also featured on the DVD "Walt Disney Animation Collection: Classic Short Films: Volume 7: Mickey's Christmas Carol" released on September 29, 2009.
It was also released on Region 2 on the DVD "Walt Disney Presents Countdown to Christmas".
The title was also made available for streaming and download in the digital format.


J.W. Harris (bull rider)

James William Harris, known as J.W. Harris (born July 14, 1986) is an American professional rodeo cowboy who specializes in bull riding. He competes in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) circuit. He won the PRCA Bull Riding World Championship four times at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). He is also a former competitor on the elite tour Professional Bull Riders, the Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) tour. He also competed in the Championship Bull Riding (CBR) tour. Harris is the first bull rider since Don Gay to win four PRCA world bull riding titles. He is also the first since Gay to win three of them consecutively. Harris is also the 2014 PBR Rookie of the Year.
Early life and family.
James William Harris was born on July 14, 1986, in Coleman, Texas. He was named after a roughstock rider, James Garlick, and his own great-grandfather, William. His father, Mark, was the Texas Circuit Rookie of the Year in 1989. Harris was raised in Peaster, Texas, because his father was employed on a ranch there. When Harris was 15 years old, the family moved to May, Texas. He was one of an 18-person graduating class at May High School.
All of Harris' family are rodeo people. He sat his first bull when he was 4 years old. When he was 18 years old, Harris also experimented with saddleback bronc riding and bareback bronc riding, but discovered he did not have the temperament for it, so he decided to focus on bull riding.
Career.
In 2004, Harris hit the semi-professional rodeo trail for the Cowboys Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA), won the year-end bull riding championship for said organization, and won $6,501.23 prize money. The next year, he started competing professionally. He competed in the PRCA from 2005 to 2014. Starting in 2007, Harris joined the PBR tour, in one of the lower level tours, the Touring Pro Division. He competed on the BFTS from 2014 to 2017. He competed on the CBR tour from 2009 to 2014, then again in 2018. In January 2018 he announced he would retire from the PBR and return to the PRCA. Going forward in 2018, Harris is competing solely in the PRCA.
2005–06 seasons.
Harris joined the PRCA in 2005. In his first year as a professional he managed on little money for expenses. Following a no score in Nampa, Idaho, he ran out of money for expenses. His uncle paid when they needed money to drive to Cheyenne Frontier Days. On Championship Day, he won the Championship Round. He finished second in the average. He won $10,000 that day and bought take-out for his uncle. This was the first year Harris made the CBR final year-end World Standings. Also this year, Harris joined the CBR televised tours. For the next nine years, he finished among the top ten.
In 2006, it was at the Xtreme Bulls event in Reno, Nevada, that he made a qualified ride on the bull Werewolf for 96 points which brought him into the forefront of bull riding. A69 Werewolf, a double bred Naccarato bull, was a finalist in the PRCA and PBR in the same year, a rare accomplishment.
2007–08 seasons.
On January 17, 2007, at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo in Fort Worth, Texas, a relatively unknown 20-year-old J.W. Harris won the PRCA Xtreme Bulls riding event. Most of the observers that day had never seen him perform. "I've never heard of him...But, if he keeps riding like he did tonight, he's going to have a good future," said Don Gay, an eight-time bull-riding title winner. Gay also commented that Harris's riding will improve as he matures. He added that he will become more educated on injuries. "He's going to get better at taking care of himself," Gay says. "When you are young, you don't think about that so much. But as you mature, you learn how to do that because you know that there is no check coming in when you are sitting on the sidelines. I really like J.W. Mostly because of his attitude. He believes in himself and in what he can do." Gay become more convinced of Harris' "outstanding" capabilities at an Xtreme Bulls event in Reno, Nevada, where Gay was broadcasting for ESPN. "He rode Werewolf on a reride he didn't have to take," Gay recalls. "He scored a 96, and stole the show. That really impressed me."
In February at a PRCA event in San Antonio, Texas, Harris received his worst injury of his career in 2008. "I guess my worst injury was (when) I had a bull crush the left side of my face last year in San Antonio. They had to put plates and screws and all kinds of good stuff in there". After he received five concussions this season, he started wearing a helmet and believes he started becoming more successful. He was the second world champion bull rider after BJ Schumacher in 2006 to do so.
At the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, Harris made qualified rides on 6 of his 10 bulls at the finals for an aggregate score of 507 points, which brought him past leader Chance Smart in the World Standings in the Average. Smart rode only three of his bulls, which earned him only $36,644 and secured second place. He secured $96,364 in average earnings. He finished the season with total winnings of $208,437, which was enough to earn him his first World Bull Riding Championship. The PRCA champion is decided on earnings, not points, unlike the PBR. "This was my childhood dream," said Harris. "That's all I ever wanted to do was win the world." Harris achieved the honor in his third trip to the NFR. Now I just need seven more to catch Don (Gay)," he said.
2009 season.
Harris either won first place or tied for it in 15 rodeos, including notable ones at San Antonio, Texas, Fort Worth Texas, and Reno, Nevada. Harris claimed he was far ahead of the other contestants due to riding more than half of his bulls. However, on July 20, at the Days of '47 Rodeo in Salt Lake City, Utah, on its opening round, he recorded a no score.
As of September 3, Harris led the World Standings with $162,186 in earnings. He earned $2,503 in the Wrangler Million Dollar Tour portion of the Kitsap County Stampede the weekend before. Wrangler Million Dollar points count toward the Justin Boots Championship located in Omaha, Nebraska, the Wrangler tour points do not. Despite his successes, Harris maintains that life on the rodeo tour with "the guys" is the best part of bull riding. "They are your extended family", he said. "They are your best friends; you can count on them for anything".
At the NFR, Harris won the World Bull Riding Championship. It was his second in a row. Harris broke his hand in the second ride and did not get a qualified ride on any of his bulls. It is only through his $108,004 lead coming into the NFR that he was able to pull off the win. He won the championship despite failing to earn any money during the first nine rounds of the NFR.
The year 2009 was his best finish, which was 4th place. Most of his CBR fans expected a higher ranking due to his winning the George Paul Memorial Bull Riding and later on winning the first round of the CBR World Finals which allowed him a spin on the bounty bull.
2010 season.
On October 29, in Kansas City, Missouri, in the Kemper Arena, at the American Royal, at his last competition before the NFR, Harris completed an 89-point ride on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo's For Real and it brought him $9,419 in winnings. It was enough to win the American Royal, a Gold event on the Wrangler Million Dollar Tour. He beat Chad Denton and 19-year-old Jacob O'Mara by two points to get it.
Harris entered the NFR in 8th place, about $50,000 behind the leader Wesley Silcox. On December 9, Harris won the 7th go-round. This was his third consecutive victory. He rode Frontier Rodeo's Smoke Screen for a score of 94.5 points, only 1.5 points shy of the arena record. From among 15 competitors, he was the only one with 6 eight-second rides. "It’s the highest score I've had at the Finals and third highest I’ve ever been". said Harris, whose NFR total of $92,644 was second among the 119 competitors.
On Friday night, December 10, in Round 9 of the NFR, Harris claimed his third consecutive World Bull Riding Championship. He placed second in the ninth round with an 89.5 point ride on Insaniac. It was his 7th qualified ride, and two more than any other rider in the first nine rounds. He also won the NFR Average Championship. His total season earnings were $194,287, plus $44,910 or more from Saturday night. Harris broke B.J. Schumacher's NFR earnings record in 2006 of $142,644 since he has earned $106,484 at the NFR plus at least $44,910 on Saturday night. He rode 7 of 10 bulls and won four rounds. He won $158,738 that year to conclude the NFR with $246,541 in total earnings combined season plus NFR earnings. He rallied from 8th in the World Standings to win and set a world record in NFR winnings. He was the first bull rider to win three world titles, and also consecutively, since 8-time champion Don Gay.
2011–12 seasons.
On January 29, 2011, at a CBR event in the Lea County Event Center in Fort Worth, Texas, Harris won the event. Harris made a qualified ride on the bull Psycho Todd for a score of 88 points in the long round. Then, in the Championship Round, he made a very high 91 point ride on the bull Directory Assistance. The combined score of 179 points was more than he needed to be proclaimed the winner. He received a check, a Resistl 20X Cowboy Hat, and a Henry Custom CBR Golden Boy Rifle. The win took him to 11th in the season standings. When CBR President Tuff Hedeman inquired how he felt about starting the season with a win,
Along with the winner's check, J.W. Harris received a Resistol 20X Cowboy Hat as well as a Henry Custom CBR Golden Boy Rifle. Harris told CBR President Tuff Hedeman that "It's awesome to get off to a great start to the year and ride in front of all these great fans in Hobbs. It couldn't be any better."
Shane Proctor entered the 2011 NFR with what some said was "an insurmountable lead". Harris spent the NFR eroding Proctor's lead until he was only $20,000 away from that lead entering the 10th round. However, Proctor still won the championship, even though he broke his left arm entered into the last event.
In Round 1 of the 2012 NFR, Harris took the lead with a 90.5 point ride aboard Four Star Rodeo's bull Stink Eye. He came into the NFR only a bit more than $7,000 behind long-time World Standings leader rookie Cody Teel. Teel answered with a qualified ride that brought him fourth place. Teel rode Gauteraux's Iron Horse for 74.5 points and earned $167.225. Had Harris won this NFR, it would have been his fourth title. Harris moved from second place to first by earning $18,257 and earned a total of $170,886. Ultimately, Teel won the championship in his rookie year.
Harris, who had been wearing a helmet since 2008 due to five concussions, stopped wearing one. His example had contributed to the number of riders wearing helmets, but now Harris said that he received concussions even while wearing a helmet, and that helmets can't prevent concussions no matter how they are designed.
2013 season.
Harris went back to riding with a cowboy hat this season.
In 2013, he won the first round of the CBR World Finals which allowed him a spin on the bounty bull. At Cheyenne Frontier Days, during the CBR World Finals, he made a qualified ride, and drove his newly won Mahindra Max Tractor out of the arena.
On Friday night, December 13, at the NFR, in Round 9, Harris tied for first place and won his fourth World Bull Riding Championship. Harris rode the bull Little Shyster for 87.5 points to tie with Trevor Kastner's ride on the bull Fire Show. Harris earned $16,677 to bring his season total to $214,067. His NFR total earnings after Round 9 were $83,684, which put him in first place. He placed second in the aggregate with 518.5 points for six rides.
The winner of the last two rounds prior to Round 9, Cody Teel, came in fifth in Round 9 with a 77.5 point score on the bull Seminole Wind. Teel led the aggregate with 575 points for seven rides. No one would have been able to catch him in Round 10, so he won the NFR Average title. Since Teel was second in the World Standings counting season and NFR earnings with $165,179, he could not have earned enough in Round 10 to catch Harris. Thus, Harris was declared the winner after Round 9, even though there was one round remaining. After Round 10, Harris won total earnings of $252,829, clearly the outstanding winner. Harris matched another record with Don Gay, this time by becoming the first bull rider to win four world championships since Don Gay, 1979–1981.
2014 season.
On Saturday night, February 1, Harris competed in the Xtreme Bulls Tour. The event took place in the Rushmore Civic Center at the Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo in Rapid City, South Dakota. Harris made the best two qualified rides of the event – a 92-point ride in the long round and an 89-point ride on Sutton Rodeo's Crystal Springs Peach in the championship round – to claim the title in the 2014 Rapid City Xtreme Bulls Tour.
On Saturday night, May 31, the J.W. Hart PBR Challenge began in Decatur, Texas. Even though it is Touring Pro Division event, it's run like an elite tour event, with top-ranked bulls lined up. This year two-time PBR World Champion J.B. Mauney and J.W. Harris were matched against 2012 World Champion Bull Asteroid, and 2013 PRCA Bull of the Year Shepherd Hills Tested. Hart put up $25,000 in a 1,000 Miles From Home $25,000 winner-take-all challenge. The PBR selected the bulls they regarded as the toughest: 2013 PRCA Bull of the Year Shepherd Hills Tested had a 94.74 buck off percentage. 2012 PBR World Champion Bull Asteroid had been ridden only a couple of times. Asteroid threw Mauney in two seconds and scored 46 bull points. Shepherd Hills Tested threw Harris in 6.17 seconds and scored 45 bull points. Harris almost made a qualified ride.
On Friday, June 13, Harris and three-time World Champion Bull Bushwacker met up for a $50,000 matchup at Chad Berger's DCB PBR Bull Riding Challenge in Bismarck, North Dakota, a PBR Touring Pro Division event. When the gate opened, Bushwacker pitched Harris to the ground in less than 4 seconds. "I left good with him," Harris said. "I didn’t let him beat me out of (the chute), and just right where he threw me off, I just set my hips too soon and raised up too soon. He just kept dropping and just pushed me over his head". Bushwacker's owner, Julio Moreno, earned $10,000 for the buckoff. No buckoff time was officially recorded because the matchup was an exhibition. Berger had doubled the bounty to $100,000 a few days ago.
Harris made some headway in the PRCA field in August with three victories. He entered three rodeos in one weekend at the beginning of August and won them all. One of the victories was a high 93-point ride on Rafter H Rodeo Livestock's bull Stiff Drink at the Sikeston, Missouri, Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo, who was very rank and he had always wanted to attempt. The ride tied for the best bull ride of 2014 and earned him $4,780. Harris regained the lead from PRCA rookie Sage Kimzey on August 4, and it was his first time in the lead since February 24. Harris rode Pete Carr Pro Rodeo's bull Thunder Cat for 91 points at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo in Lovington, New Mexico, to win that event and $5,076. Then he rode Pete Carr Pro Rodeo's bull Bowser for 84-points at the Riding Club PRCA Rodeo in Crossett, Arkansas, to earn $3,158. Counting his two 90+ rides in August, Harris had 89 rides that were scored over 90 points, which at the time was a record.
On August 31, 2014, in Thackerville, Oklahoma, was the first time Harris met up with the notable, unridden Mick E. Mouse. After watching Joao Ricardo Viera and Mauney select two of the hardest bulls in the Championship Round, Harris used his third draft pick to select Mick E. Mouse, another difficult bull. He could have selected an easier bull as he had only ridden one bull in the last 10 BFTS events. That 86.75 point ride on Jo Jo was the second-highest score of his BFTS career. And then this ride became "the closest any rider had ever been to conquering Mick E Mouse" in his career. Harris rode the bull for 7.47 seconds, only about one-half second from the whistle. Cody Lambert, Livestock Director for the PBR, believed that it would have been one of the greatest rides in PBR history: "I think he would have been 96 on him then". Announcer and two-time PBR World Champion Justin McBride said that he thought Harris would ride Mick E. Mouse and that he still believes he will. Harris would face the bull two more times.
On August 30, Harris won his first PRCA Xtreme Bulls Championship. Sage Kimzey and Cody Campbell split the average at the Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale at the Ellensburg Rodeo Arena, but could not defeat Harris as the World Standings leader despite him missing the event due to injury.
On September 12, in Springfield, Missouri, at the PBR BFTS PFIWestern.com Invitational presented by Bass Pro Shops, Harris matched up with the late 2015 PBR World Champion Bull Long John in Round 1. Harris scored a ride on Long John, but after hitting the ground, he was stepped on by the bull and knocked unconscious. Harris suffered a concussion as a result. In 2018, Harris talked about the incident, describing the event. He says that he was unable to dismount because of their proximity to the bucking chutes. Instead, when Long John threw him down, Harris' shoulder "caught on the chute" and he was trampled. Harris said that Long John "nearly shoved one of my lower vertebrae out of my spine", resulting in chronic back pain.
In mid-October, Harris qualified for his first PBR World Finals, earning a qualifier jacket and a ring. He finished the season as one of the top 35 riders to accomplish this. Harris competed his first season on the BFTS after he earned a place following three event exemptions. He completed the season ranked 31st in the World Standings. He made qualified rides on 12 of 31 bulls for a 38.71 riding percentage. He ends with two top 5 finishes and four top 10 finishes. According to the ProBullStats Bull Riding Compendium, Harris has 102 outs (riding out of the chute on a bull) in 74 events this season. Harris has said this his worst year in terms of injuries and how he felt, but next season he would focus on the PBR.
In mid-October, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, Harris competed in the PBR BFTS World Finals. It was his first finals qualification. On October 22, Harris won the first round in the PBR Finals with a qualified ride on Owens/Lane's bull Jo Jo for 88.75 points. He had some trouble getting started, but he came from behind to win the PBR 2014 Rookie of the Year award. The PBR Rookie of the Year award is presented to the bull rider who earns the most points in the World Standings on their season on the BFTS. In 2013, the PBR switched to a points-based system rather a monetary system.
Harris turned in what the PBR considered his best performance so far. He went 4-for-6 to finish third in the event average. First, he made a qualified ride of 90.5 points on the bull Pound the Alarm in Round 5. Then, he made a qualified ride on the bull Honey Hush for a BFTS career-high 93.25 points in the championship round. He earned 3,736 points towards the World Standings. Harris competed in 14 events on the BFTS that year. He finished the year 9th in the standings, due to a 43.24 percent riding average. Harris planned to focus on the BFTS in 2015, but also planned to attend as many rodeos as he can. He still wanted to break Don Gay's record of 8 championships.
Heading into the 2014 NFR, the defending champion was ranked 6th in the PRCA World Standings. He trailed the leader, Kimzey, by $65,858. He was seeking his fifth title. On Saturday, December 13, Sage Kimzey, the 20-year-old rookie from Strong City, Oklahoma, won the PRCA World Bull Riding Championship with $318,631 and the NFR Average title with 671 points on eight head. He won four rounds which tied a record held by Harris and a few other cowboys. Harris turned in an average performance this year. His earnings of $109,182 put him in 9th place, and his average total was 310.5, $11,953 putting him in 6th place.
2015 season.
On February 15, Harris competed in the PBR Caterpillar Classic held in the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. It was his first event win on the BFTS. Harris made a qualified ride on all three rounds with a winning total of 261.5 points, and was the only rider to do so, thus he could have collected his championship belt before the Championship round. But Harris wanted that round, which contains the 15 toughest bulls. "I was riding more for personal satisfaction and more out there to prove a point than anything". Harris said. "I can still ride the short-round bulls". Harris rode Gotta Go Joe for 86.50 points, Closing Time for 86.50 points, and Crystal Can Do for 88.50 points. He rode Crystal Can Do in the Championship round. His performance that weekend earned him 400 event points for coming in first in the event. He also earned a total of 525 event points towards the World Standings. Harris expressed that he felt good to ride the championship bull and "get back to why I started bull riding in the first place, to just have fun".
In February in Anaheim, California, Harris faced Mick E Mouse, for a second time. The bull bucked him off in 2.65 seconds and scored a career best of 47 points.
On March 22, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the Ty Murray Invitational, in WisePies Arena, on a Sunday afternoon, Harris met up with the three-time World Champion Bull Contender Mick E. Mouse for the third time. His owner, Marlene Henry, was watching anxiously away from where Harris was preparing in the chute. The bull threw Harris to the ground in 2.97 seconds. Henry was anxious about the matchup; she hoped Harris didn't ride her bull as they were trying to break Bushwacker's buckoff streak record of 42 straight buckoffs. But at the same time, she had respect for him. Mick E.'s handler Ken Loudamy added, "I loved that he picked him and I love that he has that tenacity in him to try and ride him. I think he can ride him". Harris felt if he could work out his issues with the location of his free arm, he could ride him. But, due to medical issues, Mick E. Mouse was euthanized in early August 2015, unridden.
On the last weekend of March, in the KeyArena, in Seattle, Washington, Harris faced World Champion Bull Contender Smooth Operator. Smooth Operator and Harris first met in the 15/15 Bucking Battle on Friday night where Smooth Operator bucked Harris off in 3.33 seconds and scored a high 46 point bull score. Then on Saturday, they met up again when Harris drew the bull in the BFTS Championship round and Smooth Operator again bucked Harris off, this time in 2.44 seconds, and earned a career-high bull score of 46.5 points. The bull's owner, Chad Berger, describes the bull's bucking style as a "corkscrew" motion which he used Friday night to yank the bull rope out of Harris' hand and throw him. "J.W. Harris went at him both days with everything he had", Berger said. "It wasn't like he went through the motions. J.W. rides into his hand really good and J.W. threw his hips at him and tried his heart out".
On September 13, in Springfield, Missouri, at the PFI invitational, Harris made a qualified ride for 90.25 point ride on World Champion Bull Contender Sweet Pro's Long John in the Championship Round. It filled out his 3-for-4 event winning performance for the weekend and helped him win the event. He also rode Cowboy Soul for 83 points and Legacy for 87.50 points. He was bucked off Pile Driver 4.65 seconds. This win in Springfield put him in 6th place in the World Standings. Harris spent this season challenging the rankest bulls, such as Smooth Operator, Little Red Jacket, and the late Mick E. Mouse, but not quite getting a qualified ride on any of them. Harris used his 8th selection to pick Long John while knowing he needed a high score to win the event. But more broadly, Harris was hoping to conquer Long John as the start of a streak that could get him to the world champion bull rider title. Commentator and seven-time PRCA world champion Ty Murray believed Harris could do it. "I think so. He knows what it takes and he knows what it takes to ride rank bulls". Murray said. "I think there definitely has been an adjustment for him coming up to this league. He is in a good position right now when you are looking at how beat up J.B. is and how bad Joao is riding".
2016 season.
In early February Harris announced that he had decided to undergo surgery on his right elbow, and would miss four to six months of competition to do so. The injury caused him to miss the last two BFTS events as it was his riding arm, and had been affecting him for two years. He decided to do it then since he figured his best chance to win the PBR World Champion title would be to have it repaired. Additionally, he risked further damage to the injury by not getting it corrected immediately. Once the surgery is over, it was a matter of time and healing as to whether he could make the finals. Harris was 20th in the World Standings with 250 points. He earned those points at the New York City event by winning the 15/15 Bucking Battle and Round 1. It was possible for Harris to stay in contention even with time off. For example, if he was out for the full six months, there would still have been eight BFTS events to compete in to try for finals.
Roughly six months after the surgery, he and his whole family were involved in a car accident and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. According to a local newspaper. Harris and his family were traveling in Ford dually pickup when an elderly couple in a Ford F-250 crossed into the oncoming lane, causing a head-on collision. The accident occurred in Brown County, Texas, and killed the elderly couple. There was suspicion of another vehicle that forced the elderly couple into the lane.
Harris was out for approximately six months and experienced pain in his right leg and his back after the accident. The family made the trip to Dallas, Texas, to see Dr. Tandy Freeman, who diagnosed Harris with a torn right PCL. The injury required another surgery which would keep Harris out of action for another six months. Harris had been close to returning to the BFTS after his previous hip and elbow surgery, and was eyeing the Thackerville, Oklahoma, event, set for September 3. The accident completely ended his aspirations for a world title in any rodeo circuit in this season. Harris was 3-for-7 in three events this season. Harris began the 2017 season with five BFTS injury exemptions.
2017 season.
On a Friday, in mid-February, at an event in Anaheim, California, Harris broke a long buckoff streak by making a qualified ride on the bull Thunderstruck in Round 1. He bucked off the bull Crazy Days in 6.99 seconds in the second round, but his score from Friday was good enough to take him into the Championship Round. His championship bull was Asteroid, and Harris only lasted 2.7 seconds on the bull. Instead, Shane Proctor took the event.
In mid-March Harris earned 110 points between the PBR Velocity Tour and the Touring Pro Division to get to No. 35 in the World Standings. Harris blamed himself for getting cut from the BFTS. Harris won the Touring Pro Division event with 88.5 points on the bull Big Sexy. A week prior, Harris came in fourth at the Hampton, Virginia, Velocity Tour event. The two events brought him the 110 points and a return to the BFTS which started with the Ty Murray Invitational. He finished in the 34th slot in the Ty Murray Invitational, an event which Stormy Wing won.
On Sunday, March 26, at the PBR BFTS Ak-Chin Invitational in Glendale, Arizona, Harris met up with the rankest (most difficult to ride) bull in the PBR, Air Time, who has only been ridden once. They met in the Championship Round, and Air Time bucked him off in 2.13 seconds to earn a high bull score of 45.25 points. The buck off time was average for Air Time.
On Friday, November 3, at the PBR BFTS World Finals, Harris sustained a strain to his right pectoral muscle. He was ruled as probable to continue. On Saturday, he announced he would get the injury repaired after the Finals were over. "Why not come?" Harris said. "It is the biggest stage in bull riding. I don’t know why you wouldn’t. I don’t care if you have a broken leg. If you can get on, you come here." Harris rode Beaver Creek Beau for a qualified ride; it was his only one this Finals. Harris was the 8th rider to make a qualified ride off the 2,000 bull in 63 outs. He finished the season ranked 32nd in the World Standings. He had spent the better part of the season riding with a "groin strain and torn abdominal muscle", so his ranking was actually better than it should have been.
2018 season.
On Sunday, January 7, Harris announced that he was leaving the PBR and returning to the PRCA, which means he is returning to rodeo full-time to focus on winning a fifth gold buckle. Harris spent nine years in the PRCA before dedicating his focus solely on the PBR for three years. "I got to where I just didn’t like coming to [the rank bulls] anymore," Harris said. "It really is not my thing, I guess you could say. All of the lights, cameras and drama. I was trying to be something that I wasn’t. I was trying to be a PBR bull rider instead of a rodeo cowboy. There is just not a whole lot of common ground with the other guys in there. There is a few. Outside of a few, it is not there." He also pointed out his comeback to win the 2014 Rookie of the Year award, as well as his career-high 93.25 points, ride on Honey Hush, which is his favorite. Those things stand out when held up against people who said he didn't belong in the PBR.
At the 2018 NFR, Harris joined veteran announcers Jeff Medders and Butch Knowles in the booth during the airing of the event on CBS Sports Network to provide color commentary during the bull riding segments.
Career summary.
Harris qualified for the NFR nine times consecutively from 2006 through 2014. Harris won four Bull Riding World Championships while competing in the PRCA. Harris won the championship from 2008 to 2010, and again in 2013. He also won two NFR Average titles in bull riding in 2008 and 2010. He qualified for the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo (RNCFR) three times in 2006, 2009–2010. He won the RNCFR twice from 2009 to 2010. As of January 2018, his total PRCA career earnings are $1,828,728. Harris concludes his four-year career in the PBR 58-for-166 (34.52 percent riding average). He has three PBR BFTS World Finals Qualifications (2014–2015, 2017). He also has three 90-point rides and three event wins. Harris started on the CBR tour in 2005. For the next nine years, he finished among the top ten. The year 2009 was his best finish, which was 4th place. Along the way, he has racked up numerous Horizon Series wins, multiple second and third-place finishes and six event wins on the CBR ‘s The Road to Cheyenne Tour.
Retirement Announcement.
In February of 2020, Harris announced he was retiring from bull riding. Harris cites family and injuries as his main inducements for retiring. "It hurts too much to do it anymore," he says. He still retains his NFR qualifications of 9 times, 4 World Champion NFR titles, and his earnings now total over $2 million.
Even though he said 2020 would be his final year of competition, Harris is still riding bulls as of 2021.
Personal life.
Harris is tall and weighs . Harris was residing in Mullin, Texas, when he met Jackie, whom he married on October 3, 2009. They have a daughter and a son. Jackie was Miss Rodeo Arkansas in 2004. In 2013, Harris and his wife bought a ranch in Goldthwaite, Texas. They raise bucking bulls, which are Brangus-Hereford crosses.


Elder Mill, Romiley

Elder Mill, Romiley was a cotton spinning mill in Romiley, Stockport, Greater Manchester. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and passed to Courtaulds in 1964.
Location.
Romiley, or Chadkirk is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England, located south east of Manchester, east of Stockport and south of Hyde. It comprises ; the surface is undulated, the soil clay, with a little sand. Coal is found at a great depth, but is not wrought; and there is a stone-quarry. Several large cotton-mills are in operation. The River Etherow here took the name of the River Mersey though today it is considered that the Etherow is a tributary of the River Goyt. The Peak Forest Canal and the Sheffield and Heybridge tramway, passed through the area.
 Elder mill was situated by the Peak Forest Canal near the Hatherlow Mills.
History.
This stretch of the Goyt, shares much of it history with Stockport whose textile tradition started with the silk industry in the late 17th Century. By the 18th century the manufacture of silk was dominating the economic life of the town. Large silk mills, such as Carrs Mill, Park Mill and Adlington Square Mill, became the major employers of the town. By 1769 nearly 2,000 people were employed in the town's silk trade. In 1772 the silk industry was in depression and the town turned to cotton. Chadkirk was known for bleaching, where finished cloth was left stretched over tenter frames over the landscape. It was bleached by the sun. Clues to this activity can be found in the place names; place names such as "whitehill" or "whitefield". Though an important early milltown Stockport was very late in embracing the joint stock limited liability company boom. The first mill to be financed by that method was Vernon Mill. Elder Mill was such a late nineteenth century mill.
The 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. Elder Mill, Romiley was one of 104 mills bought by the LCC, and one of the 53 mills that survived through to 1950.
Architecture.
Power.
Elder Mill was powered by a vertical cross compound engine by Daniel Adamson, installed in 1937. It had a stroke. It ran at 106 rpm. The flywheel was .


Forest transition

Forest transition refers to a geographic theory describing a reversal or turnaround in land-use trends for a given territory from a period of net forest area loss (i.e., deforestation) to a period of net forest area gain. The term "landscape turnaround" has also been used to represent a more general recovery of natural areas that is independent of biome type.
Causes.
Forest recovery resulting in net increases in forest extent can occur by means of spontaneous regeneration, active planting, or both.
There are two main paths in reforestation, one emerging from economic development and another from forest scarcity. There are many causes of transition, foremost, economic development leads to industrialisation and urbanisation, pulling the labour force away from the countryside to cities. For example, in Puerto Rico, industrial policies which subsidised manufacturing led to a transition towards urban sector manufacturing and service jobs, leading to land abandonment and forest regrowth. Furthermore, changes in agricultural technology make the most productive areas more agriculturally productive, concentrating agricultural production into those areas. Redistribution of labour resources from areas of low fertility to areas of greater fertility promotes regrowth in the areas experiencing depopulation.
Demand for forest products, especially wood, resulting from earlier deforestation, also creates market incentives to plant trees and more effectively manage forest resources. Due to forestry intensification, higher forest productivity saves remaining forests from exploitation pressures. Moreover, cultural responses to losses in forest area lead to government intervention to implement policies promoting reforestation.
A Kuznets curve analysis of the problem, where income leads to forest regrowth, has contradictory results, due to the complex interaction of income with many socioeconomic variables (e.g. democratisation, globalisation, etc.) The factors which drive deforestation also control the forest transition, promoting urbanisation, development, changing relative agricultural and urban prices, population density, demand for forest products, land tenure systems, and trade. Transitions involve a combination of socioeconomic feedbacks from forest decline and development.
Global forest transition.
Studies of forest transitions have been conducted for several nations as well as sub-national regions. Territories reported to have experienced forest transitions after the onset of industrialization include Bangladesh, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Canada, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, France, Greece, Gambia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Norway, New Zealand, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Scotland, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. Furthermore, forest-transition dynamics have been documented for regions within Brazil, Ecuador, and Mexico.
The environmental effects of these forest transitions are very variable, depending on whether deforestation of old-growth forests continue, the proportions and types of tree plantations versus natural regeneration of forests, and the location and spatial configuration of the different types of forests. In southern Brazil, reforestation mainly occurred through tree plantations, replanting trees, increasing forest cover. And in Honduras, a transition to coffee growing led to abandonment of low-lying regions as coffee farmers moved to high-sloped highland regions.
The findings of returning forests in these widespread studies raise questions about the prospects of a worldwide forest transition, particularly given ongoing processes of forest loss in many parts of the world. Optimistic predictions would have a return of some 70 million hectares of forest by 2050. Yet, there are significant concerns which would dampen this enthusiasm, with local governance issues and the more structural looming shortage of productive land as human populations continue to increase. So far as significant increases in agricultural productivity are possible in developing countries, current under-utilised land reserves may not require exploitation.
Further reading.
Free access link: http://arjournals.annualreviews.org/eprint/DMDIR7h9j2hkf9VTaIsG/full/10.1146/annurev-environ-090710-143732


Grizzly (tobacco)

Grizzly is an American brand of dipping tobacco (moist snuff) that was introduced in 2001. It is made by the American Snuff Company and is available in pouches, Fine Cut, Long Cut, Wide Cut, and Extra Long Cut.
History.
Grizzly was first sold in 2001 at lower prices and was originally available in Long Cut Wintergreen (green tin) and Fine Cut Natural (red tin). By the end of 2006, Long Cut Straight (maroon tin), Long Cut Mint (blue tin), Long Cut Natural (silver tin) and Fine Cut Wintergreen (olive tin) were also introduced. Snuff and Wintergreen Pouches were released in 2008, and also began an attempt to change its market position into an upmarket brand. Metal lids became standard in 2010, replacing the previous all-plastic cans. Wide Cut Wintergreen was released in 2014 , Dark Wintergreen Long Cut and Pouches were released in 2015 and Dark Mint long cut and pouches released in September 2016.
As of December 2014, Grizzly was cited as the flagship brand of Reynolds American with a 31.1% market share in snuff brands.


Grapevine fanleaf virus

Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV) is a plant pathogenic virus of the family "Secoviridae". It infects grapevines, causing chlorosis of the leaves and lowering the fruit quality. Because of its effect on grape yield, GFLV is a pathogen of commercial importance. It is transmitted via a nematode vector, "Xiphinema index". This nematode acquires the virus through feeding on roots of an infected plant, and passes it on in the same manner.
Host and Symptoms: The host for Grapevine fanleaf virus or GFLV is the vitis species. This includes V. vinifera, V. rupestris, and hybrids. The symptoms of GFLV are “distortion of leaves and may cause unusual chlorotic (yellow) patterns on leaves, such as a yellow mosaic or yellow veins.”(5) Plants infected with GFLV also will have a reduced size and the fruit will be softer when compared to fruit from healthy plants. The leaves will be “severely distorted, asymmetrical, cupped and puckered, and exhibit acute dentations”, these symptoms tend to look like a fan, hence the name fanleaf virus. The canes may also show signs of abnormal branching, double nodding, and short internodes. Affected vines can also show signs of yellow mosaic which may affect all parts of the vine. The berries of the plant have a reduced yield and are smaller. They also have irregular ripening times.(4)
Disease Cycle: The disease is spread by Xiphinema index a dagger nematode. The typical life cycle of Xiphinema index nematode goes through 6 life cycle stages. The females lay the eggs into the soil. Once the juveniles hatch from the egg they go through 4 molting stages where they get bigger after each molt. The nematode feeds and attacks the plant at all stages except when it's an egg. It uses its stylist to feed on the plant. During the feeding the nematode secretes enzymes into the plant to digest plant cells. During the feeding process the nematode can transfer the disease into the plant and it is also at this point that the nematode can become a carrier of the pathogen if it is not one already.(6)
Management: To prevent GFLV planting certified disease free plants will make it so that the nematodes can not spread the disease unless they already have the pathogen. Another prevention method is the disinfect the pruning tools between each plant to help reduce the amount of disease spread from humans. An additional way to manage the disease is to get rid of any diseased plants and before the season starts test the soil for GLFV.(7) Finally, you can cover the crops with nematicidal properties and deep plow the fields and use nematode resistant rootstocks.(5)


Brangus

Brangus is a hardy and popular breed of beef cattle, a cross between an Angus and a Brahman. Animals eligible for registration as Brangus cattle are 5/8 Angus and 3/8 Brahman. Brangus is a registered trademark of the International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA).
History.
The effort to develop the Brangus breed had begun by 1932, and the first organization of Brangus breeders was chartered in 1949. Registered Brangus descend from the foundation animals recorded that year or registered Brahman and Angus cattle enrolled since then.
Much of the early work in crossing Brahman and Angus cattle was done at the USDA Experiment Station in Jeanerette, Louisiana. According to the USDA 1935 Yearbook in Agriculture, the research with these crosses started about 1932. During the same period, Clear Creek Ranch (of Welch, Oklahoma and Grenada, Mississippi), Raymond Pope (of Vinita, Oklahoma), the Essar Ranch (of San Antonio, Texas), and a few individual breeders in other parts of the United States and Canada were also carrying on private experimental breeding programs. They were looking for a beef-type animal that would retain the Brahman's natural ability to thrive under adverse conditions.
The early breeders from 16 states and Canada met in Vinita, Oklahoma, on July 2, 1949, and organized the American Brangus Breeders Association, with headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. The breed association, now named the International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA), has been headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, since January, 1973. There are now members in nearly every one of the United States, and also in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Central America, Mexico, and Zimbabwe.
Uses.
The Brangus breed was developed to the superior traits of Angus and Brahman cattle. Their genetics are stabilized at 3/8 Brahman and 5/8 Angus. The combination results in a breed which unites the traits of two highly successful parent breeds. The Brahman, through rigorous natural selection, developed disease resistance, overall hardiness and outstanding maternal instincts. Angus are known for their superior carcass qualities. Angus cows are also extremely functional females excelling in fertility and ability to be milked.
Registered Brangus must be 3/8 Brahman and 5/8 Angus, solid black or red, and polled. Both sire and dam must be recorded with the International Brangus Breeders Association. Foundation Angus and Brahman cattle must be registered in their respective breed associations prior to being enrolled with the IBBA. Intermediate crosses necessary to reach the 3/8 - 5/8 percentage are certified by the IBBA.
In recent years, the major portion of the Brangus registered are from Brangus parents, but an increasing number of foundation Brahman and Angus are being enrolled as the breed achieves greater recognition. Interest in developing breeds of cattle carrying some percentage of Brahman breeding for the general improvement of the commercial cattle of the United States speaks well for the apparent advantages that Bos indicus cattle have in areas of high heat and humidity.
Research at Louisiana has indicated that Brangus cows increased their weights during the summer months while Angus cows lost weight, indicating that they were more adapted to coastal climates. Calves from Brangus were heavier at birth and weaning and for total pounds produced per cow. The Angus had an advantage in conception rate and calved earlier, and the calves were more vigorous at birth and survived better to weaning.
The breed have proven resistant to heat and high humidity. Under conditions of cool and cold climate they seem to produce enough hair for adequate protection. The cows are good mothers, and the calves are usually of medium size at birth. The cattle respond well to conditions of abundant feed, but have exhibited hardiness under conditions of stress.


Seal brown (horse)

Seal brown is a hair coat color of horses characterized by a near-black body color; with black points, the mane, tail and legs; but also reddish or tan areas around the eyes, muzzle, behind the elbow and in front of the stifle. The term is not to be confused with "brown", which is used by some breed registries to refer to either a seal brown horse or to a dark bay without the additional characteristics of seal brown genetics.
Like bay, the seal brown color is produced by the Agouti ("A") gene acting upon a genetically black base coat, suppressing the black into point coloration and allowing the underlying reddish or brownish color to appear. The shade variation is polygenetic and affected by a various external factors. However some researchers distinguish seal brown with the qualifier At. The genetic study of seal brown is relatively new. Several theories were advanced in the last century to explain the heredity of the seal brown coat, and while a DNA test said to detect the seal brown (At) allele was developed, the test was never subjected to peer review and due to unreliable results was subsequently pulled from the market, due to the admittance of the creator that mouse DNA was used in the results of the test.
The genetically and visually related dark bay coat color, which also features black points and a dark body, differs from seal brown by the absence of tan markings. Another mimic is the liver chestnut, an all-over dark brown coat including mane and tail, that is sometimes confused with seal brown. However, true seal browns have black points characteristic of all bay horses, while liver chestnuts do not.
Identification.
The research behind the classification of seal brown as distinct from dark bay is quite new, and as a result, opinions vary on what constitutes a true seal brown. In "Equine Color Genetics", Dan Phillip Sponenberg wrote "In general, all dark colors with black points that are lighter than black but darker than bay are called brown." In this text, he classifies black-pointed, clear reddish coats of any shade as bay, and black-pointed coats of any shade with black countershading as brown. These definitions, while precise, are no longer accurate in light of current research.
Seal brown is best described as a black or nearly-black coat with reddish or tan hairs on the "soft parts": the muzzle, eyes, inner ears, underbelly, behind the elbow, and in front of the stifle. Like other coat colors, seal browns can range in shade. The very darkest are just about black except for their tan areas. Lighter examples are easily confused with dark bays. The mane, tail, and legs are always black.
Terminology.
Non-horse people often refer to many horse coat colors as "brown," in particular the bay color. Among horse aficionados, a common assessment is that "...[the term] is only used by people with one horse or with two hundred." The implication is that lay observers will refer to a horse's coat color to be "brown" due to a lack of vocabulary, and those discussing large populations of horses will use "brown" out of a need for a more specific vocabulary. The term "seal brown" is unlikely to be part of a novice's repertoire and is therefore preferable when discussing this specific coat color. This coat color is, illuminatingly, called "black and tan" in some languages.
"Brown" but not seal brown.
In the most simple terms, the vast majority of horses are indeed some shade of brown, but not "seal brown." Such coat colors include:
Seal browns on paper.
Not all breed registries or studbooks recognize seal brown as a distinct coat color. The American Quarter Horse Association and American Paint Horse Association both recognize "brown" as a separate category, while the Arabian Horse Association labels all non-black, black-pointed shades "bay."
Still other registries, such as The Jockey Club which registers Thoroughbreds and Appaloosa Horse Club, offer the designation "dark bay or brown" to cope with the ambiguity in terminology and identification. Among historically German breeds and registries, the term "rappe" indicates a black horse, "braun" is bay, while "dunkelbraun" indicates dark bay and "schwarzbraun" indicates seal brown (literally black-brown). In France, seal brown horses are recognized among the "black coat family".
Related coat colors.
The presence of other coat color genes can modify a seal brown coat. The seal brown family includes:
Genetics of seal brown.
The appearance of a horse's skin, eye, and coat-color is determined by pigment chemicals called melanins. Two types of melanins are used by mammals, such as horses and humans: "eumelanin", which is visually black to brown, and "phaeomelanin", visually red to yellow. Specialized cells in the skin and eyes, melanocytes or pigment cells, produce melanins and deposit them into the skin and hair using complex chemical reactions. The instructions for these chemical reactions are genetically encoded as DNA, and are therefore inherited. To be seal brown, a horse must have at least one copy of the functional "MC1R" gene ("E"/"E" or "E/Ee") and must have one of the following genotypes at the Agouti locus: "A/A" or "A/a".
One protein with an important role in eumelanin production is Melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R). The gene which encodes a functional MC1R protein occupies the "Extension" locus, or chromosomal position, and is symbolized by the capital "E". A mutation, or change, in the equine MC1R gene, that resulted in a non-functioning MC1R protein, was identified in 1996. This form of the gene is symbolized by the lowercase "e" or sometimes "Ee". Since each horse has two copies of the MC1R gene, one from each parent, horses with one "broken" copy ("e") can still produce eumelanin in the hair. However, if a horse has two copies of the "broken" allele and therefore no copies of the functional "E" allele, the horse is completely incapable of depositing black pigment in the hair. Such horses are chestnut, or at least, are not black, bay, or seal brown.
The gene with the greatest role in the seal brown coat phenotype is Agouti signalling peptide (ASIP) or simply "Agouti". The functional Agouti signalling peptide (protein) acts as a switch between red-yellow phaeomelanin and black-brown eumelanin. It is ASIP that is responsible for the alternate banding of dark and light on animal hair, although it is also responsible for whole-body effects. ASIP attaches to MC1R molecules to temporarily prevent the latter from continuing the production of eumelanin, and so phaeomelanin is produced in its stead. An individual horse can only have two copies of the Agouti gene, with the following known alleles or options:
Theories of the existence of additional alleles on the Agouti locus have been proposed, but were verified as non existent. These are
The "A" and "At" alleles cannot be distinguished by DNA testing in horses. A test had been developed, but the underlying studies were not peer-reviewed and the test was pulled from the market due to inconsistent results, this is because mouse DNA was used. Genetic tests exist only for two forms, dominant "A" and recessive "a." The genetic causes of seal brown and wild bay are still thought to be at "Agouti", but it is likely that seal bay is caused by the agouti gene not affecting the black pigment as much as normal, and that wild type bay is the agouti affecting the black pigment more than normal. The effects of shade variation is polygenetic and not yet understood.
Former theories about the genetics of seal brown.
An early version of the currently-accepted equine Agouti gene theory was first presented in 1951 by Miguel Odriozola in "A los colores del caballo", subsequently reviewed by William Ernest Castle in "Genetics". This theory prevailed until the 1990s, when discoveries of similar conditions in other species provided alternate explanations.
Black and pangaré.
For a period, the seal brown phenotype - black or near-black coat with tan or red hairs on the soft areas - was described as a true black coat affected by "pangaré", or mealy-factor. Pangaré is a quality common to the Przewalski's horse and so-called primitive horse breeds such as the Exmoor Pony. The trait is characterized by pale hairs, typically off-white to light tan, around the eyes, muzzle, and underside of the body.
This theory was discarded when the equine Agouti gene (ASIP) was sequenced in 2001, finding all horses fitting the seal brown phenotype did not possess the homozygous recessive "a/a" Agouti genotype.
Tyrosinase-brown.
Tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1) is a protein involved in melanin synthesis, and is encoded by the "TYRP1" gene, also called the "brown" ("b") locus. In humans, mutations in the "TYRP1" gene account for variations in "normal" skin, hair and eye coloration, as well as types of clinical Albinism. Mutations in the "TYRP1" gene of other mammals result in various reddish-brown coat color phenotypes: Brown in mice, Chocolate in cats, Chocolate in dogs, and Dun in cattle.
The phenotypes associated with "TYRP1" mutations are typically rufous or chocolate rather than the black-dominated coats of seal brown horses, and usually result in pinkish-brown skin and light eyes. This is not the case for seal brown horses, and the role of "TYRP1" in seal brown was ruled out after it was sequenced in 2001.
Extension-brown and dominant black.
The allure of a pure black coat on a horse has struck horse breeders for centuries, resulting in all-black breeds like the Friesian horse. The breeding of pure black horses is attended by two problems: some black coats fade with exposure to light and sweat, and breeding two "black" horses together would sometimes produce non-black horses. In some cases, faded true black horses have lighter coats than the darkest near-black horses.
To account for this, W.E. Castle postulated that there was a third allele at the "Extension" locus: "ED" or "dominant black". Based on the existence of such conditions in other animals, Castle suggested that the dominant black gene ("ED") would override the "points" pattern of dominant "Agouti" ("A") and produce black or near-black horses, which could then go on to have bay offspring. The implication was that the seal brown coat color, which is often quite nearly black, could be produced by this allele.
Similarly, Sponenberg once hypothesized an "Extension-brown" ("EB") allele, dominant over the wildtype "E". He described an allele responsible for black countershading, or sootiness, which would distinguish all shades of brown from all shades of bay.
Both theories were laid to rest after the characterization of the equine "MC1R" or "Extension", which showed no such alleles. However, it remains likely that a genetic control for sootiness does exist.
Dark bay vs. seal brown.
Both Dark Bay horses, which have a black mane, tail, and legs with a dark reddish brown or sooty coat, and seal brown horses, which have very dark brown coats in addition to black "points", with reddish or tan hairs around their muzzle, eyes, elbows, and flanks have one of two genotypes at the Agouti locus: "A/A" or "A/a". Both coat colors exhibit a broad range of potential shades due to a variety of factors including the bleaching or fading of black hair, nutrition, and the presence of sooty or countershading factors.
Many black horses fade, sunbleach, or otherwise undergo a lightening of their coat color with exposure to sunlight and sweat. These horses are often mistaken for seal browns or dark bays. Horses which do not undergo such fading are now usually called “non-fading” black, though other terms were used in the past. However, though hypothesized, there does not appear to be a separate “non-fading” allele for black, either. Mineral and vitamin deficiencies can also contribute to a lighter coat, similar to sunbleaching.
Black-pointed horses that are not uniformly black often exhibit a trait called sootiness. A sooty coat exhibits a mixing of black or darker hairs more concentrated on the dorsal aspect (top) of the animal, and less prevalent on the underparts. Sootiness is thought to be a form of countershading. Horses without any sootiness are termed "clear-coated". Sootiness can be minor or quite extensive, and often includes dappling. Dark bay horses are typically sooty. The difference between the top-down distribution of the sooty trait and the lighter soft areas of a seal brown can also be difficult to distinguish from one another.
The team of French researchers who developed the DNA test for the recessive "a" allele also discussed the possibility that "Extension" might be dosage-dependent. They found a statistically significant tendency for lighter bays to be heterozygous for the dominant, wildtype "Extension" allele ("E/e", also written "E+/Ee") while darker bays were more often homozygous ("E/E"). The authors acknowledged that other factors could play a role, and that the claim needed to be studied on a greater scale. This type of dosage-dependent behavior was not observed with "Agouti".


Lists of horse-related topics

Lists of horse-related topics are lists related to horses. They include lists of breeds, related species, individual horses (historical and fictional), race horses, horse race results and horse shows


Heinrich Hirschsprung

Heinrich Hirschsprung (7 February 1836 – 8 November 1908) was a Danish tobacco manufacturer, arts patron and art collector most known for founding the Hirschsprung Collection in Copenhagen, a museum dedicated to Danish art from the 19th and early 20th century.
Family and business life.
Heinrich Hirschsprung was born in Copenhagen into a family of German-Jewish descent. His father, Abraham Marcus Hirschsprun (1793-1871), had been born in Friedberg near Frankfurt am Main in 1783 but moved to Denmark where he opened a small tobacco business in Copenhagen's Hotel D'Angleterre in 1826. Two years later, in 1827, he married Petrea Hirschsprung née Hertz (1804–1891), and they had six children. Hirschsprung's disease is named after their pediatrician son Harald Hirschsprung (1830–1916) who first described it.
Heinrich Hirschsprung and his brother Bernhard Hirschsprung (1834-1909) took over A.M. Hirschsprung & Sønner after their father in 1858. Under their leadership the business, now specializing in cigar making, grew rapidly. In 1866, they bought a piece of unused land at Gammelholm, an area which had been a naval site until 1859. There they built a modern factory for manufacturing cigars. It was designed by young architect Ove Petersen (1830-1892) in a Historicist style which was inspired by Italian Renaissance architecture.
Heinrich Hirschsprung married Pauline Elisabeth Jacobson (1845-1912) on 26 June 1864; she was the daughter of wholesaler Daniel Simon (1791–1858) and Friederiche Jacobson née Gerhardt (1811–1855). Heinrich and Pauline had five children: Ellen, Ivar, Åge, Robert, and Oskar. They had their first apartment on Højbro Plads in Copenhagen and subsequently a house on Bredgade. They also had country homes in the north of Sjælland as well as in Italy.
Art collection and artist friends.
Hirschsprung began his art collection in 1866, with the purchase of a painting by Julius Exner (1825–1910). His collection expanded over the years with additional purchases of paintings by contemporary Danish artists. It was a modern collection of examples from the Skagen Painters, the Funen Artists, ("Fynboerne") and Symbolists.
Hirschsprung was a great supporter, both personal and economic, of P.S. Krøyer who met him through Frants Henningsen, (1850–1908), a mutual friend at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts ("Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi"). Hirschsprung admired Krøyer’s artistic talent and skills, and he purchased the first paintings from him in 1874 — four watercolors from Hornbæk. They continued a lifelong friendship. Hirschsprung helped finance Krøyer’s travels and foreign residence during the years 1877-1881, giving him the economic support needed to develop his artistic skills. Krøyer was a friend of the entire family. He carried on a personal correspondence with Pauline and made a number of family portraits of Heinrich, Pauline and their children.
In addition to P.S. Krøyer, their homes were gathering places for such other contemporary artists as authors Holger Drachmann (1846–1908), Herman Bang (1857–1912) and Henrik Pontoppidan (1857–1943) and painters Wilhelm Marstrand (1810–1873), Frederik Vermehren (1823–1910), Otto Bache (1839–1927), Kristian Zahrtmann (1843–1917) as well as Frants Henningsen.
The Hirschsprung Collection.
In 1902, Hirschsprung announced plans to donate his collection of art the works to the state.
Heinrich Hirschsprung died during 1908 and was buried at Mosaisk Vestre Begravelsesplads in Copenhagen.
The museum was established in 1911 by his widow Pauline Hirschsprung.
The Hirschsprung Collection ("Den Hirschsprungske Samling") opened with 45 paintings, 13 pastels, 205 drawings, 14 watercolors, 12 busts, 55 sketchbooks as well as P.S. Krøyer’s letters and documents. The collection has grown since then, and the museum continues to this day in a beautiful park setting near central Copenhagen, around the corner from the National Gallery ("Statens Museum for Kunst").


Hogzilla

Hogzilla, a portmanteau of "hog" + "Godzilla", was a male hybrid of wild hog and domestic pig that was shot and killed by Chris Griffin in Alapaha, Georgia, United States, on June 17, 2004, on Ken Holyoak's fish farm and hunting reserve. It was alleged to be long and weighed over . It was originally widely considered a hoax.
The animal's remains were exhumed in early 2005 and studied by forensic scientists for a documentary for the National Geographic Channel. In March 2005, these scientists confirmed that Hogzilla actually weighed and was between and long, diminishing the previous claim. DNA testing was performed, revealing that Hogzilla was a hybrid of wild boar and domestic pig (Hampshire breed). However, compared to most wild boars and domestics, Hogzilla was still an unusually large specimen.
Hogzilla's tusks measured nearly and .


Bolton Union Mill, Bolton

Bolton Union Mill was a cotton spinning mill in Halliwell, Bolton, Greater Manchester. It was built in 1875 and 1880. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s and brought back into production. Subsequently, it passed to Tootals and Dewhurst Dent in 1964. Production finished in 1967.
The building is still standing. It has of floor space and was driven by a 1200 hp tandem compound J Musgrave engine with a flywheel with 28 ropes operated at 50rpm.
History.
Bolton was a mill town; textiles have been produced in Bolton since Flemish weavers settled in the area during the 15th century, developing a wool and cotton weaving tradition. The urbanisation and development of Bolton largely coincided with the introduction of textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution. It was a boomtown of the 19th century and at its zenith, in 1929, its 216 cotton mills and 26 bleaching and dying works made it one of the largest and most productive centres of cotton spinning in the world.
No. 1 Mill Built was built in 1875, and No2 Mill was built in 1880. a further site was operated from 1884 by John Hebden and Son, Vernon Mills. The Bolton Union Spinning Company Co Ltd was constituted in 1874 and was operating the mills in 1900. Mill No3 was built in 1902–1905. It is not recorded when production stopped.
The 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. Bolton Union Mill, Bolton was one of 104 mills bought by the LCC, and one of the 53 mills that survived through to 1950.
LCC received permission to re-open the mills in 1946 but in 1961 the mills were bought by Barlow & Jones and Mill No. 1 demolished. In 1976 the other mills were closed by Tootals Ltd. In 1985 No. 1 Mill site was landscaped for use as playing fields and No2 Mill was used by Dewhurst Dent Holdings Ltd, G & R Dewhurst (CMT) Curtains Ltd, Dewhurst Printing Company.
The mill was to be demolished (2008) and replaced with apartments, because the council sees the mill as no longer reflecting the image of the surrounding area. In 2016, it was still standing and in use.
Architecture.
Power.
Driven by 1200 hp tandem compound engine by John Musgrave & Sons, operating at 100psi. It had a 32-foot flywheel with 28 ropes, operated at 50rpm. The cylinders, 28"HP, 52"LP had a 6-foot stroke. The air pump was driven from the crosshead.


Japanese Shorthorn

The Japanese Shorthorn (, Nihon Tankaku Washu) is a breed of small Japanese beef cattle. It is one of six native Japanese cattle breeds, and one of the four Japanese breeds known as wagyū, the others being the Japanese Black, the Japanese Brown and the Japanese Polled. All wagyū cattle derive from cross-breeding in the early twentieth century of native Japanese cattle with imported stock, mostly from Europe. In the case of the Japanese Shorthorn, the principal foreign influence was from the Shorthorn, with some contribution from the Ayrshire and Devon breeds.
History.
Cattle were brought to Japan from China at the same time as the cultivation of rice, in about the second century AD, in the Yayoi period. Until about the time of the Meiji Restoration in 1868, they were used only as draught animals, in agriculture, forestry, mining and for transport, and as a source of fertiliser. Milk consumption was unknown, and – for cultural and religious reasons – meat was not eaten. Cattle were highly prized and valuable, too expensive for a poor farmer to buy.
Japan was effectively isolated from the rest of the world from 1635 until 1854; there was no possibility of intromission of foreign genes to the cattle population during this time. Between 1868, the year of the Meiji Restoration, and 1887, some 2600 foreign cattle were imported. At first there was little interest in cross-breeding these with native stock, but from about 1900 it became widespread. It ceased abruptly in 1910, when it was realised that, while the cross-breeds might be larger and have better dairy qualities, their working capacity and meat quality was lower. From 1919, the various heterogeneous regional populations that resulted from this brief period of cross-breeding were registered and selected as "Improved Japanese Cattle". Four separate strains were characterised, based mainly on which type of foreign cattle had most influenced the hybrids, and were recognised as breeds in 1944. These were the four wagyū breeds, the Japanese Shorthorn, the Japanese Black, the Japanese Brown and the Japanese Polled.
The Japanese Shorthorn developed in the northernmost part of Honshu, in the prefectures of Akita, Aomori and Iwate. In Aomori and Iwate, the only foreign influence was from British Shorthorn cattle, while in Akita Prefecture there was also some admixture of Ayrshire and Devon, also British breeds. The Japanese Shorthorn is distributed in northern Honshu, and also in Hokkaido.
It was listed by the FAO as "not at risk" in 2007. In 2008 the total population was reported to be about 4500. The Japanese Shorthorn constitutes about 1.2% of the beef cattle herd of Japan.
Characteristics.
The coat of the Japanese Shorthorn may be red, roan, or red-pied; both sexes are horned.
Use.
The Japanese Shorthorn is raised only for beef. The meat has less marbling than that of the Japanese Black, and so commands a lower market price.


Kekec

Kekec is a Slovenian fictional child character created by Josip Vandot in 1918 when it was first published in "Kekec on the Hard Path (Kekec na hudi poti)" at the "Zvonček" (year19#1/2) publication.
Vandot's original novels.
Original trilogy short novels with Kekec as the main character were published as annex in "Zvonček" publication, not in one piece at once but in total 12 parts for each novel:
Novels weren't published in one piece, but every month one or two parts, as Zvonček publication was released at only every first in the month.
Gale's film trilogy.
Jože Gale directed Slovene/Yugoslav film trilogy about Kekec, based on novels by Josip Vandot. But only the first and second film were a direct adaptation of the second and third book:


Taranov board

A Taranov board is a system to separate honey bees that will leave the hive with the queen bee from the bees that will stay behind in the parent hive during swarming, as well as the device used in this system.


Anton Holter

Anton Martinius Holter (1831-1921) was a Montana pioneer, businessman and politician. He made his fortune in lumber, farming, real estate and hardware.
He emigrated from his native Norway, arriving in the United States in 1854. He first worked as a carpenter in Iowa and Minnesota, before building his first sawmill near Virginia City, Montana. Holter established lumber yards in several other Montana towns, including Helena, Great Falls, and Nevada City, among others. In Helena, he founded several general merchandise and hardware companies, including A.M. Holter Hardware Company, which remained in business until 1958. Holter also served on Montana's first territorial council and first legislature, as well as Helena's first school board.
The Holter family remained active in Montana public affairs for many years and the family name is featured prominently in Montana, and especially within Helena, on places, institutions and landmarks, including the Holter Museum of Art, Holter Lake, Holter Dam and Holter Street. The World War II Liberty ship SS "Anton Holter" was named in his honor.


Scaffold (barn)

Scaffold in a barn are loosely laid poles or joists generally above the drive floor on which crops are piled. The term has the same meaning of a temporary, elevated platform in other uses of the word.


Tholkappia Poonga

Tholkappia Poonga or Adyar Eco Park (also known as Adyar Poonga) is an ecological park set up by the Government of Tamil Nadu in the Adyar estuary area of Chennai, India. According to the government, the project, conceived based on the master plan for the restoration of the vegetation of the freshwater ecosystems of the Coromandel Coast, especially the fragile ecosystem of the Adyar estuary and creek, was expected to cost around 1,000 million which will include the beautification of of land. The park's ecosystem consists of tropical dense evergreen forest, predominantly comprising trees and shrubs that have thick dark green foliage throughout the year, with over 160 woody species, and comprises six vegetative elements such as trees, shrubs, lianas, epiphytes, herbs and tuberous species. The park was opened to public by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on 22 January 2011 and named after the renowned Tamil scholar Tholkappiar. About 65 percent of the park is covered by water and artefacts and signages. In the first 2 months of its inauguration, nearly 4,000 children from several schools in the city and the nearby Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts have visited the park to learn about wetland conservation, eco-restoration and water management. While the first phase of the ecopark covered about 4.16 acres of CRZ-III area, the entire area covered under the second phase falls under this category.
Geography.
The Adyar river originates from Malaipattu tank near Manimangalam village in Sriperumbudur Taluk at about 15 km west of Tambaram and gains momentum as a stream from Chembarambakkam lake. It runs through Chennai for 42 km before draining into the Bay of Bengal, forming an estuary, which extends from the Adyar Bridge to the sandbar at the edge of the sea, with some small islets in-between. Just before joining the sea at a sand bar on the shore, one part of the river takes off northward beyond the Chettinad Palace as a small inlet of water forming a tidal creek. The creek takes a U-turn near Foreshore Estate. It surrounds what was formerly called Quibble Island, stopping short of completely encircling it. The estuary covers an area of about 300 acres. The low salinity, good shelters, calm conditions and high plankton availability in the creek serves as a good nursery for fish. The flow of tidal water in and out of the creek allowed for easy travel of boats. It therefore encouraged fishing and there was a thriving economy of fish trade here. However, with the city's sewage and effluence from its various industries, for some time, emptying into the river, the biological activities in the region was affected.
The Adyar wetland reserve is a significant link for birds on their great annual migrations, particularly the wading birds which feed on the coastal mudflats. Historically, approximately 200 species of migratory birds visited the Adyar Creek region but many are now on the endangered IUCN Red List. The restoration of this coastal wetland ecosystem will encourage many of these species to return.
Early phase.
An estimated not more than 500 acres of undisturbed tropical dry evergreen forest remains in Tamil Nadu and the eco-park, aiming at the restoration of more than 350 acres, serves as a significant conservation effort to bring this vegetation back to the Coromandel coast. Owing to uncontrolled exploitation of the wetland due to urbanisation, the region became a degraded area by the end of the 20th century. When the Ambedkar Memorial was constructed, the damage to the ecosystem was challenged by the Citizen, consumer and civil Action Group (CAG) in the court. In 2000, the High Court directed the state government to preserve the wetlands. On 22 December 2003, the State Government handed over 58 acres of the area to the Corporation of Chennai to develop it into an eco park modelled on Parque Texozomoc of Mexico. The eco-park was conceptualised by M. P. Vijayakumar, the then commissioner of the Chennai Corporation, in 2004. The budget of 600 million for creating the park was passed in 2005 and Adyar Creek Eco Park Limited, a special purpose vehicle, was set up to harness and channel the funds for development. In a bid to take up ecological restoration of the Adyar estuary, the Tamil Nadu Government constituted the Adyar Poonga Trust in October 2006. The Trust was set up with the Chief Secretary as the chairman and Secretaries of Highways, Forests, Fisheries, Municipal Administration & Water Supply, and Finance as members. However, the CAG was never made part of the body. The work of preparing an ecological restoration plan was entrusted with Pitchandikulam Forest Consultants of Auroville in February 2007. The ecological restoration aimed at an eco-park that will be a showcase ecosystem of the Coromandel Coast with fresh water ponds, brackish areas, mangroves, mud flats, dunes, and islands.
The improvement did not begin until clearance in June 2004. Once completed, it is claimed to become the first eco-tourism venture in the state. A major portion of the boundary wall for the park was built by the Chennai Corporation in 2006 at a cost of 15 million, while the remaining improvements could not be carried out owing to encroachments on the land. The area before restoration used to be a filthy place, with debris strewn around. Cattle was being reared by neighbouring slum dwellers and antisocials made merry in the area that was full of thickets. Initial assessment of the creek area was, in fact, done from the nearby high-rise structures because no one could enter the park. Following action by the civic body, the squatters of Rajah Gramani Thottam were removed and allotted to Slum Clearance Board tenements in Semmencherry in early July 2007. The issue was also taken up by the members of the Corporation Council. As a result, the remaining portion of compound wall was made higher.
The Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust.
Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Limited has been charged with engaging consultants to develop a master plan and invite bidders for development of the park. The Adyar Creek Trust has been set up by the government of Tamil Nadu to co-ordinate the execution of the project. The Adyar Poonga Trust has been rechristened as Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust (CRRT). The Chief Secretary to the Government of Tamil Nadu is the chairman for the trust and the secretaries in the Finance Department, Municipal Administration and Water Supplies, Highways Department, Public Works Department, Environment and Forest Department, and the Commissioner, Corporation of Chennai are the trustees.
M. Karunanidhi, the then chief minister of Tamil Nadu, laid the foundation stone for the project in August 2007.
Phase I.
Pitchandikulam Forest Consultants are the lead consultants in the ecological restoration of 58-acres of the Adyar Creek estuary. As part of the master plan for the restoration of the creek area, a 40-m causeway connecting Karpagam Avenue near Greenways Road with Mandaveli was demolished and was replaced by a wooden bridge 40-m long and 3-m wide. Along South Canal Bank Road, a mangrove forest has been created, as the soil is well suited for such growth. In the first phase of the ecological restoration plan which covers 58 acres costing 230 million, more than 91,280 varieties of saplings of 172 endemic species of trees, herbs, shrubs, reeds and tuberous plants were planted to serve as habitat for aquatic, terrestrial and arboreal species, chiefly at locations such as the entrance plaza, swale area near Town Planning Scheme Road, the rear side of Ambedkar Manimandapam and along Santhome entrance plaza, lakes were desilted, and a play area for children was created. About 37,600 reeds have been planted along the water margins.
Development works include land development (including excavation), construction of visitors' orientation area, three wooden bridges and a steel bridge for sightseers, a green centre, nursery building, children's interactive learning centre, environmental education centre, bamboo pavilions, signages and exhibits. The green centre has been planned in the erstwhile fisheries building near Ramakrishna Mutt Road. An audio visual room, environmental education centre, library to document creek activities, laboratory to check water quality, a souvenir shop, coffee corner, all form part of the centre. The CRRT had to excavate 150,000 tonnes of construction debris and garbage from the site to create a water body embellished with earthen pathways, wooden bridges, signage and bamboo pavilions. A total of 266,000 cubic metres of earth was removed from the site to create a park. The Phase I of the park has 136,560 plants of 172 indigenous species with about 1,000 name boards with inscriptions of the botanical names. It also includes solar-powered lights, seven water tanks, PVC pipes for a length of 3,100 m, and roads and pathways stretching 4 km on the 58-acre campus. The environmental clearance for the Adyar Poonga was obtained from the Union ministry of environment and forests in mid-January 2011. The park was opened to public on 22 January 2011. One fourth of the 58-acre park would be the conservation zone to which public would have no access. A ticket plaza has been built near Brodies Castle Road.
About 4.16 acres of Phase I development has been categorised as Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) III. The Phase I consists chiefly of wetland habitat with 70 percent water. A number of stormwater drains carrying water to the Adyar River are being diverted by the Chennai Corporation for better recharge of water in the eco-park. The new inlets of the drain would pass through South Canal Bank Road, Rohini Garden and Karpagam Avenue. These will be in addition to existing stormwater drain inlets along roads such as R. K. Mutt Road.
Phase II.
The second phase of the project covers ecological restoration of about 300 acres of Adyar River estuary between Theosophical Society and Srinivasapuram and includes habitat restoration, monitoring pathways, sanitation, solid waste management and measures to enhance tidal influx in Adyar estuary and creek. The plan for the second phase had been prepared and work started in January 2011, on the day of inauguration of the first phase of the park. Work on the phase is estimated to cost 189.3 million. The CRRT plans to make an application seeking permission from the State Coastal Zone Management Authority for commencing the second phase of the Adyar Poonga. The area covered under the second phase falls under CRZ III category. The authority would examine the project proposed in the CRZ area and give its recommendations for it to be referred to the government.
The second phase would mainly involve water body restoration. About 100,000 saplings belonging to 24 mangrove species such as "Avicennia marina", "Acanthus ilicifolius", and "Rizhophora mucronata" and mangrove associates such as barringtonia and pongamia will be planted.
On getting approval for the second phase from the government, cleaning of the stretch between the Kotturpuram bridge and Greenways Road would commence with the active participation of the Chennai Corporation and Chennai Metrowater. Work on restoration of flora between Thiru Vi Ka Bridge and Santhome Causeway would also be taken up. Removal of Prosopis, an exotic species, from the eco-park would be carried out as part of this phase of the project. Rhizophora and Avicennia species would be planted in the area instead. Stabilisation of bunds, river banks, creek and small islands in the area would form part of Phase II. The project would also restore the normal tidal inflow into the creek and estuary and make the place a haven for more species of aquatic birds. After completion of the second phase, residents are likely to be allowed there for morning walks.
There are proposals to enlarge the culverts below Santhome Causeway to allow passage of water in and out of the creek. Mangrove plantations will also come up along the river to the Thiru Vi Ka Bridge in Adyar. Plans to restore the old Elphinstone Bridge adjacent the Thiru Vi Ka Bridge by setting up a bird-watching spot along with a garden are part of the Phase II of the restoration.
Flora and fauna.
Although around 200 species of birds have been reported in the creek area in the past, several of these had vanished from the vicinity because of rapid urbanisation.
A total of 143 species of fish, amphibians, birds and reptiles have been seen in the park and the number is expected to go up to 200 once the project is completed. More than 85 different kinds of birds, including rare black bittern, cinnamon bittern, black-winged kite, white-bellied sea eagle, pied kingfisher, yellow wagtails, egret, chestnut-winged cuckoo, and black-winged stilt have been spotted by ornithologists in the green expanse. After the northeast monsoon of 2011, painted storks were spotted in the area after a gap of several years. Butterflies such as common mormon, lemon pansy, the rare painted lady and black rajah, moths such as idaea, emerald moth and oleander hawk moth, and dragonflies such as the blue-tailed green darner have been spotted here. Crows, mynahs, blue rock pigeons and water paddybirds walk on the sand near the waterbodies. Non-poisonous snakes, soft and hard shell turtles, painted frogs and green pond frogs can also be seen in the park. The restoration has also improved the quality of water, which according to Central Pollution Control Board norms, is suitable for propagation of wildlife.
Other species spotted in the vicinity after restoration include mammals such as grey mongoose and Indian flying fox, reptiles such as common Indian bronzeback and saw-scaled viper, amphibians such as flapshell turtle, Indian painted frog, skipper frog, common Indian toad, green frog (a protected species under schedule 1) and the soft-shelled turtle (also an endangered species), fishes such as Indian shortfin eel, spotted snakehead, and flathead mullet. Around 10 species of mammals, 90 species of birds, 25 species of reptiles and amphibians, 56 species of butterflies, 20 different dragonflies and 30 species of fish have been identified so far.
The number of species of birds in the park has increased from 33 in 2007 to 90 in 2010 and to 120 in 2019. Reptiles have increased from 14 in 2007 to 29 in 2010. Ambhibians have increased from three in 2007 to 10 in 2010.
Civic initiatives.
An organisation named 'Friends of Adyar Poonga', with about 40 members, has been started as an initiative to promote environment conservation. The organisation is aiming at helping in creating environmental awareness in local schools. The members meet every second Saturday of the month inside the park.
Visitor information.
The park is not open to public currently. Given the fragile ecology of the park, the monitoring committee appointed by the Madras High Court had recommended minimum human interference in the park, which is presently intended to serve as a centre for environmental education as well as research activities. The park will be kept open for students from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm and from 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm. It will remain closed on Sundays. The Park is currently open to groups of school children, accompanied by teachers/staff of the educational institution, with an entry fee of 20 per head.


Mars Mill, Castleton

Mars Mill was a former cotton spinning mill in Castleton, Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. Castleton joined the Borough of Rochdale in 1899. Queensway, Castleton was a hub of cotton mills; Mars, Marland, and Castleton Mill were a group of three. It was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1935 and passed to Courtaulds in 1964 and demolished in the 1990s; Marland survived until 2004.
Location.
Rochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale.Castleton lies to the south west, just north of Chadderton, it became part of Rochdale in 1899.
Castleton is served by the Rochdale Canal which officially opened in 1804. This provides a broad canal link across the Pennines and consequently became an important transport corridor. Within Greater Manchester, the canal started at the Bridgewater Canal, linked with Ashton Canal and passed through Ancoats, Droylsden, Moston, Middleton and Chadderton before passing Castleton and to the south of Rochdale towards Todmorden. The canal carried coal and cotton to the mills, and the completed yarn to the weaving sheds. In 1890 the canal company had 2,000 barges and traffic reached 700,000 tons/year, the equivalent of 50 barges a day, despite competition from the Manchester and Leeds Railway.
The rail service provided by the Manchester and Leeds Railway from 1839 had important goods yards at Castleton. It was amalgamated into the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1847; lines ran to Bury, Burnley, Oldham, Manchester and Leeds.
History.
It was a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution, and amongst the first ever industrialised towns. The Rochdale Canal—one of the major navigable broad canals of the United Kingdom—was a highway of commerce during this time used for the haulage of cotton, wool, coal to and from the area. In 1882, Rochdale, the home of industrial co-operatives, embraced the joint stock limited company and new mills were financed and built. Its ownership model was slightly different from that of Oldham, and more shares remained in the hands of the operatives. The canal created jobs for hundreds of local residents, as it enabled the construction of several cotton mills. With the mills came the need for engineering and from 1892, Castleton was the home of Tweedales and Smalley, who manufactured looms and textile machinery. Their Globe Works factory no longer exists, now part of the Woolworth's site.
The Manchester and Leeds Railway Company (later the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway) arrived in Castleton in 1839.
Mars Mill was an Edwardian mill built in the construction boom around 1906, by Mars Mill Limited. It was built to spin the finest Egyptian cotton. The 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. In 1913 the directors were adding an extra storey to the mill, and did not pay a dividend but made a small profit. In 1914, fine-count mills were in difficulties and Mars Mill made a half-year loss of £4,486. By 1919 the independent mills were struggling. The shareholders agreed to a recommendation to sell the mill to Messrs. Cottam and Mellor, of Oldham, for £258,000; that is £12.15s for each of the 16,000 ordinary shares of £2.10s. and £1.2s 6d. for each of the £1 preference shares. A new company was floated. The Mars Mill (1920) Limited, was registered with a capital of £300,000 in £1 shares.
The Bank of England set up the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1929 to attempt to rationalise and save the industry. Mars Mill, Castleton was one of 104 mills bought by the LCC, and one of the 53 mills that survived through to 1950, when it was spinning the finest Egyptian cotton, producing combed quality yarns from Ring and mule in the range of 74 to 120s. It was demolished in the 1990s. The adjacent Marland Mill stood until 2004.
Architecture.
Standard Edwardian-style mill with a simple water tower. Detached engine house laid out for a horizontal cross compound. It had four storeys; a fifth storey was added in 1913/14 to accommodate an additional 30,000 spindles.
Engine.
Driven by a 1700 hp cross compound engine by Urmson & Thompson, 1908 similar to the one in Royton Ring Mill, Royton. Probably had a 24-foot flywheel running at 67 rpm with 36 ropes. The cylinders, 29"HP, 59"LP, had a 5 ft stroke. It had Corliss valves on both cylinders. The air pump was driven from LP tail rod with support guides on LP only.


Ferdinand Raimund

Ferdinand Raimund (born Ferdinand Jakob Raimann; 1 June 1790 – 5 September 1836, Pottenstein, Lower Austria) was an Austrian actor and dramatist.
Life and work.
He was born in Vienna as a son of Bohemian woodturning master craftsman Jakob Raimann. In 1811, he acted at the Theater in der Josefstadt, and, in 1817 at the Leopoldstädter Theater. In 1823 he produced his first play, "Der Barometermacher auf der Zauberinsel", which was followed by "Der Diamant des Geisterkönigs" (1824). The still popular "Bauer als Millionär" (1826), "Der Alpenkönig und der Menschenfeind" (1828) and "Der Verschwender" (1834), incidental music by Conradin Kreutzer, are Raimund's masterpieces. Raimund's comedies are still frequently performed in Germany and Austria.
When Raimund was bitten by a dog, which he falsely believed to be rabid, he shot himself on 29 August 1836 and died on 5 September 1836 in Pottenstein, aged 46. Raimund is buried in Gutenstein, which features a Raimund memorial.
Raimund was a master of the Viennese Posse or farce; his rich humour is seen to best advantage in his realistic portraits of his fellow citizens. The Raimund Theater in Vienna is named after him.