[woofa.express]

A quite unrelated story to Model A's, even aeroplanes.

Some folk continue to be confused in the transition from imperial to metric measurement, (including Gary at times). Here's one such story.

Red Legged Earth Mite is a tiny fellow which infests many crops and pasture. Many dairy farmers would require a whole farm spray in the spring time. Whilst there are several insecticides that are registered for such use one was imidine. Not widely used but popular because it doesn’t taint the milk. The chemical is applied at less than 0.6 oz/acre or 240 mils a hectare. A very very low rate.

I had a 900-acre spray job north of Jerilderie. I arrived, my loading truck arrived and so did the farmer in his ute. I asked where his chemical was and he said his workers were loading it at this time. I thought this a bit odd. 4 and half 20 litre tins, why didn’t farmer bring it with him. The chemical arrived, the whole 45 tins of it. Now something had gone wrong.

That evening I called the agent and he was angry. Not at me, for I was simply the messenger. At himself. He had put the decimal point in the wrong place when he placed the order with the manufacturer.

I made a point of never bringing it up again.