Not What They Seem - Postal History Sunday

Welcome to my version of Halloween for Postal History Sunday on the Genuine Faux Farm blog and cross-posted on the GFF Postal History blog!

I see you with your Trick or Treat bag.  Since I don't have any candy for you, you'll just have to accept the gift of a blog that features something I enjoy - postal history!  Grab yourself something to drink and pull out your favorite treat that you've already collected form other houses.  Or, if you celebrate Dia de los Muertos, consider that one of the things we do here is visit the past and the lives our ancestors by exploring the items that once carried communications between them.

Either way, I welcome you and I hope you enjoy what follows.

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The ugly and occasionally scary side of hobbies like postal history is that sometimes items are offered to collectors that are not what they seem to be.  Paintings have their forgers, rare wines are faked and even designer handbags have sites that tell you how to tell the real from the fake.

There are individuals who have manipulated and modified pieces of postal history so they look like something that is better than they are.  The hope, of course, is that someone will pay much more than the item was worth.  There are also pieces of postal history that have succumbed to the ravages of time.  They may look like one thing, but be another simply because the whole story is no longer visible.  In this case, no one purposely altered the cover to make it more valuable, but a collector might still purchase it thinking they are getting something that they aren't!

Let's take a quick trip to the scary side of postal history.

Entering the Wading Pool

Sometimes it makes sense to get into the wading pool first, because the sharks like the deeper water.

Over the last several years, I have been attempting to learn more about mail between Western European nations in the period from 1850 to 1875.  One of the risks of expanding into a new collecting area is that it is more likely that you will not immediately recognize a good item from one that is... well... not so good (or one that is VERY good).

This is why I set ground rules for myself that reduce the risk and help me to build up the best defenses for any collector - knowledge and experience.  

The first rule is to familiarize myself with the most common items from that region and period of time.  Simply looking at, without buying, images of covers can train my eye to what is normal - and what is not.  Then, if I like what I have been seeing, I can safely add some of the more common uses, that fit all of the normal characteristics, to my collection.

The folded letter above is a good example of a cover that represents what most existing artifactsfrom the United Kingdom to Sweden in the 1860s look like.  A six penny stamp pays for the single rate of postage.  A "PD" marking indicates that the British post counted it as fully paid and a "3d" marking indicated how much of that postage was passed on to Denmark for their share.

After seeing several examples that had the same characteristics, it felt safe to say that this one would be a good example of the postal rate and route.

The second rule is to place a strict limit on how much I will pay for any item until I feel I have gained sufficient expertise to "splurge" on something.

I find this to be a useful approach because I learn rapidly what standard mails for this period look like.  As a result, I am now much better at recognizing when a cover is different.  And, when it is different it may be for one of the following reasons:

1. It might be illustrating a different aspect of mail handling for the time that could be very interesting.
2. Something is "not right" with an item.

The problem?  I am not always certain which of these two things I am observing! 

Was One Shilling Enough?

Here is an example of case #2 - something is not right.

This envelope went from the United Kingdom to Sweden in 1862.  The are two six-pence stamps that are heavily post-marked.  So, my first thought was that it could be an example of a double rate letter - just a heavier version of the first example in this blog post.  

But, there were numerous differences in the markings - and the back gave me even more information to tell me that I was not seeing a simple double rate for a letter similar to the first one.

So why did I buy this if it was not consistent with the first item?  Well, that was EXACTLY why I was interested.  It was different!  And, the markings all "agreed" with each other, showing a fairly clear set of travels.  Most of it felt right to me, but I did not, at the time I added this to the collection, know all of the postage rate options between the British and Swedish post office.  So, I took a gamble at low cost - and I actually still think I won because I learned so much!

Verso of the cover above.

What is this item supposed to be?
The piece of letter mail shown above was mailed in London on June 16, 1862 and arrived in Stockholm, Sweden on June 22 of the same year.  The front of the cover shows markings for London and a very faint marking just under the stamps that is likely Helsingborg (June 20).  The back shows markings for Hamburg's mail office on June 18 (the oval) and the Swedish mail office (rectangle).  It is possible some of the blurred markings are the Royal Danish mail service markings.  And, finally, there is a receiving mark in Stockholm on June 22 (circular marking over the rectangular marking).

The route for this mail, starting in London, shows the letter crossing the channel to Ostende, Belgium.  Belgian railways carried the item across the country so it could enter Prussia at Aachen.  Prussian railways carried this item to Hamburg.

The Hamburg mail service received the item and then transfered it to the Danish mail office in Hamburg.  They, in turn passed the letter on to the Royal Swedish post office in Hamburg.  The Swedish post then sent the mail via Danish rail services to Helsingor.  From there, crossing the Oresund to Helsingborg (Sweden).  At that point, the letter likely went overland to Stockholm.

Here is the front of this letter yet again.  Warning!  We're about to get into the weeds a bit here!

The "P" in an oval is a British marking indicating the item was prepaid to the destination.  There is a red "10" that looks a bit like a "W" over the spot where the "P" in the oval resides.  And there is a red "5" at the lower left.  What did these numbers mean?

• 10 pence were passed on to the Hamburg mail service.
• Hamburg passed 5 silbergroschen (about 6 pence) to the Scandinavian posts
• Hamburg kept 3 1/2 pence
• Hamburg gave  1/2 penny to the Belgians for their transport
• 4 pence in postage were kept by the British
• they passed an additional 1/2 penny to the Belgians as well.

Ok, back out of the weeds.  I told you all of that so I could say this:

The total postage was 14 pence (1 shilling and 2 pence).  And there are 12 pence (1 shilling) in postage on this envelope.

Hmmmmmmmm.

To make a long story a little shorter, this is a genuine example of the 1 shilling 2 pence rate to Sweden.  But, there appear to be two one penny stamps missing that were once located at the top right.

Alas.  And, yet - look at how smart I sound now!  Maybe I should not have told you I bought it without knowing the rate of postage in the first place.  I could have come across as sounding very wise if I told you I noticed this item and immediately could tell there was a problem.

Well, probably not.  But, one can hope.

What were the warning signs?

1. The postage is underpaid, but it appears to have markings for a paid item.

This is why it is important for a postal historian to have knowledge of postal rates.

The British rate for prepaid mail via the Belgium to Hamburg route was 1 shilling 2 pence for every half ounce of weight.  This was the normal route for mail to Stockholm from August 1 of 1852 until Dec 31, 1862.  The first letter shown in this blog shows the rate AFTER 1862!

When you find an item that clearly has too little postage to cover the postage rate and it was still treated as unpaid, you have a few options:

1. the postal clerk made an error
2. the sender paid for the remaining amount in cash and the clerk opted to not put stamps on it (maybe they were in a rush to get it into the mail stream)
3. at one time, there was enough stamps to pay the postage, but they have fallen off.
   

2. There are shadows at the upper right that are the right size and shape for 2 additional stamps.

Water activated adhesives on these stamps could release if exposed to moisture over time (it is over 150 years old, you know).  It is also possible that the stamps were never very well attached, coming off at some point even as it traveled through the mails - we'll never know for certain.

To help you see what I am talking about, I enhanced some of the area at the top right of the cover.  You can see what appears to be the shadow of the edge of a perforated postage stamp where the arrow is pointing in the image above.
 
Conclusion
This is a genuine cover with no intentional modifications made.  However, two stamps have fallen off at some point after it was processed as a paid item.

My mistake was not being certain of the rate for a prepaid item via this route to Sweden.  I was much more familiar with the rate structure from 1865 to 1875.  I took a shot with a guess and I was wrong.

Live and learn!

Experience Pays Off

The second part of this "horror show" illustrates an item that someone "improved" at some point in time.  I was considering adding this cover to my collection several years ago, until it became apparent there was a problem.

My interest in this piece of letter mail from the United States to Belgium was in the fact that it was forwarded on to Cherbourg, France after getting to its original destination in Antwerp.

I was also attracted to this cover because its travels were so easy to follow. Postal transit markings on the front and back clearly trace the cover's route from Boston, England, Antwerp, Paris and Cherbourg. The cover was clearly to an individual on ship (the USS Colorado), which explains the bit of a "merry chase" so the letter could catch up to Midshipman C.H. Davis. The 27 cents in postage was correct for such an item from the US to Belgium, as are the markings.

 

What were the warning signs?

 

Cutting right to the chase -  we should all look closely at the 3 cent stamp on this cover (it is the rose/red covered stamp - the other is a 24 cent stamp).

1. Strong Boston transit marking does not tie to the stamp

 

In postal history, we often talk about how postal markings "tie" a stamp or label to a cover.   Simply put, if the stamp was on the cover when it was mailed, and the Boston postal clerk struck this letter with the Boston postal marking in red ink, it should appear both on the envelope AND the stamp.  When that happens, we say that the stamp is "tied" to the envelope because the markings around it are consistent between the two.

In this case, there isn't ANY trace of this red marking on the 3 cent stamp.

There was clearly enough red ink on the stamping device because the marking on the envelope is very clear and strong.  The odds are very low that the stamp would get NO ink on it from this marking.

 

 2. Different cancellations on the two stamps.  

 

Postal services used cancellation devices to deface postage stamps so they could not be re-used.  In this case, a circular handstamp of nine bars was used to apply black ink to the 24 cent stamp.  The 3-cent stamp also has nine bars on its cancellation, but it has a slightly different shape.

 

The orientation of the cancels is slightly different, but not enough to cause great concern.  However, the width of the bars is definitely different. The right grid cancel gives more of an appearance of a 'rim' - or a more definite termination to the bars than the left cancel. The dark cancellation on the left stamp makes it seem odd that the right strike should be so light - except for the ink that is actually on the envelope. 

 

Blacklight image of lower left

 

And, if you look even more carefully - it appears that someone used some black ink to extend the bars on the 3 cent stamp so they could match up with some markings that were on the cover.

 

3. Cancellation ink from the left cancellation goes under the perforations on the 3 cent stamp.  

 

Some of the longer bars on the first cancellation should touch the 3 cent stamp. As a matter of fact, they should "tie" to the 3 cent stamp. Instead, some of the cancellation ink goes UNDERNEATH the 3rd perforation from the bottom on the left of the 3 cent stamp.  

 

Unfortunately, I cannot illustrate this very well, but it became obvious when I viewed the item in person.

 

4. Aging shadow inconsistent with orientation of the 3 cent stamp.

This is another thing that is hard to show on a blog.  But, as a piece of postal history ages, evidence that there once was something on the envelope but is no longer there shows up.  Just like the British item that was missing two stamps, there is a bit of shadowing that shows us there was another stamp on this cover - and it is NOT the 3 cent stamp we see here.

5. Liquid staining in the area of the transit mark not apparent on stamp.
 

This envelope got wet at some point in time - with staining right about where the 3 cent stamp resides.  Yet, the 3 cent stamp doesn't show that staining.  In fact, it is possible the original stamp came off when the cover got wet.  

 

Conclusion

This is a genuine cover with a replacement 3 cent stamp for the stamp that was lost at some point in the cover's lifetime. The person who modified this cover carefully placed a decent candidate 3 cent stamp with a grid cancellation on the cover and it looks like they may have added a little ink to persuade us to think it was "tied" to the cover.  I am fairly confident the 24 cent stamp did originate on the cover.

 

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Thank you again for joining me for Postal History Sunday.  I hope you enjoyed a slightly different look at the hobby I appreciate.

Have a great remainder of your day and a good week to come.

Trending (at the farm)

And for today's post we're just going to see what sorts of things are trending with the farmers right now!  Without further ado and whole lotta todo - here we go!

Some Music We Are Currently Enjoying

It's not a new album to me, but it has been a long-time favorite.  In fact, there is a bit of a story to this particular album.  I have enjoyed the 77's since a time prior to meeting Tammy, my lovely bride.  Initially, she was not enamored with their music and I had to ask permission to put them on if we were listening to music together.  

That all changed when Sticks and Stones came out.  It all started with a trip on a cold October night...and this song.

Something I Look Forward to Trying

Our old digital camera has done its duty over the years for us, but it was beginning to show its age.  That makes me sort of sad, because I really prefer to not discard things and I like to get full use when I can.  But, Tammy finally convinced me we could (and should) consider a new camera.

I am by no means I photographer, I merely play a bit with the camera.  But, some of the things I have tried to do in the past are much more possible than they once were.  Things like a photo that includes the full moon.

The picture above was just one of those "I want to try it NOW" sorts of things.  I'd say prognosis that I'll get a picture or two I like is good... someday.

A Book I Hope to Re-Read Soon

I used to re-read the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien every year and I have not done so for... well... far too long now.  I recognize that part of this is because my prior tradition was to read the trilogy every summer.  That worked when I was in academia.  But, once I started farming?  New tradition, I'll read it this December.  How does that sound?

The picture above is by John Howe, one of the artists who is credited with some wonderful artwork portraying the world created by Mr. Tolkien.  I find the picture above of a Hobbit dwelling to be relaxing, for some reason.

A Game We ...

No.  Still nothing new here.  We're still playing Wingspan. The cards are starting to show their wear and tear now, but the game sits out, ready to play each day if we are so inclined....   But, we were just introduced to a couple of games that might just catch our imagination.  Will we stop playing Wingspan?  Probably not.  But, maybe it's time to try a different... no? 

Food We Are Liking Right Now

I think Tammy will agree, but I have been enjoying the buttercup squash and the blue and red potatoes.   It's getting colder outside, so some of these 'comfort' foods that are best served warm are moving up the list.

Of course, we're also enjoying some of our turkey and a little broccoli in the meal shown above.  It's all about as local as you can get.  The milk and butter are from Hansen's (Hudson, IA) and the rest is from our farm.  We'll call it a win.

A Picture We Both Enjoy
It's one of our favorite places on this beautiful Earth we inhabit.  So, of course, we have a whole bunch of pictures of Waimea Canyon.  I'll just grab one and that will work just fine, thank you.

An Accomplishment We Are Really Hoping to Achieve
This one is actually pretty unfair because there is always so much we want to do and need to do.

The Woolly Bear caterpillar is often a harbinger of colder months ahead.  Some say a longer red band means we'll have a rougher winter and some say a shorter red band means we'll have a rougher winter.  Yes, you read that right.  It seems that both mean we'll have a rougher winter.  I gave up on weather severity predictions based on this particular critter a long time ago.

Whatever.  Every year, we get to about Thanksgiving and that's when the really cold weather starts.  The ground freezes and Mother Nature makes her announcement that we really should have accomplished all of those "before it gets to cold" things a few weeks ago.

I would like to accomplish the feeling that I did pretty well getting ready for that moment this year.  Will it happen?  Tune in about November 20 and find out.

A Book I am Taking the Time to Read Slowly

Some books grab you and take you on a journey where you quickly decide you won't put it down until it is done.  That sort of book encourages you to plow through, dashing from moment to moment until the last page is turned and you breathe a sigh of happy relief (and you notice that you've done nothing for the past day other than read).

 

This is NOT that type of book.  This is a book where you don't want to miss things, so you take it in stages, making sure you are ready to enjoy what you are reading... and how it reads.  To rush through this one would be to miss the real joy of it.  

Something Tammy Did That I Appreciate

I simply mentioned the fact that many of the shirts and hoodies I wear frequently were showing... um.... some wear.  I believe I ended that with, I should probably look into getting a few new ones some day.

What should appear soon thereafter?  A few new shirts and a couple of new hoodies.

Tammy's pretty neat.  I think I'll ask her to marry me.

Think she'll say yes?

What Can You Do?

It is so easy to be overwhelmed.  If I were to keep track of such a thing, I suspect I have to fight off that feeling (of being overwhelmed) at least once every day.

Things to do on the farm.  Things to do for PAN.  Things we want to do with the house.  Daily chores that can't be ignored.  People I should reach out to.  Bills that have to be paid.  This, that, and the other thing.

You know - all of that personal busy stuff that we all have to do at some level or another... and all of the personal worries and cares that come with being human.

Then, if you are like me, there are all of those "big picture" things we have to worry about too.  

No Free Passes

Someone suggested to me that I should worry less about all of those big things that I can "do nothing about."  I thought about that for a while and decided they were both right and wrong.

They were certainly correct that I should not worry as much as I often do about things for which I have very little personal control.  It would be better for me (and everyone around me) if I do not predicate my happiness and sometimes my very state of being on big ideas like significant reductions in world pesticide use, support for natural places and wildlife, opportunities for those who have few privileges and resources and... well, a long list of other things.

But, they are also wrong.  If someone like me, who has the opportunity to actually be content and happy in his life, will not take the time to consider that there are problems in this world that need addressing, then I become part of the problem.

I believe that there are no free passes on this Earth.  While it is not required that we must be miserable every moment to show that we can empathize with those who struggle, it is important that we recognize struggles and do what we can to alleviate them. 

Let me put it this way - my being miserable because there are things that are wrong on this Earth will do nothing to alleviate suffering.  My being happy because I ignore things that are wrong on this Earth will do nothing to alleviate suffering.

My being aware and doing what I can just MIGHT alleviate suffering.  Maybe I'll be unhappy because of it at times and maybe I'll be content because I'm doing what I can.  Yeah.  I can live with that.

Farmers Do Halloween Differently

 Here we are in late October and Halloween is approaching.  While I am not big on celebrating this particular time of year, I can write "scary" every once in a while.  As you can see in this throwback post referencing the wet weather in 2018, my idea of writing scary may not be what most people expect.

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You shouldn't walk here became you cannot walk here.  The transition happened over a period of five days when the skies were leaden and heavy and the water that poured from it found itself trapped on the surface of our farm with nowhere else to go.

Meanwhile, many of our plants were disappointed to learn that they CANNOT walk either.  But, in their case, this was the status quo.  Walking had never been their strong suit and now that they might have really loved to have picked themselves up and moved somewhere else (perhaps anywhere else) they found what might have been a mere inconvenience was now a severe detriment to their health. 

Many of the lettuce plants succumbed to the wet conditions while several others did not.  Perhaps the survivors looked at their reflections in the water and said, "I see myself in this water and I see possibilities.  I could fail, or I could find some way to succeed.  It might not be what I envisioned for myself at the beginning, but I can find a way to live and be productive even when conditions are difficult."

We grew some pretty smart lettuce on the farm this past season.  Too bad we cut them off at their base and gave them to people to be eaten.  Aren't you glad you aren't lettuce?

Rainy Day Folder

At one point in my life, I used to look forward to a nice, long, rainy day.  

Of course, this doesn't mean I can't appreciate a rainy day now - this is just a recognition that, once I started farming, rain did not mean the same thing as it once did.  After all, rain does not exempt me from chores, or harvesting and cleaning for deliveries.  In fact, rain often just made work more difficult - so it really wasn't the same thing at all!

In the past, a rainy day would be a day to go through some old papers or clean out/off a desk or closet... or some sort of thing along those lines.  As I would do these tasks, I would invariably find an item or two that would provide me with a fond remembrance or an emotional boost.  

Because the day had slowed me down and given me "cause" to perform a task that would expose me to things I had not seen in a while, I would have opportunities to reflect and reframe my current state of being.  Of course, I would have no guarantee that I wouldn't find things that would bring about painful reminders too (ooops, you forgot to fill out that form before the deadline!).  But, the main idea here is that a rainy day often meant that I had a chance to revisit something good.

And, so, once the pandemic started, I created an electronic "rainy day folder," to be opened on those days when I need a boost.  It's not required that it actually be raining - it can be any time I'm feeling like I'm just not good enough or I'm feeling down.

What's in the folder?

A bunch of quick cut and pastes of kind words I have received since March 2020.  It usually only takes one of them to remind me that I do bring some value to this world - even if it doesn't feel like it at the moment.

What's in your "Rainy Day" folder?

Unfinished Business

I was invited to the celebration and I wanted to participate. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had just announced that “it will stop the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos on all food to better protect human health…” This is what PAN and many partnering organizations have been working on for years. Getting here has not been easy, and people are understandably ready to give a sigh of relief and enjoy the feeling of a job well done. 

Unfortunately, despite this very real success, I could not get into the spirit of the celebration — and I still can’t. The chlorpyrifos ban we’ve been celebrating isn’t quite finished. And, it is the people who live in the rural areas, where soybeans and corn fill most agricultural fields, who will continue dealing with this insecticide unless EPA finishes the job.

Catching the Drift

Back in 2015, our farm participated in an Iowa drift-catching campaign with PAN. Tammy and I were well aware that our work on our small-scale, diversified farm likely exposed us to a number of pesticides, none of which we would have applied ourselves. Rather than rely on an educated guess without any specific data to back it up, we took the leap and faithfully took samples and recorded weather and field conditions. We did this work with mixed feelings. A positive test result was not going to be, from our perspective, at all positive.

Once the samples were analyzed, we learned that there were two specific spray events that resulted in measurable drift amounts of chlorpyrifos in the air at our farm. In one of those instances, the application occurred one mile away. The winds reached no more than five miles per hour, moving in our direction from the application site. In other words, this application was well within the parameters set by the product label and the field wasn’t right next door.

And we were still breathing it in.

What the EPA ruling does do

There have been some questions regarding the scope of EPA’s decision to limit the use of chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate insecticide, acaricide and miticide that has long been known to be harmful to the health and development of children. The August 18 decision will remove tolerance levels of chlorpyrifos pesticide residues in food as of February 28, 2022. This includes residues of the pesticide in animal feed or in meat, milk or other animal products that might come as a result of consuming contaminated feed. In short, once tolerances are revoked, the pesticide cannot be used on food crops — which is why many have interpreted the decision as a “ban.”

This is truly good news. There is no such thing as a safe amount of chlorpyrifos on our foods. EPA finally stepped up and recognized what the scientific research has been showing for years — we should not be ingesting any amount of this product as we sit down to eat. The decision also protects families living near and individuals working in fruit and vegetable fields where chlorpyrifos will no longer be applied.

It is now clear that the use of this insecticide on orchard and vineyard crops, which are among the top four crop types that have seen the use of chlorpyrifos in recent years, will not be tolerated. On the other hand, future use of this pesticide on corn and soybeans is not as clearly defined. 

And what it doesn’t

EPA hasn’t yet proposed the cancellation of chlorpyrifos registration, which is different from crop tolerance levels. At present, non-food uses of chlorpyrifos for crops such as ethanol corn, seed and sod crops, flowers, or ornamental plants, will continue. This means a small-scale farmer in Iowa who spends much of his time outdoors may still be able to get measurable readings of chlorpyrifos with a Drift Catcher next year and for years to come — revealing my own personal hesitation when it comes to celebrating this recent decision.

It is true that field corn and soybeans are both used for animal feed and for the creation of various food products. If growers want to sell their harvest for those uses, they will need to avoid this insecticide. On the other hand, corn is also used for ethanol production and various manufactured goods. It is estimated that 57% of Iowa’s field corn is used for ethanol production alone. And, let us not forget that the corn belt (Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska) is home to significant seed corn production.

Soybeans are a slightly different case, with most soy products going to animal feed or food products. There are some non-food uses for soybean oil, and, of course, there is always seed production. However, Dow-Corteva has identified soybeans as one of the uses it wants to retain and will continue to exert pressure for exemptions where it can. 

And, finally, let’s not forget that food tolerance levels apply to foods to be consumed in the United States. That could mean growers may decide to use the product for crops to be exported to countries that will accept chlorpyrifos residues on these products. For context, consider that the United States exports about 2 billion bushels each of field corn and soybeans every year.

We’re not done yet

While I celebrate the move to no longer allow any level of this dangerous pesticide on our foods in this country, I believe we can do better than that. I would like to be able to say that we also value the lives of the people who live near and work in fields used for all types of agricultural production.

EPA says they “will proceed with registration review for the remaining non-food uses of chlorpyrifos. . . which may consider additional measures to reduce human health and ecological risks.”  They say their review is underway, and that they’ll release a decision by next October.  

We’re not at the finish line yet, but we’re close, and we want you to help us to finish the job! This is why PAN and our partners are gearing up to press EPA to cancel all remaining uses of chlorpyrifos.

Count me in as one rural American who is hoping our health, and the health of our children, is worth protecting too.

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This is a cross-posting from Pesticide Action Network's Ground Truth blog.   If you would like to support the effort to remove chlorpyrifos from all uses, whether it is on soybean fields grown for seed or sod on a golf course, please consider joining us.

I Am One of THEM

I have a few themes that I just keep coming back to in the farm blog.  That must mean that I either care about these topics OR perhaps it means that I have a very limited repertoire?  Whichever it is, I am still going to write about this today and there's nothing anyone can do about it!  HA! That'll show you.   And you too!

A Black Swallowtail floats around our farm near the farmhouse most days during the warmest months.  It flies a similar route most days and Tammy and I both take no small amount of delight in seeing it do what it does.  In fact, most people who see these flying gems tend to react favorably to them.  

They're beautiful.  They aren't threatening.  They move around and give you something to watch.  

The photo above is taken from the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden site and this article that talks about the larvae of the Black Swallowtail.  The photo was taken by Tom Hennessey.  I have a photo somewhere, but it is not nearly this good!

Black Swallowtail caterpillars like carrots and parsley - among other things.  As a vegetable grower who has raised both of these crops, what am I supposed to think about these butterflies now?  After all, that flutter-by may well have been responsible for quality reduction in some of my crops!  Does that mean I should feel differently about them?

No.  Not really.  What it means is that I should learn more and put the whole thing into perspective.  Typically, the Black Swallowtail population does not boom and bust to the point that an entire crop will be destroyed.  At least at our farm, with our approach to farming, Black Swallowtail larvae have never caused us to have any real losses from their presence.  But, we know that they have munched on some of the plants we care for.

We, as human beings, have this terrible tendency to place complex beings into simple categories... such as "good" and "bad."  And, it is never that simple.

College Prof - Good or Bad?

Let me make this a bit more personal so I can be even clearer about the point I am attempting to make.

I have a PhD in Computer Science and Adult Education.  I worked hard to acquire that degree and I learned a great deal about those topics (and about life in general) in the process.  My goal was to facilitate the learning of others to the best of my ability and I did have the opportunity to do that for a while at the University of Minnesota - Morris.

Do you see the red cap in the back?  Yep, that's me with a group of students and faculty at an end of year celebration at a local park.  

There are a lot of good people in that picture and there were a lot of good people who were involved in the Computer Science Discipline that are not in that picture.  Every one of us was unique in our own way, but our connection via our studies was the commonality that brought us together.

Over the past few years, I have become increasingly aware of and alarmed by the number of people who make the claim that people in academia are indoctrinating and brain-washing young people when they go to college.  I have even had a couple of people try to advance that idea with me - probably because I don't "act and look" like one of the "enemy."

But.... I am one of THEM.

More Diverse and Complex Than the Stereotype

Academics are more than the bumbling caricatures you see portrayed in movies and far less ominous than some members of our general population make them out to be.  Some of them are excellent teachers and some are excellent researchers.  All of them are good at some things and... less good at others.  Some are very accepting of a wide range of opinions and others are not.  A few will mercilessly push an agenda they have while others work hard to avoid any undue and inappropriate influence over those in their classes.

Sound familiar?  Doesn't it sound like every group of people you have encountered in the world?

In every group, there are a few who are truly bad actors.  There are also a few who are far better than anyone has a right to be.  The rest of us fall somewhere in between.  A little bit of good, a little bit of not so good.. and a whole lot of human.  

In most cases, these are humans who are doing their best to help facilitate the learning and growth of those who come to their schools by guiding newcomers into the terminology, processes and theories that come with their subject areas.   It's a difficult job - and if you think these gifted, but wholly human, members of academia are trying to influence your children, you would be correct.  But, it is not really what you fear.

The job of post-secondary educators is to help students to build on the foundation that students have put together with the help of their parents, families, schools, mentors, friends and other influences.  A college professor (even those who think they can do this) is unlikely to be able to destroy a strong foundation, but by teaching they might encourage a student to knock over a poorly built shed of misunderstandings or misconceptions.

The Learner's Journey 

In the end, the learning is on the shoulders of the learner.  A teacher hopes to facilitate learning by exposing a student to new experiences, ideas and concepts.  The learner decides how they will incorporate it into their own structure of life.  The student builds up, tears down, and rebuilds as they see fit.

And when a young person comes back from college during break or for the summer, be amazed, rather than horrified by how they are learning - because it is THEIR process.  A journey which you, the parents, families, communities have built the foundation for.  If you helped build a good foundation, then they will have a successful journey - but it is silly for you to expect their journey to follow the script you held in your mind for them.  After all, it is theirs to take - not yours.

And what if they should come home and make it clear that they have knocked down a tower that is cherished by you and yours?  What should that tell you?  Was it the evil, conniving, college professors, intent on destroying your offspring with unclean thoughts and immoral ideas?  Or is it possible that your loved one just sees a different structure that has potential on the foundations you helped them build in their life?

And then, you should also remember that we are all building, tearing down, and rebuilding for our entire lives.  Today's structures are not our final structures.  Some will fall under their own weight.  Others will be better than earlier versions of the same thing.  It's all part of the learner's journey.

Back to the Evil Professor

So... to those who fear the academic, let this be a re-assurance.  We are real people.  We are more complex than a faceless nemesis or an self-important know-it-all or an absent-minded professor.  We have placed ourselves in the position of offering the expertise we have worked hard to acquire at the doorstep of those who have interest in our areas of study.

Some of us are pretty arrogant and some of us do a pretty poor job of relating to those who have trouble learning our subjects.  Some of us are acutely aware of the fact that despite all of the knowledge we have accumulated over the years there is so much more that we do not know.

Here are some snapshots of what I, a flawed human being, was as a professor - and I make no claims to be any better or horribly worse than any other:

• I would gripe to anyone who would listen when my students didn't read instructions or ignored the syllabus and resources I worked hard to put together for them.  
• I walked a student who was ill to see a medical professional and I listened while another mourned the death of a parent.
• I closed the door, locked it and turned off the light in my office because I could not handle another person asking me for more of my time at that moment.
• I extended my office hours so I could talk to each and every person who was standing in line - even though that line probably had twenty or more people in it. 
• I expected people to put real effort into learning and I was known to be a "tough grader."
• I made judgement calls that helped various students to do what they needed to do and I made other judgement calls that did nothing to help.

That's an example of an evil professor, nemesis of all you hold dear and destroyer of the American "Way."  You may see some of yourself in me, just as I see some of myself in you.  Does that make it easier or harder for us to be adversaries?  Let me know.

Too Late Again? - Postal History Sunday

Welcome once again to Postal History Sunday on the Genuine Faux Farm blog and cross-posted on the GFF Postal History blog.  

We'll start a little bit differently this week so I can take a moment and give a shout out to Michael Cortese and Charles Epting for their Conversations with Philatelists.   Their enjoyable podcasts are, much like Postal History Sunday, another pandemic inspired project and I admire their continuing efforts.  For those who are curious, my favorite "conversation" that I listened to/watched this past year features Dr. Christy Pottroff: Postal History as a Teaching Tool and Literary Influence.  Those who know me and have been reading PHS for a while probably won't be surprised that I would appreciate that particular episode.

It's always good to meet others who are also interested in learning something new and are willing to share things they enjoy.

This week's Postal History Sunday is actually a continuation, of a sort, from last week's PHS post.  If you will recall, we were looking at the different ways postal services protected themselves from the perception that their efforts deliver the mail were slow. 

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Today piece of postal history has been a favorite of mine for some time - in part because it features, not one, but four copies of the 24 cent 1861 stamp I enjoy so much.  It was sent from San Francisco, California in November (or December) of 1867, arriving in England, January of 1868.  

How Much Did It Cost to Mail?

This cover must have weighed more than 1.5 ounces and no more than 2 ounces. Since the rate of postage for mail from the US to the UK was 24 cents per 1/2 ounce, 96 cents of postage was required.

The processes and postage rates for mail between nations in the 1860s were set by postal treaties (also known as postal conventions) that were negotiated between countries.  This envelope was sent under the postal convention between the United States and United Kingdom that was in effect from 1848 to the end of 1867.  A new treaty became effective on January 1, 1868 that set the postage rate at 12 cents per 1/2 ounce (exactly half the previous postal rate).

And that is where the story starts to get a bit more interesting for this particular cover!

This letter entered the US postal system in 1867, so it was correctly rated for postage to be collected under the first treaty (1848-67).  

Now we have a chance to learn something that might be new to some of you.  The postage paid was 96 cents in US stamps, which means the US postal service had all of the money to pay for this letter's travels.  But, the US would not provide all of the services required to get the letter to its destination in Liverpool.  So, the money was split between the US and UK to cover the expenses incurred by each country.

The accounting between the British and American postal systems would have been as follows:

The United States would keep 20 cents

• Surface mail (steamship from San Francisco to New York City) postage = 5 cents x 4 = 20 cents

The United States would send 76 cents to the British postal system

• Trans-Atlantic mail packet (steamship) postage = 16 cents x 4 = 64 cents
• Surface mail (train) in the UK = 3 cents x 4 = 12 cents
  

But, as luck would have it, this item did not leave the United States until the new year (1868) had begun.  That means the ACTUAL accounting between nations was done using the new postal convention even though the letter was paid under the old treaty:

The United States would keep 84 cents

• Surface mail (steamship from San Francisco to New York City) postage = 3 cents x 4 = 12 cents
• Trans-Atlantic mail packet (steamship) postage = 6 cents x 4 = 24 cents
• Extra postage = 48 cents
  

The United States would send 12 cents to the British postal system

• Surface mail in the UK = 3 cents x 4 = 12 cents

What Changed Accounting for this Letter?

There were two major changes that resulted in different accounting, that clearly benefited the United States.  After all, they got to keep 64 MORE cents than they would have under the old agreement.

1. The postal rate was reduced form 24 cents to 12 cents

All of a sudden, HALF of the postage collected did not even need to be disclosed to the United Kingdom!  Before you get confused, remember, the postage rate that needed to be paid was the amount due at the time the letter was mailed.  The sender HAD to pay 96 cents (or wait until January...)  But, since it did not leave the US until January 1868, the US did not need to report it as a letter that had been posted under the old agreement.

Don't feel too bad for the British mails.  They probably had their fair share of mail that was mailed in 1867 and did not leave until 1868.  I am sure they also kept this excess postage for themselves.

2. The sending country was always responsible for paying the trans-Atlantic shipping company.  

Under the old agreement, certain shipping companies were under contract with one country or the other.  The contracting nation was responsible for paying the shipping company - sometimes that was the country that sent the mail, sometimes it was the one who received the mail.  It was a bit more confusing than this new system. 

So, Why Was This Item Delayed?

If this piece of letter mail had gone on its way immediately, we would never have had the opportunity to talk about the change in postal convention and the new postage rates.  As it was, this item sat at the San Francisco post office for ten days before continuing on its journey.  That makes this cover even more fun for me!

A company marking for Eric W Pierce shows a date of November 30, 1867 on the back - yet there is a docket on the front left that reads November 29, 1867.  So, why in the world would there be a December 10, 1867 postmark from San Francisco?  Ooooo!  A mystery!  Let's see if we can solve it!

A typical reason for this sort of delay on a cover usually lies with the sender of the item.  Eric W Pierce put some docketing on the cover indicating they expected a November 29 departure from San Francisco.  But, they clearly did NOT get to the post office in time.

In fact, their own company handstamp makes it clear that they probably still had the letter in their possession on November 30, which is probably the day they actually got to the post office to mail this fairly heavy letter.

First, it is important to know that exchange offices and post offices that put mailbags aboard steamships were instructed to postmark the item with the date of departure for the ship it was to board.  The docket at the top left reads "Steamer,"  which tells the postmaster to send it on a steamship via Panama rather than sending it overland.  That seems an odd decision, as we'll see later, but the post office was bound to honor the request. 

The steamship departure schedule for mail carriage around the time this item was mailed was:

• November 29 - steamer Golden City departs SF
• December 10 - steamer Sacramento departs SF
  

It is clear that Eric W Pierce wanted this item to go via the November 29th steamer, but his own handstamp betrays the fact that he was not able to get to the post office on time.  He has clearly directed that it was to go by steamer

Journeys via Steamship

Upon receiving the item, the San Francisco post office realized there would be some wait until the next steamer departure for Panama.  As a result, they struck the envelope with a bold and clear "Too Late" marking, postmarked it for the next departure (Dec 10) and probably opened up the new mailbag for the next steamer and put this letter into it.  There it sat until the whole bag was placed aboard the Sacramento for its departure ten days later.

The rest of the journey was fairly typical for an item via Panama. 

San Francisco, Cal Dec 10
     Pacific Mail Steamship Company Sacramento
Aspinwall (Panama) Dec 23
     Pacific Mail Steamship Company Henry Chauncey
New York Dec 31

Boston  Jan 1
     Cunard Line Africa
Queenstown Jan 12
Liverpool Jan 13

Here's where we notice one more thing.  The Cunard Line was still alternating departures between Boston and New York.  One departure every week, alternating ports.  Once again, New York was the exchange office that held the letter.  They marked it for the January 1 departure in Boston and put it in the mailbag.  Once mails closed, that mailbag was sent on to Boston for departure from the port the next day.  

If there had been a trans-Atlantic ship departure on December 31, it is possible that this item would have left on that ship - which means it would have gone under the old convention's accounting.  How's that for cutting it close on the difference between a nice, long, complicated story and a simple one?

Why Did Eric W Pierce Choose via Panama?

Letters leaving San Francisco could be sent on steamships via Panama, or they could go overland, taking the train for much of the trip by the time we get to late 1867.  Overland mail took about 16-18 days to go from San Francisco to New York.  Via Panama would typically take 21 days.  

In fact, most letter mail, by the time we reached 1867, was carried overland by default.  If you wanted a letter to go via steamship, you had to state that fact on the envelope (which Pierce did do with the word "steamship" at top left).

It would still be a year and a half before the 'Golden Spike' was driven at the trans-continental rail line completion, but much of the route did have rail service. Also, overland mail left more frequently than steamship mail.  Typically overland mail was the better choice.

So, why would Eric W Pierce choose the via Panama route on a steamer?  It would almost certainly be slower!

After a very short dig into the archives of the Sacramento Daily Union, I found this little snippet indicating mail up to November 12 from New York via overland routes had been received (reported in the December 2 paper).  This seems to indicate that the overland mail had not been delayed up to that point.

However, there is mention of some big storms in the Chicago area around November 30.  Perhaps there was some knowledge of potential overland mail delays that I fail to find with a quick look.  Maybe Eric Pierce new about those delays (if there were any) and decided the steamship mail would be more reliable (especially if he got it to the November 29 departure)?

The possible reasons Pierce might have opted for steamship mail via Panama might be:

• There were reports of delays due to weather via the overland route, there is some evidence in contemporary reports that there were some difficult storms around that time.
• Perhaps Mr. Pierce was sending something he felt was valuable and he had rumor that overland mail was less secure?
• Since it was a heavier letter, is it possible that it was required to go via Panama?  Printed matter, newspapers and parcels typically took the slower steamships.  I don't see anything that should have resulted in this letter mail being required to take this route in the regulations of the time - but I could be missing something.
• Perhaps Eric Pierce had something to gain from a delay?  Since there are no contents with this envelope, I will never know the answer to this question.

More About the Adelphi Hotel

The docketing for "Steamer" is in the same hand as the directive that this item was to go "Care of Adelphi Hotel" in Liverpool (see bottom left of the envelope).   

The current Adelphi Hotel is actually the third hotel to be built in that location.  At the time this letter was sent, the first building was still active.  Originally constructed in 1826 and replaced in 1876, the building currently holding the name and location was opened in 1914 and designed by Frank Atkinson.    Apparently, this hotel was a favorite of Charles Dickens - according to this article.  

The first photo comes from the hotel's own history page linked in the prior paragraph.  The second photo, shown below, comes from the Liverpool Record Office found in the Dickens' article linked above.  Take a moment and appreciate the differences between these two renderings.

The center portion of this building is sufficiently different to call into question accuracy.  However, there are enough similarities, including the configuration of the windows, number of floors and the odd curve in the structure at the left.  It seems to me that perhaps the first photo shows less detail at the roof line and may be the least accurate of the two.  However, it is also possible that some rebuilding of the front facade and roof-line occurred at some point in time.  

It's a nice little puzzle for people who are into architectural history.

More About Cunard Line's Africa

This cover gets even better when you consider that this is the final mail sailing of the Cunard Line's wooden-hull, paddle-wheel steamship Africa.   This ship was sold and fitted as a sailing ship in 1868.  Details about this ship can be found at the Norway Heritage site.  

The Africa was part of a series of ships commonly referenced as the "America-class" steamship, though I have seen other designations as well.  She was replaced by speedier screw-propelled steamers that also had iron-clad hulls.  Still, 17 years and 120 round trip voyages was a significant accomplishment for this ship using the paddle-wheel and wooden hull technologies!

 The image above can be found at this location.

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Thank you for joining me for this week's Postal History Sunday.  I hope you enjoyed the visit and maybe you learned something new.

And, a quick welcome to those who have recently joined us!

When I embarked on writing Postal History Sunday, I was not necessarily looking for attention.  I was, as I often say in these blogs, simply looking to share things I enjoy in a way that a broad range of people might find it interesting.

Well, PHS has been getting a little attention of late.  You will find that Episode 75 of Conversations with Philatelists actually features yours truly and ... Postal History Sunday.  Also, the US Philatelic Classics Society asked if I would provide a quick interview for the Chairman's Chatter (society newsletter).

As a result, there are a few people who might be relatively new to all that goes on here!  You're all welcome.  This is a 'no pressure environment.'  There are no exams and you don't have to understand everything you see here - we're all at different stages of learning and that's ok.  If you have questions, thoughts, corrections or suggestions, feel free to use the contact form on the blog.  If you want to leave a comment, you may do that as well.

Have a great remainder of your day and wonderful week to come!

Why Me?

It's an old farm house and old farm houses require repairs.  We actually farm on this farm, so repairs on the farm house sometimes occur in an ad hoc fashion.  We both have jobs off the farm, which means repairs on the farm weigh on us until all of sudden, there is either no choice or... well, there is no choice.

Ok.  It's not that bad.  But, if you ask Bree, one of our two Indoor Farm Supervisors, she'll tell you it's worse than that!

I was looking through some of the digital pictures we had and I was struck by the story this particular photo tells.  Can you piece it together?

The Genuine Faux Farm grows vegetables and raises poultry.  We have a couple dozen red and blue coolers of the type you see in the picture.  You could say they are ubiquitous around here.  Well, you COULD!  Hey, just because you think ubiquitous is a silly word that doesn't mean we can't try to use it once in a while.  How do you think it feels?  Let's just take it seriously just this once.

So - back to the picture.

There is a cooler, probably one that has just been used or will soon be used for an egg delivery.  There is a tool box, a drill, and an electrical box.  In the background, there is a shoe tray with some outdoor shoes.

And, on the cooler, there is a cat.  A cat that wants everyone to know that SHE DOES NOT APPROVE.  It doesn't really matter what she does not approve of.  She simply DOES NOT APPROVE!  And that should be good enough for all of us.

Why?  Why must she be subjected to the whims of these humans and the trials they subject her to?  Why must they cause so much upheaval?  Why are there so many coolers in this house?  Why does the farmer think "ubiquitous" is a fun word?  Why won't these people just sit down so she can sit on them and proceed to turn on her "cat gravity" so they can move no more?

But, above all, she asks.  Why me?  

And then she answers.  Because I am cat and I am what matters.  Why can't you see that?

Report Card

Last year, I took a moment at the mid-year point and once the year was completed to provide a public "report card" for how the Genuine Faux Farm and its farmers fared in their coursework for the year.  I saw it as a way to stay in touch with those who were interested and keep them informed as to what Tammy and I are trying to do as we meander through the past couple seasons and transition how the farm works.

Several people responded positively to our efforts to "grade" ourselves, so I thought I would do it again for 2021.  Yes, I realize the term is not over.  But, when it comes to this sort of report card, you just do it when you feel like it.  And if you don't feel like it?  You don't do it, I guess!

Advanced Pollinator Support

This just might be our favorite "course" on the farm.  And, to be perfectly honest, the fact that we are reducing the time spent on direct to consumer sales and simplifying our grow list has provided us with more breathing room to do work in this area.  I will also admit that we double-dipped and took two related classes where some of the work overlapped (see below). 

Bird traffic on the farm was good.  We had a small bump in our farm's bumblebee population (yay!).  But, butterflies were much less common (sigh).  We got lots of sunflowers, zinnias, borage, marigolds, basil, cosmos, calendula and other flowers into the ground this year.  We did what we could to keep the clover blooming.  There were plenty of asters in the fall and we had food for the pollinators for much of the season.

The pumpkins showed us that there was plenty of pollinators present by the heavier production levels.

But - we can always do better!  A-

Domestic Bees on the Farm

This is the class that has some overlap with the prior one.  Providing a nice habitat and plenty of food for native pollinators is part of what needs to happen with our domestic friends as well.

Like so many things we have done on this farm, we learn and we gain confidence.  That is true with our bees.   I suspect Tammy might agree that we are no longer beginners and we might be approaching a intermediate level of competency.  All I know is we have some mighty tasty honey at our house and the bees like our vine crops (and vine crops like our bees).

Simply because I can't help myself, I am giving us a B for the course.

Reduction in Labor Hours II

We took the first course in the series last season and we found ourselves taking the second in a series this year.  Once again, it was pretty much just the two of us, with periodic volunteer work from some kind and wonderful people.

Apparently, the second class in this series adds certain complicating factors - like the removal of a kidney - to make homework that much more difficult.  The other half of the course focused on what happens when you "don't wanna" or you get the "motivation blues."  

Overall, we did ok, but while I think Tammy did a fine job this year, I'm afraid I brought the grade for the two of us down.  Yep, this is one of those classes that had work in teams and the better students get pulled down by the goof offs like Rob!  

B- for the year - the same grade we got in the first iteration of the course.

Remedial Vegetable Crops for Recovering CSA Farmers

Here you go!  This is a special topics course that was built almost entirely for our farm.  When you have grown vegetable crops for a CSA farmshare program for years, you need to really think hard about doing things differently once you move away from that model.

We set some very specific goals for the project required in this class.  We wanted to be sure that we put some of our own desires for vegetables at the top of our priority list so we wouldn't find ourselves with a very limited set of options in our own pantry this coming winter.  And, of course, we had to try to figure out the proper number of crops to grow and the scale for each.

There were outright successes, such as the sweet corn, and failures (but what else is new?).  These sorts of things rarely resolve in one season, so we're going to call this a two-year course and give a mid-term grade of a B- for this one.

Giving Through Writing 

In the current reality for Rob, the farmer, it has become apparent that he is also very much, Rob, the writer.  So, it turns out that this class must be a perpetual one?

This year's writing has been odd.  Some of the best writing I think I've ever produced occurred in the first four months of the year.  And, of course, that darned kidney thing came up and upped the difficulty level.  The reality is that the world continues to change.  Perhaps the benefit of blog writing consistently is not the same as it was either (both for the writer and the reader).

I think the facilitator of this course needed to do a better job of outlining the goals for the class. I give a C if only because I didn't have the same focus as I did last year.

Living with Medical Challenges 101

Here it is, the course no one really wants to take, yet we all get to do it at one level or another.  To be perfectly honest, both of us did our best to try to skip classes, but for some reason, the coursework still followed us around.  Because neither of us wanted to take the course in the first place, we reject the whole concept of a grade!  Hahaaa!

Farm Goals for Experienced Farmers

Here is something that, frankly, might be a good course to actually have in the world.  It would certainly need to be a peer-mentoring type of course if it were going to work because that's where you can get the best support for this sort of thing.  

Since 2019, Tammy and I have been undertaking the process of re-envisioning or re-imagining the Genuine Faux Farm - looking for its new place in the world and in our lives.  I realize that makes it sound like we haven't been involved in this process pretty much every year since it started.  In fact, we have always had conversations about where the farm is going next.

The difference has to do with the bolder decisions and bigger changes.  Up until 2019, we pretty much trotted out modified versions of the same thing each season.  The overall goals remaining largely intact each time.  Now, we are processing much bigger changes - and sometimes the things that are slowest to adapt are the hearts of the people who are closest to it. 

Because this class will exist for as long as we farm in any capacity, we can only give it one grade: Incomplete

That last grade is actually the most accurate of all of them.  We are still enrolled in the school of pollinator support and we do our writing homework nearly every day.  The Genuine Faux Farm is still an integral part of our lives and our identities - and it is likely that it will never completely go away, even if we leave the farm some day in the future.  

I think I can be content to accept an incomplete grade for all of this - and I look forward to improving in the future.  Just so I can receive another incomplete.

It's a plan.  See you next term!