The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of cultivation of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) in the Thrace region of north-western Turkey, which has a rich flora with many medicinal and aromatic plants. The study evaluated two propagation methods (cuttings with roots and seedlings) and three row spacings (40 × 20 cm, 40 × 30 cm, and 50 × 30 cm). Measurement of herb fresh and dry weight, leaf dry weight, and essential oil content helped to determine the effect of propagation method and row spacing on lemon balm yield. Yields were higher in the second year than the first year. Propagation from seedlings was better than cuttings. The highest dry herb yield (11167 kg/ha) was obtained in the second year of production at 40 × 20 row spacing using seedling propagation. Essential oil percentage (0.20-0.28%) did not significantly vary with treatments and years. Therefore, 40 × 20 cm row spacing and propagation from seedlings are recommended to optimise production in the Thrace region.

Olives are traditionally hand harvested, a process that is not only tedious and laborious, but represents the major proportion of the costs of production. As it is known, harvesting method has important effect on the quality of olive especially produced for table consumption. Objective of this research is to compare effect of harvesting methods on amount of oleic acid (%) and peroxide value (meqO 2 /kg) which has importance for oil quality. Two different olive varieties whole olives and de-stone olives were used. Harvesting methods were harvesting by hand and harvesting by machine to collect on a platform. Amount of the oleic acid (%) and peroxide value (meqO 2 /kg) were measured by using titration method. According to the statistical analyzes results, differences between measured results were important (P ≤ 0,05).

The aim of this paper is to determine how different harvesting methods of olives and the waiting period before the extraction of the extra virgin olive oil affect the viscosity and some thermal properties, namely thermal conductivity and thermal resistivity. Olive trees in the Aegean region of the western part of Turkey were harvested by using six different harvesting methods: by hand, harvesting by a beating pole on a synthetic fabric, harvesting by a beating pole on a platform, harvesting by machine on a synthetic fabric, harvesting by machine on a platform and direct collecting of dropped olives by hand. Olive oil samples were obtained in certain intervals between the harvesting and processing that was made by using a laboratory type system. The viscosity values of oil samples were measured by using a vibro-viscometer. The thermal conductivity and thermal resistivity of oil samples were measured simultaneously by using the KD2 Thermal properties analyzer. As a result, viscosity, thermal conductivity and thermal resistivity values changed related to the harvesting method and the waiting period after harvesting to obtain olive oil. While viscosity (dynamic) and thermal conductivity values increased with the increase of the waiting time, thermal resistivity values decreased. The lowest viscosity and thermal conductivity values and the highest resistivity values were found for oils that were obtained from olives harvested by hand.

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It is important to know the behaviours of materials used to design and manufacture farm trailers in the same way as is necessary for all mechanical systems. Fatigue tests for trailers give an idea about the behaviours of its components. Simulators are very useful test systems for applying fatigue tests under laboratory conditions. The aim of this research was to determine the effects of different twisting angles of a trailer chassis on a farm trailer by using a simulator apparatus. Tests were carried out in either static or dynamic conditions. The minimum and maximum twisting angles were selected as 210u and +10u for all tests respectively. The farm trailer was twisted for each 2u and the system was stopped to measure the forces for static conditions. Measured forces were used to calculate the twisting moments. The experimental apparatus ran continuously between 210u and +10u and the forces were measured for each 2u under dynamic conditions. The tests were performed at 26 cycles/min for twisting angles of ¡10u. The energy absorbed through hysteresis by the trailer chassis was calculated as 27 980 N m. The total energy and the coefficient of absorption ability of the chassis were calculated as 107 849 N m and 25.9 per cent respectively. The materials of the trailer chassis must be more elastic than this value according to the literature to absorb vibrations created by the road or field. When the twisting moment of the trailer is smaller, it is possible that the trailer may fall over when going round a bend in the road. Stability requires high twisting moments. The absorption of vibration, however, requires smaller twisting moments.