HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: london@SunSite.unc.edu (Larry London)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: New seed catalogue FAQ list - yet another file list update
Date: 1 Oct 92 05:10:24 GMT
Organization: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill


The following FAQ lists are available via FTP from:
    sunsite.unc.edu

Documents are located in:
    /pub/docs/sustainable_agriculture/miscrural [FAQ's]
    /pub/docs/sustainable_agriculture/recgardens [FAQ's]
    /pub/docs/sustainable_agriculture/recgardens/general [general info.]
    /pub/docs/sustainable_agriculture/recgardens/ben [B.E.N. issues]
    /pub/docs/sustainable_agriculture [general sust. ag. information]
    
Those without access to FTP may e-mail me your requests
for files and I will send them to you. 

Any new FAQ's, FAQ updates or other documents may be sent
to the collection via FTP or to me by e-mail.

Misc.rural FAQ's:

buyingruralland.faq     ruralhomes.faq          ruralorganizations.faq
handtoolsources.faq     ruralinfo-misc.faq      ruralsuppliers.faq
ruralbooks.faq          ruralmagazines.faq

Rec.gardens FAQ's:

bulbs.faq        gardensoft.faq   roses.faq   rootinghormone.faq
fertilizers.faq  peppers.faq      seedcats.faq    seedcats2.faq
                                                  [NEW! 1650 lines]
Rec.gardens general information: 

mushroomspawn.source

/recgardens/ben - Botanical Electronic News issues:

ben39  ben 40  ben41  ben42

----*----

Lawrence

london@sunsite.unc.edu (Please send FTP and e-mail document 
                        requests to this address only)
lawrence.london@bbs.oit.unc.edu
larry@wolves.durham.nc.us 
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: dmiller@theory.lcs.mit.edu (Dick and Jill Miller)
Subject: Re: ants
Organization: Laboratory for Computer Science, MIT
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 13:26:03 GMT

 hesed@shekinah.Eng.Sun.COM (Michael Brumm) asks:

>Does anyone have ideas on how to control large ant populations?  They're 
>taking over almost every plant in my garden!  (Citrus trees excepted since 
>I started using the sticky compound on the trunk trick.) And they're 
>farming scale and aphids (which is what I really object to).  Some colonies 
>are in a bed of strawberries so I can't use the boiling water trick without 
>blanching strawberry roots.  I've sprayed a solution of water, soap, and 
>oil a few times too and that's only a short term help.
>
>Any success stories would be greatly appreciated!
>
>-Mike

This past summer my husband got on my case about a VERY LARGE ant colony in 
our lawn.  It had been there for years and I hate to kill things if I don't 
have to so I'd been letting it be.  But it was doing a number on the lawn 
and the whole area was about 2 inches higher than the surrounding area.

So, I bought a Tat Ant Trap in the supermarket.  In order to keep animals 
from getting into it, I placed it in a Marianted Ariticokes jar and punched 
some ~1/8-inch holes in the lid.  I set the jar lid-side down over the 
largest entry to the ant-hill (which was about 1-1/2" across) so the ant 
couldn't miss it and rain would not get into it.  It took nearly a month 
and I NEVER saw ants in the jar, but all the ants are gone from my 
backyard.

It seems that the same method would shork in your strawberry patch.  If the 
entrance of the colony is not as big as mine was, you may want to prop the 
jar up a bit to allow access.

Hope this helps.

--Jill

--
A. Richard & Jill A. Miller            | Miller Microcomputer Services |
InterNet: dmiller@im.lcs.mit.edu       | 61 Lake Shore Road            |
Voice: 508/653-6136, 9am-9pm EasternTZ | Natick, MA 01760-2099, USA    |
From: tomb@hplsla.hp.com (Tom Bruhns)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: drip irrigation from a bucket?
Date: 30 Sep 92 15:58:23 GMT
Article-I.D.: hplsla.5700035
Organization: HP Lake Stevens, WA

aab@cichlid.com (Andy Burgess) writes:

>My back of the envelope calculation says that 1 foot of head
>is about 1/3 PSI -- so the tank 30 feet above the plants would give
>10 PSI at the plants. 
>
>Also be sure to double check that 1 foot = 1/3 PSI figure :-)

The back of my envelope says (64lbs/ft^3)/(144in^2/ft^2) = .44 PSI/ft
(But I'll bet you're right:  the valve will likely take more head to 
operate than you will get in a 20 or 30 foot drop.)

For the original problem, a very low pressure, like just a few feet of
head, may be enough to do the watering.  Just fill the bucket once
a day.  It's so cheap to try out, that's probably the easiest way.
From: dak@gandalf.rutgers.edu (Dorothy Klein)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: RE: growing mushrooms
Keywords: mushroom, fungus, culture, sources
Date: 29 Sep 92 18:29:52 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.


	I seem to recall someone asking about sources for mushroom spawn, etc.
From _Mushrooms: Wild and Edible_ by Vincent Marteka (W.W. Norton &Co, 1980,
paperback 1985, $10.95) comes this list of sources:
	Far West Fungi, P.O. Box 1333, Goleta, California 93116

	Florida Mycology Research Center, P.O. Box 8104, Pensacola, FL 32505

	Fungi Perfecti, P.O. Box 7634, Olympia, WA 98507

	The Kinoko Company, P.O. Box 6425, Oakland, CA 94621

	Kurtzman's Mushroom Specialties, 815 Harbor Way #12, Richmond, CA 
		94804

	Mushroompeople, P.O. Box 158, Inverness, CA 94937

	Myco-Man, G.F. Vulker Inc., P.O Box 6310, Hamilton, Ontario
		L9C 6L9, Canada

	Sohn's Oak Forest Mushrooms, 610 S. Main Street, Box 20, 
		Westfield, WI 53964

	Western Biologicals, P.O. Box 1253 Station A, Vancouver,
		British Columbia, V6C 2T1, Canada

	Dr. Yoo Farm, P.O. Box 290, College Park, MD 20740

DISCLAIMER:  I've never used any of these companies.  Some of them may 
not exist anymore, but someone is going to have to waste a stamp to 
find out.  Good luck.

	The book mentioned above is subtitled, "A seasonal guide to the
most easily recognized mushrooms".  It does, however, have a few things to 
say about growing your own (pp245-255), most of which involves buying spawn.
But it does mention making spore emulsions and innoculating tree roots,
dead wood, manure piles, old leaves, etc.   There are some references 
given, most of which are so old or esoteric that you'd need a good
research librarian to help you track them down.  I can post them if 
there's enough interest.

Dorothy Klein
Grad. Student, Microbiology
Rutgers Univ, New Jersey
dak@gandalf.rutgers.edu
dklein@zodiac.rutgers.edu
From: Bob.Batson@mtask.omahug.org (Bob Batson)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Looking for farming hand tool catalogs
Date: 26 Sep 92 14:07:51 CST
Reply-To: bob.batson@mtask.omahug.org
Organization: Multitasking Systems, Kansas City
Followup-To: rec.gardens

sbuchele@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Steven W. Buchele) writes:

 > I am looking for a source of mail order farm hand tools.  In the
 > specific I am looking for a walk behind row seed planter plus
 > other types of tools.

        HARMONY FARM SUPPLY                     [CAT - $2 deduct. from]
        P.O. Box 451                            [first order]
        Graton, CA 95444
--------
        PEACEFUL VALLEY FARM SUPPLY             [CAT - $2 deduct. from]
        P.O. Box 2209                           [first order]
        Grass Valley, CA 95945

You might also call the folks at ATTRA (Appropriate Technology for Rural
Areas) at 1-800-346-9140. This free information service funded by the USDA
might have some other names & addresses for you.


*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Bob Batson                        |   "xbsjywhspo ocmpszrgpuklepffff!"
bob.batson@mtask.omahug.org       |                 -- Cousin Itt

Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: krogers@javelin.sim.es.com (K. Rogers)
Subject: Re: Giant Bamboo
Reply-To: krogers@javelin.sim.es.com
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp., Salt Lake City, Utah
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 16:54:57 GMT

bj368@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Mike E. Romano) writes:

>   I am looking for information on growing the larger species
> of bamboo in the Northwest, northern California, Oregon and
> Washington state.  I understand it needs a great deal of
> water and may be sensitive to low winter temperatures.
> It is being considered to be a possible substitute for
> timber since it can be used for paper pulp and other
> products (has been for centuries in China, etc.), is very
> fast growing
> and does not require replanting each year.
> I would be interested to hear from people in the Northwest
> who have experience with this type of bamboo.

Guess I'll throw in a rambling "here's my experience with this plant"
story.  I was in the London area on business in early August.  Being a
plant nut, the one day I was in London proper I spent practically the
whole day at Kew Gardens.  They had a bamboo species (name forgotten -
well you wouldn't remember either if you'd been there to see thousands
of new plants in 7 hours...) in the giant Victorian tropical glass
house.  This building is 65 feet tall inside.  They'd planted the
bamboo in late May and it was already smashed up against the ceiling.
During peak growing weeks it was putting on a meter a day.  Now that's
incredible growth.  Given the house they had it in I doubt it'd grow
in the Northwest, though.

As an aside: if you are a plant nut and are ever in London, forget the
Tower, forget Buckingham Palace, forget House of Parliment, forget the
British Museum, you *must* see Kew.  The place is unbelievable.  You
have to see it to believe it.  The only bad side is that when you
leave you'll realize you just barely scratched the surface of what's
there.  It'd take a hundred visits before you'd have a good handle on
what they even have much less make a serious study of anything there.
-- 
Keith Rogers
krogers@javelin.sim.es.com
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: C11815@maccvm.corp.mot.com (Josette Giacobbi)
Subject: Re: Saving Tomato Plants from Certain Demise?
Organization: Motorola
Date: 5 Oct 1992 15:03:31 CDT

What you can also do to save your tomatoe plants (if the temperature
will rise again during the day) is cover the whole thing with a blanket
at night and take it off during the day...
From: rees@qut.edu.au
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: RE: PROPOSAL: alt.sustainable.agriculture
Date: 28 Sep 92 14:16:25 EST
Organization: Queensland University of Technology

>     I would like to propose and open discussion on alt.sustainable. 
>agriculture as a new newsgroup. Establishing an alt.sustainable.* category
>might serve to pave the way for other groups covering topics such as
>communities, development, culture and possibly habitat and environment. 
>
>     The term sustainable agriculture may have several definitions these
>days but the one most adhering to the principles I and many others espouse
>surrounds these concepts:  
>
>: 1) A natural and wholistic system using low-input, regenerative methods 
>:    working toward the creation of biological diversity and a permanent 
>:    agriculture.  
>: 2) Ecologically sound, socially just and economically viable.  
>: 3) Encourage sustainability of animals as well as humans.  
>: 4) Encourages awareness of the need for stewardship of the land.  
>: 5) Promotes maximum use of on-farm resources.  

I have been thinking along the same lines but you beat me to it! I was
thinking of a group alt.permaculture ("agriculture" to me sounds to me
a bit like you have to be professional farmer to post to the group!) and
deal specifically with topics like

	organic gardening, permaculture, biodynamics, bio-diversity,
	seed-saving, heritage breeds, composting, etc...

Yes I know most of this is covered in the charter for rec.gardening, but
it is a very general group. Often a the existence of a more specialist
group (such as we are talking about) will attract a greater amount of
discussion from people with that specific interest (I also thought
alt.herbalism was a good idea, but...).

>I am maintaining an FTP, mailing list site to accompany this newsgroup. 
>News articles will be archived there along with other related documents,
>FAQ's, lists and indexes of information kept at the site. WAIS/GOPHER 
>text searches of the literature will eventually be possible. An automated
>listserver will also be available.  

Thankyou Lawrence, much appreciated!.


Darryl Rees
Queensland University of Technology
From: bj368@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Mike E. Romano)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Intensive Urban Garden
Date: 3 Oct 1992 08:40:46 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


   I am doing a writing project on intensive gardening for 
 food production only, organic methods.
 I am wondering if there is a club or association which
 focusses on backyard food production methods.
 I have read various estimates that for example a garden
 plot 20 feet by 40 feet can supply produce for a
 family of four for 8 months out of the year.
 Obviously different climate zones are going to
 require different methods, including perhaps use of a
 small greenhouse.
 Any information on this would be appreciated:  basically
 given an average size backyard (20 by 50 feet?), what
 is the maximum food production year round that can be
 accomplished in such an area?


-- 
Capt. Kirk: let's head for that planet, third from the sun, it
            looks promising.... |-)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: Lawrence.London@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Lawrence London)
Subject: Re: PROPOSAL: alt.sustainable.agriculture
Organization: Extended Bulletin Board Service
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 15:16:05 GMT

In article <1992Sep28.141626.55587@qut.edu.au> rees@qut.edu.au writes:
>I have been thinking along the same lines but you beat me to it! I was

That's great! I'd like to have been exchanging ideas with you over the
past year.

>thinking of a group alt.permaculture ("agriculture" to me sounds to me
>a bit like you have to be professional farmer to post to the group!) and

 not at all; it should be considered open to anyone interested in growing
plants or animals for fun, sustenance or profit or involved in any other
endeavor related to that.

>deal specifically with topics like
>	organic gardening, permaculture, biodynamics, bio-diversity,
>	seed-saving, heritage breeds, composting, etc...
Those topics are of great interest to me too and I would hope they would be
discussed in depth in the newsgroup.

>Yes I know most of this is covered in the charter for rec.gardening, but
>it is a very general group. Often a the existence of a more specialist
>group (such as we are talking about) will attract a greater amount of
>discussion from people with that specific interest (I also thought
>alt.herbalism was a good idea, but...).

I would hope that discussion of a broad range of topics could occur in
alt.s.a. without diluting traffic by forming a number of specialized
subgroups.
Maybe someone will want to make it into a sci. group at some future date,
at which time fragmentation might be appropriate.
Herbalism should be discussed there as well, at least until someone decides
that a separate group is needed (I'd be glad to help get it started).

Lawrence

--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  bbs.oit.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
From: Bob.Batson@mtask.omahug.org (Bob Batson)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Luffa squash (sponge)
Date: 01 Oct 92 14:17:22 CST
Reply-To: bob.batson@mtask.omahug.org
Organization: Multitasking Systems, Kansas City
Followup-To: rec.gardens

barnettj@pookie.crd.ge.com (Janet A Barnett) writes:

 > A question for you gardening.experts... I've grown some luffa squash
 > for the first time this year in the hopes of drying them and making
 > sponges.  Just how does one go about this?  I've read that the squash
 > need to be "mature" in order to successfully make sponges.  Does a
 > ripe luffa turn yellow or have some other overt characteristic that
 > will indicate that it's mature?  How do you go about drying them?

The book _UNUSUAL VEGETABLES_ by Anne Moyer Halpin, ISBN 0-87857-214-7.
Rodale Press, c1978, contains 3 1/2 pages of cultural information about the
Luffa.

According to this book, the vine-ripened luffas are ready to harvest when
the stem yellows and the skin begins to dry and fade. The greener the skin,
the more tender the resulting sponge;  very yellow luffas may make for
too-wiry sponges.

To harvest, cut the gourds from the vine with a sharp knife. Dry them for
two weeks, until thhe skin hardens and turns brown, then open the large
end and shake out the seeds. Soak the sponges overnight, then peel off the
outer skin and allow them to stand in the sun to dry.

For softer sponges, put the harvested gourds in a kettle of water & boil
for a few minutes. "Zip" off the outer skin by pulling on the fibrous
"strings," and then wash out the center. Remove all loose tissue & seeds,
and dry gradually in a shady area.

Since the luffa is a tropical plant, you might try starting the seed
indoors several weeks before the last frost. Sow two seeds in a peat pot,
in a loose, peat-rich soil mix. Plant the seeds 1/2-inch deep. As the
seeds have very hard coats, allow two to three weeks to sprout. Thin them
to 1 plant per pot when they're about 2 inches tall. Transplant the
seedlings after danger of frost has passed and the plants are 3 or more
inches tall.


*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Bob Batson                        |   "xbsjywhspo ocmpszrgpuklepffff!"
bob.batson@mtask.omahug.org       |                 -- Cousin Itt
From: jhb@calmasd.prime.com (Jim Bishop)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: premature bulbs
Date: 29 Sep 92 21:03:55 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: -

In article <1992Sep28.195356.18580@cs.ucla.edu>, ramsey@kona.cs.ucla.edu (Brenda Ramsey) writes:
> I recently purchased some Anenome, Ranunculous and "xxxx" bulbs
> for "spring color".  Of course I planted them and now find that 
> they have all sprouted and some are 3 inches tall.  Does this mean
> that I am going to have flowers at Xmas rather than in the Spring?
> 

The Anenome's will be fine.  (I'm assuming they are A. coronaria.  A.
blanda doesn't do well in So. Cal.) They usually bloom in early winter
in So. Cal anyway.  I noticed some of mine that survived the summer in
the ground are coming up already.

The Ranunculus should be OK, but they still won't bloom until the days
start to lengthen.  If it is a warm winter, this may be in January,
but more likely February or March.  Also, you need to keep these
baited for snails.  I usually stagger my planting of ranunculus from
November to early February.  This gives blooms from Feb. to May.

Not sure what the "xxxx" bulbs will do.  If they are South African in
origin, many of these break dormancy at this time of year but don't
bloom until spring.

You can force daffodils and tulips for Xmas bloom.  But the ones you
mentioned aren't true bulbs and don't force well.

Jim
From: amy@vineland.pubs.stratus.com (Amy McNulty)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Massachusetts: buying a tree
Date: 6 Oct 92 16:42:26 GMT
Distribution: ne

We would like to plant a tree in our front yard and are
considering a redbud, Japanese maple, or callery pear.
Does anyone know where (hopefully in the Boston/West
area of Massachusetts) I could buy a reasonably-sized
specimen (in other words, not a 2-foot-high stick)?

Also, if no area nurseries stock these trees,
would it be possible to purchase them mail-order, or
would I have to get a smaller one that way?

Thanks! 

______________________________________________________________
amy_mcnulty@vos.stratus.com  OR  amy@vineland.pubs.stratus.com
Amy McNulty -- Stratus Computer, Marlboro, MA
Stratus pays me to write, but not to write this!
From: hmjem@gruc02.nor.chevron.com (M. Jeff Emanuel)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: How to get rid of mint plant
Date: 29 Sep 92 12:51:56 GMT
Organization: Chevron

In article <1a828hINN8tu@grapevine.EBay.Sun.COM>, achan@nata.EBay.Sun.COM (Annie Chan) writes:
|> Can anyone give me some recommendations on how to get rid of mint plants?
|> The previous owner of my house planted some mint plants in between all the
|> rose brushes in my backyard, like weed - the mint plants have been growing 
|> so wildly that I can't smell my roses anymore because the mint plants have
|> the strong mint fragrance.
|> 
|> 
|> I appreciate any suggestion.  Thank you in advance.
|> 
|> 
|> Annie Chan 

Roundup sprayed very carefully.
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: 901371d@dragon.acadiau.ca (@aucs.acadiau.ca)
Subject: My plant has white spots?
Organization: Acadia University
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 16:46:33 GMT

 I'm currently growing a little plant,and the little guy is
having problems withthe leaves.The leaves have little white
patches,and I have no idea what is causing them.
 The patches are small,and start at the top of the plant,but
now have progressed to almost all the leaves.I was given suggestions
that it maybe caused from mites.
 Any suggestions to a cause and cure would be greatly appreciated
Thanx in advance.
From: GE777009@brownvm.brown.edu (Avant Gardens)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: West Coast Questions
Date: 5 Oct 92 18:28:30 GMT
Organization: Brown University - Providence, Rhode Island  USA
NNTP-Posting-Host: brownvm.brown.edu
News-Software: BNN via BNN_POST v1.0 beta

I will (hopefully) be taking a job as caretaker for a large
(still developing) estate in Ferndale California (north of cape
mendicino, south of Eureka).  Most of my duties will include
planting schemes, organic veggies and an orchard! I have done
all these things on the East Coast (Fisher's Island, NY) but
never spent more than two weeks on the West Coast.  The house
is RIGHT on the water, in fact, it boasts the western-most
bathroom in the Continental US.

I would like to start up a conversation (via email, private if
no one else is interested) with someone who lives or has lived
in that area. I need to pick a brain or two about diseases,
resiliant plants, soil etc.

And if anyone knows of a particularly helpful guide, I'd
appreciate the title.

Thanks in advance. Looking forward to hearing from someone!

Jennifer Cole-Steele
Avant Gardens
71 Hope Street
Providence, RI 02906
From: Bob.Batson@mtask.omahug.org (Bob Batson)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Eucalyptus Pods
Date: 02 Oct 92 14:03:22 CST
Reply-To: bob.batson@mtask.omahug.org
Organization: Multitasking Systems, Kansas City
Followup-To: rec.gardens

nick@brimbank.apana.org.au (Nick Langmaid) writes:

 > In article <19qcg6INNk54@seven-up.East.Sun.COM> ppk@East.Sun.COM writes:
 > 
 >  > I love the Eucalyptus trees that one sees around the San Francisco
 >  > area. The last time I was there, I picked up some pods that were on
 >  > the ground below a beautiful tree in the Japanese Tea Garden. My
 >  > question is do these pods germinate?
 > 
 > There was a fine explanation of collecting E. seed in an earlier follow
 >  up.

                              [TEXT DELETED]

 > Hope you've got lots of room!  As an aside, there are a few Eucalyptus
 >  species 
 > adapted to very cold climates, which is what I imagine Boston must have.
 > (Well, it was pretty nippy both times I visited!)  The tree that springs
 >  to 
 > my mind is the "snow gum" E. pauciflora, which is found in the upland
 >  regions 
 > of Victoria.  Don't know how you'd find such a plant in the US, though.

The seedsman J.L. HUDSON (P.O. Box 1058, Redwood City, CA 94064; Catalog -
$1) list numerous varieties of Eucalyptus in his catalog. He used to even
sell seeds of E. pauciflora.


Bob Batson