HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: rdeshazo@b23b.ingr.com (Rusty DeShazo)
Subject: Troy-Bilt vs. Mantis
Keywords: tiller
Reply-To: rdeshazo@b23b.ingr.com
Organization: Intergraph Corporation, Huntsville, AL.
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 13:44:39 GMT

Does any one have any experience with the Troy-Bilt Tuffy?  The bottom of the
line 3-hp tiller.

My garden consists of five hand dug 4' X 20' raised beds, which will be 
expanded to twice that size this winter. Basically, I am looking for a
tiller that can turn my beds once or twice a year.

My questions are:

1.  Could the Mantis tiller handle the job?  It is about $170 cheaper than
    the Troy-Bilt.

2.  Would I do as well to keep turning the beds by hand and put my money in
    the bank?  


-- 

Rusty DeShazo                  | DAZIX, An Intergraph Company
  rusty@joker.b23b.ingr.com or | Huntsville,AL  35894-0001
  uunet!ingr!b23b!joker!rusty  | (205) 730-8634
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: nrlfs1.nrl.navy.mil (Judy Karpen)
Subject: source for curry-leaf plant
Organization: NRL
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 17:56:26 GMT

The place where I mail-ordered my curry leaf plant is

Well Sweep Herb Farm
317 Mt. Bethel Rd.
Port Murray, NJ 07865

(908) 852-5390

NOTE: Their catalog states that they CANNOT ship live plants to
AZ, CA, OR, or WA; sorry. They have a tremendous variety of herbs,
perennials, and other plants, so if you don't live in those states I'd 
encourage you to order their catalog for $2.00. The creeping
thymes and other items I ordered arrived via UPS in good 
condition, and seem to be doing OK. 

As far as I can tell, this IS a real curry-leaf (kadi-leaf) plant: 
the leaves have the same shape and placement on stems as those
I've bought from Indian grocers, and the whole thing looks just
like a miniature version of the plant I saw at a S. Indian 
restaurant. Plus, if I remember correctly, I tried a leaf when
it first arrived and it tasted right. 

Judy Karpen
karpen@nrlfs1.nrl.navy.mil




Newsgroups: rec.gardens,alt.bonsai
From: johnson@swings.enet.dec.com (Dennis M. Johnson)
Subject: Re: Christmas tree alternative?
Reply-To: johnson@swings.enet.dec.com (Dennis M. Johnson)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 20:24:31 GMT


>On a pine.. "It looked lovely, sitting on top of the T.V, then all the
>needles fell off.  What did I do wrong"(!)

It probably became too warm. The tube generates heat and pines like a cooler
environment.

Dj
From: louiset@informix.com (Louise Twiggs)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Christmas tree alternative?
Date: 18 Nov 92 18:03:14 GMT
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

In article <1eb20eINN4oi@cat.cis.Brown.EDU> GE777009@brownvm.brown.edu (Jenna Cole-Steele) writes:
>Get a live tree, balled and bagged, and plant it somewhere.
>That's what our family has done for the years between me
>being born (1966) and 1990. Now, my mother has an artificial
>tree, my father has an artificial tree, and my sister has
>one as well.
>
>i think its a huge waste to cut down trees just to use as
>christmas trees, regardless of the "poor tree" argument,
>how about the " poor earth" argument?
>
>This year, my new husband and i will start a new tradition of
>getting a balled and bagged tree, and donating it to Keep
>Providence Beautiful
>
>Most balled and bagged trees are cheaper than quality cut trees,
>at least if you know where to go.
>
>Good luck.
>
>Jenna Cole-Steele
>Avant Gardens
>Providence, RI 02916


I used to feel that it was wrong to cut down christmas trees every
year, but then when I thought about it, I'm not so sure.

after all - it's pretty much the same as digging up bulbs every
year only to replant (and probably discard) in the garden in Spring.
The growers are constantly propagating and replanting to replace
all those that are lost each year.

I do not mind trees being cut down for Xmas if they have been farmed
for this purpose, and there is a regular circulation of trees growing
and being planted to replace them.  I do object to trees being cut
down if they are growing in wild (managed or unmanaged ) woods.

Having said that I have been growing my own rooted xmas tree in a pot
for about the last 4 years - trouble is it's getting too big for
the largest size of pot that I can sensibly get in my living room!

Louise Twiggs
Informix Software
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: mhmakuta@logos.uwaterloo.ca (Marzena Makuta-Giluk)
Subject: Re: Christmas tree alternative?
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 17:27:22 GMT


How about this idea: get a bonsai.  It smells like the real
thing and looks like a real Christmass tree in miniature.
You can gently decorate it with tiny ornaments every year
(no lights though) and you would have a nice plant at other times too.
No need to ever get rid of it, since it does not grow too large.

Marzena
From: ram@smsc.sony.com (Ray Milkey)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Need help with Mildew on Snow Peas
Date: 16 Nov 92 17:59:29 GMT
Article-I.D.: smsc.1992Nov16.175929.21805
Organization: Sony Microsystems Corp, San Jose, CA

I am planning my second planting of Snow Peas (this is a mild winter
area) but I had problems with my first planting that I am hoping the
net can help me resolve.

The peas were gron in a large box with a frame attatched to it (I am
an apartment dweller with a patio so it is containers only for me).  I
ran strings from the base of the box up to the frame for the peas to
attatch to.  They were planted in early September and grew exremely
quickly, attaching themselves to the strings in no time.  Soon
blossoms and peas followed.  So far so good.  Then the lowest leaves
starting turning yellow, and then brown.  In about two weeks all of
the plants were dead.  Upon closer inspection I found a coating of a
whitish or yellowsh powder on the dead leaves and the young pea pods.
I looked it up in my books and it appears to be a form of Powdery
Mildew.  The books suggested all kinds of nasty fungicides to
prevent/cure the problem.

My question to the net is are there any effective ways to prevent this
short of anti fungal checmicals?  Is this somehow related to
over/under watering?  When I replant, should I replace all of the soil
in the container and/or sterilize it somehow (it is wood)?

Thanks for any help you might be able to provide.

BTW, if anyone remembers my query a few months ago about how to sprout
avocado pits, I managed to spout one on my first attempt by half
burying the pit in damp potting soil.  Took about 3 weeks.

Ray Milkey
Sony Microsystems Company
651 River Oaks Parkway
San Jose, CA 95134
ram@smsc.sony.com
From: woodley@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Judy Woodley)
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 18:52:07 GMT
Subject: Re: Christmas tree alternative?
Organization: the HP Corporate notes server
Newsgroups: rec.gardens

Around here, the tree farms insist that you leave at least one layer of
branches when you cut your Christmas tree.  That means you're not killing
the tree, you've just given it a pruning.  The branches that are left provide
enough nourishment for the tree to send out another leader that will one
day be another Christmas tree.

Trees sometimes come from state and national parks.  These trees are cut
down entirely, but the purpose is to thin the forest a bit to improve the
conditions for the remaining trees.  (I got to go along with the Humboldt
State University Forestry Club one year when they were invited to cut
some trees in the Lassen Forest.  The cut trees were sold and the funds
went into the Club's coffers.)
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Horrible Plants
Date: 18 Nov 92 17:07:43 -0600
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <1453300099@igc.apc.org>, Ecology Center <ecologycntr@igc.apc.org> writes:
> 
> Hey, wait a minute!
> 
> I LIKE poison Ivy, Poison Oak, Chollas, etc. Since when are we
> defining a plant's worth by how they affect our own comfort?

Most of the time I like chollas, but I once backed into one when attempting
to discreetly answer a Call of Nature in the middle of the night on an
otherwise all-male field trip.  I cussed that particular cholla for the
rest of the week.  (but I was a shy grad student at the time-- how things
change!!!)

> My list of horrible plants would include english ivy, tall fescue, irish yew,
> (if pruned), and those boring white peonies you see everywhere back east.

Hm.  Well, I like peonies, esp. Festiva Maxima, the white one with red
splashes.  And I was utterly charmed by the first scotch broom I saw,
not to mention Erodium cicutarium...

I, on the other hand, detest smooth brome (Bromus inermis), yellow and white
sweet clover, kentucky bluegrass, quaking aspen, grey dogwood, and weeping
willow.  I've spent too much time removing said plants from prairies.
And then there's zucchini...

I'm also decidedly unfond of itch-inducing plants like Fremontia and
Mentzelia... though I'm happy to admire them from a distance.  Just please
don't ask me to collect them!!!! ;-)


Kay
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: gwv@eastrg2.cray.com (George Vandenberghe)
Subject: Re: Leafs deformed?
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Date: 17 Nov 92 15:30:28 CST

In article <klloyd.722027193@convex.convex.com>, klloyd@convex.com (Ken Lloyd) writes:
|> Recently some  of my houseplants have started to
|> show intermittent deformity in the leaves. Some
|> start to curl at the tips, some make a complete
|> 90 degree turn on the horizontal axis. Some just
|> curl completely up like, for a lack of a better
|> description, like a child's craft project where
|> a strip of paper is curled by scraping scissors
|> down one side only. I had a water analysis sent
|> to me and the water was very hard so I started
|> using distilled water. I have used the standard
|> garden variety of plant food (rapid gro, miracle
|> grow). That didn't seem to help. I have even
|> tried a complete nutrient answer (hydroponic mixes)
|> . I recently had a serious power problem and the
|> light company said I had a bad arcing problem
|> on the pole which was causing very short light
|> bulb life and voltages spikes to 146.8 Vac inside
|> the  house. I was thinking that maybe UV was being
|> generated by a type of spark gap situation outside.
|> The problem doesn't seem to be any better though.
|> The plants seem healthy enough aside from this,
|> bright green and healthy turgid leaves. Any suggestions
|> would be appreciated.
|> 
|> Thanks,
|> 
|> Ken Lloyd
|> 
|> 

I can think of three things.

1.  You may have a source of ethylene gas.  If you store apples or 
other fruits near the plants you might ger enough for this kind
of damage.  However a much more dangerous possiblilty is
a gas leak or a leak in an oil, wood, or coal stove or furnace.  If you have
such appliances get them inspected immediately because you may also
have a source of carbon monoxide.

2.   You might be overfertilizing.

3.   You might have aphids or mites.  These can cause leaf curling you
describe.
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: dadams@cray.com (David Adams)
Subject: Re: Pruning (in particular, a sugar maple and
Reply-To: dadams@cray.com
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Date: 23 Nov 92 15:15:22 CST

In article 722536946@cunews, watpod78@alfred.carleton.ca (Phil Culhane) writes:
|Help!
|
|From what I understand, most of the guys who work for companies that
|prune trees just kind of look at your tree and say "Hey, yeah, how but
|that one?"  ZZZZZINNNNNGGGG!!  Branch gone.  I'd like to learn how to
|prune properly.  Is there a bible of proper tree pruning?
|
|Phil


The November issue of Organic Gardening has a nice article on pruning.
---
--David C. Adams  Statistician  Cray Research Inc.  dadams@cray.com
___________________________________________________________________
       Old Sourdoughs never die.  They just ferment away.



Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: kpc@panix.com (Kevin Centanni)
Subject: How to Get Rid of Rats
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 17:15:10 GMT
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix & Internet, NYC

I hope this is the proper place to post this... it realtes to both home and
garden...


I live in New York City in a neighborhood where there are a few trash-
filled empty lots.  I have a small backyard and a finished basement that
is approx. 8 feet underground.  I have a bit of a rat problem in both my
backyard and apartment.  It seems that behind the sheetrock walls, the rats
are crawling around.  Maybe there are holes in the brick/stone outside
walls and the rats are crwaling through these holes and running around
in between the walls.  I noticed that behind my refrigerator in the
basement, there was a hole chewed through the sheetrock... well, that was
8 feet below the ground... maybe the rats have tunnelled through the dirt?

Anyway...  recently a rat died inside of the wall - needless to say, the
smell is not very pleasant... I want to poison the rats, but I'm afraid
they'll go to tha warm places to die (inside of my walls).
 
Is there some substance that I can put in the walls and in the backyard
that will repel the rats? (Mothballs, maybe?)  What about those electronic
sound generators sold in catalogs?

There's just not one or two rats... this is New York - I'm pretty sure that
my poisoning efforts won't rid the ENTIRE neighborhood of rodents...
I'd rather force them to go somewhere else rather than kill them.

Thanks...


-kpc


-- 
Kevin P. Centanni

kpc@panix.com       {cmcl2,apple}!panix!kpc
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: ramirez@julia.math.ucla.edu (Alice Ramirez)
Subject: pencil trees
Organization: UCLA Mathematics Department
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 92 15:56:40 GMT

Is it possible that pencil trees are what we out west call "Palo Verde?"
From: arkdr@uniwa.uwa.edu.au (Dave Rindos)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: List of cold climate gums
Date: 19 Nov 1992 09:11:27 +0800
Organization: The University of Western Australia
NNTP-Posting-Host: uniwa.uwa.edu.au

In this discusssion, I think  we are acting as if the minimum recorded
temperature on a thermometer were the critical factor in cold hardiness.
It strikes me that this leaves out a much more important factor: the 
duration of the cold temperature itself.  

In much of the the US (continental climate and all that), the winters
are not only cold, but consistently cold.  Day and night temperatures
stay low with little fluctuation.  Taking Canberra, in contrast, the day
temperatures -- even in winter -- tend to be fairly high.  Hence, the
minimum recorded temperature is at that low level for only a relatively
short period of time.  Hence, plant tissues (say in the trunk of  a
tree) will NOT have a chance to go as low as air temperatures.  In most
of the US, in strong contrast, the minima are maintained for a long
enough time to effect the plants the same way  a much lower temperature
for a shorter period of time would.  Or at least this seems probable. 

It would seem to me that using PLANT SPECIES as indicators of climate is
much more reasonable than using thermometers.  For example, is a
particular gum as cold hardy as a Lemon, or an Orange, or a Mango?  For
a gum to grown in the colder parts of the US it would have to be *much*
hardier than a Lemon.  Indeed, I find the average ozzie astonished that
citrus can be grown in only very very limited regions in the US (e.g.
you can't even grow lemons in most of the south-eastern states, save the
more southern parts of Florida!); Lemons do just fine even in "cool"
places such as Melbourne.

Dave
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: fred@mks.com (Fred Kratky)
Subject: Re: lady slipper seeds
Organization: Mortice Kern Systems Inc., Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA
Distribution: rec
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 22:18:30 GMT

In article <1992Nov11.115914.8615@iscsvax.uni.edu> klier@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
>In article <ALS.92Nov10183638@bellatrix.linus.mitre.org>, als@linus.mitre.org (Alice Schafer) writes:
>> I live 25 miles west of boston with piney woods with pink ladyslippers
>> scattered here and there.  For the first time, I noticed that one of
>> them has a seed pod! 
>> 	Can I just scatter this seed or is there a good technique for
>> helping them to take hold?
>
>flower of Minnesota?   Either way, the best advice I can give you is
>to let nature take care of things.  We *really* don't know what we're
>doing on native orchid germination techniques or transplanting techniques.

Orchid germination techniques are quite well documented, but from what I
am told it is rather difficult to do without the correct equipment.  The
seeds are exceptionally small, and must be germinated in an agar
solution under sterile conditions (I think that the sterile part is what
is hard to do).  

The seedlings are transplanted into a series of ever larger sterile
flasks until they are ready to be potted.  If you really want to have
hundreds of seedlings, locate your local Orchid society.  They will be
able to refer you to someone who can do the flask thing for you (for a
fee of course).  I don't remember the costs, but I don't think that it
is all that much.

I am not aware of any differences between native and non-native
germination techniques, but then I'm no expert.
-- 
     ||  // // ,'/~~\'   Fred Kratky		fred@mks.com 
    /||/// //|' `\\\     Mortice Kern Systems Inc.     (519) 884-2251
   / | //_// ||\___/     35 King St. N., Waterloo, Ont., Can. N2J 2W9
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: C11815@maccvm.corp.mot.com (Josette Giacobbi)
Subject: "Kricket Krap" fertilizer
Organization: Motorola
Date: 20 Nov 1992 13:58:35 CST

True, this company has a fertilizer called "Kricket Krap". Organic. They
raise krickets for fishing. You can buy it by the jar. Cute present.
The catalog is free:  Bricker's Organic Farms, Inc.  824 Sandbar Ferry Road, Au
gusta, GA 30901.  Telephone 1-706-722-0661. There are quite a few things
to chose from.  I'm only about 1 hour from there, and I didn't even know
they existed until I saw their aid in "Organic Gardening"   Josette
From: GE777009@brownvm.brown.edu (Jennifer Cole-Steele)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Christmas tree alternative?
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 07:32:31 EST
Organization: Brown University - Providence, Rhode Island  USA
NNTP-Posting-Host: brownvm.brown.edu
News-Software: BNN via BNN_POST v1.0 beta

In article <1992Nov18.004159.15641@intellistor.com>, pyle@intellistor.com (Norm
Pyle) said:
>
>>> This year, my new husband and i will start a new tradition of
>>> getting a balled and bagged tree, and donating it to Keep
>>> Providence Beautiful
>
>Go ahead, just don't think you're doing anything better than the
>person who uses a tree cut from a farm and recycles it.  Think about it.
>
>Norm

As far as I know, Providence does not have a christmas tree recycling
program. Its hard enough just to keep people recycling newspaper
and beer cans.  I do know, however, that the LAST thing this city
needs is more crap on the sidewalk to be picked up and dumped in
the landfill. I also know that we DO need more trees in this city.
So, while my plan may not work for you because of one reason or another
it most certainly works here.  It also worked well on my parents
acerage down in CT. Not only did it add a bit of green to a piece
of property populated by Oaks and Black walnut trees, but it provides
much needed shelter to some of the wintering over birds.

I suppose people can argue that if it wasn't for Christmas Tree Farms
that land might be taken up with shopping malls or what have you. And
i'll give you that one. and i guess that if it wasn't for mink farms
for fur coats, that land might be made into condos...

I guess i just feel that there's enough waste going on, and i'm not going
to go out of my way to generate more when there is an alternative.

Jennifer Cole-Steele
Xref: sparky rec.gardens:8182 alt.bonsai:388
From: randy@Oswego.EDU (Randy Fromm)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens,alt.bonsai
Subject: Re: Christmas tree alternative?
Date: 21 Nov 92 18:37:19 GMT
Reply-To: randy@oswego.Oswego.EDU (Randy Fromm)
Organization: Instructional Computing Center, SUNY at Oswego, Oswego, NY

In article <1992Nov20.202431.3981@e2big.mko.dec.com> johnson@swings.enet.dec.com (Dennis M. Johnson) writes:
>
>>On a pine.. "It looked lovely, sitting on top of the T.V, then all the
>>needles fell off.  What did I do wrong"(!)
>
>It probably became too warm. The tube generates heat and pines like a cooler
>environment.
>

I'll "roger" that... in fact the warmth of the house heat may have
contributed to the development of mealy bugs that killed a lovely
mugho I was working on...:-(

+----------------------------------++----------------------------------+
|"let me ask you one question...   ||Randy Fromm                       |
| is your money that good...       ||internet: randy@oswego.oswego.edu |
| will it buy you forgiveness...   ||GEnie: J.FROMM                    |
| do you think that it could?"     ||Compu$erve: (i fergit...)         |
+----------------------------------++----------------------------------+
From: GE777009@brownvm.brown.edu (Jenna Cole-Steele)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Christmas tree alternative?
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 10:09:40 EST
Organization: Brown University - Providence, Rhode Island  USA
NNTP-Posting-Host: brownvm.brown.edu
News-Software: BNN via BNN_POST v1.0 beta

Get a live tree, balled and bagged, and plant it somewhere.
That's what our family has done for the years between me
being born (1966) and 1990. Now, my mother has an artificial
tree, my father has an artificial tree, and my sister has
one as well.

i think its a huge waste to cut down trees just to use as
christmas trees, regardless of the "poor tree" argument,
how about the " poor earth" argument?

This year, my new husband and i will start a new tradition of
getting a balled and bagged tree, and donating it to Keep
Providence Beautiful

Most balled and bagged trees are cheaper than quality cut trees,
at least if you know where to go.

Good luck.

Jenna Cole-Steele
Avant Gardens
Providence, RI 02916
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: maxfield@athena.cs.uga.edu (Joan C. Maxfield)
Subject: Christmas tree alternative?
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 09:21:18 GMT


OK, I know this is going to sound REALLY odd, but:
	Does anyone have any ideas for 'alternate' types of christmas
trees?  

I want a real tree, I grew up witha fake tree and I hated it, it
Looked fake, it smelled like mildew, it just wasn't right.  When I got
older (and my siblings got wealthier) we started getting real, cut
trees for Christmas, ahhh, heaven, the smell, the feel, the weight,
this is a REAL tree. Christmas was redeemed.  I continued the practice
of getting a real, cut tree when I moved out on my own and I wish to
continue the practice but have a little problem, Daniel.
	No, Daniel isn't my cat, I'm not afraid he'll climb it and
knock it over.  And, no, he isn't a landlord, come to ruin my
Christmas.  Daniel, is my fiance...He is a vegetarian.  Can you see
where this is going?  Daniel doesn't want to "kill a poor innocent
tree just so we can hang stuff on it"  I keep trying to tell him that
it'll be cut down anyway and if we don't buy it it will die sooner for
lack of wateror worse, be *gasp* chipped after the 25th.  He suggests
one of those little 2 foot tall K-mart jobs, but that's not a tree,
it's a ...houseplant!  Or he wants to buy a live (with root ball)
tree.  This is all fine and good, except we live in an apartment.  I
suppose we could donate it somewhere after.  I am leary of he cost
here though. (I had neighbors that did this, kind cute, a nice little
line of past years Christmas trees out in the yard, all different
heights and shapes and colors.  And they continued to decorate them
too!) 
	So, you see my predicament.  I want a TREE, something to be
proud of its tree-ly heritage, but he won't have it.  So, we need
suggestions.  I'll take anything, no matter how bizzare, tell me.  

Thanks,
Joan

Oh, I do have 2 cats so whatever it is should be able to withstand a
little torture ( climbing, nibbling, pawing, etc)
-- 
J. C. Maxfield				maxfield@athena.cs.uga.edu
DISCLAIMER:  I don't speak for the University, but they often speak for me!