HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: snyder@henry.ece.cmu.edu (John Snyder)
Subject: Re: Question for arborist (forwarded from BIOSPH-L mailing list)
Organization: Physics Department, Carnegie Mellon University
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 21:54:05 GMT

In article <1993Jan11.215012.2800@samba.oit.unc.edu> london@sunSITE.unc.edu (Larry London) writes:
>From JM01%SWTEXAS.BITNET@UBVM.cc.buffalo.edu Mon Jan 11 16:40:00 1993
>Date:         Mon, 11 Jan 1993 11:27:00 CST
>From: JM01%SWTEXAS.BITNET@UBVM.cc.buffalo.edu
>Subject:      arborist questions
>To: Multiple recipients of list BIOSPH-L <BIOSPH-L@UBVM.cc.buffalo.edu>
>
>
>I'm hoping an arborist can give me a little advice on a tree repair.  I have a
>100+ year-old Texas Live Oak tree in my yard.  The trunk diameter at breast
>height is about 4.5 feet, and the canopy spread is over 60 feet.  Unfortunately,
>the tree had been improperly pruned in the past, resulting in decayed wood and
>cavities on a large branch.  The branch in question is nearly horizontal, is
>20 feet long, is about 10 inches in diameter at mid-point, and has a cavity
>about 3 feet long and 5" in diameter at the mid-point.  After cutting a few
>decayed and broken branches from this main branch, until I reached live wood,
>I was able to scrape a large quantity of decayed and soaked wood from this
>cavity--it was soaked from rainwater and was very spongy.  A hole in the
>top side of the main branch had let rainwater enter and decay the limb from the
>inside.  The outer 2 to 3 inches of the branch diameter is still solid wood.
>Finally, my questions:
>
>        1) Is there a light-weight patch I can use to fill the branch
>           cavity, instead of using mortar, to reduce the risk of breaking
>           the branch.
>
>        2) Should I try sealing the hole completely after it dries out,
>           or should I put in a copper drainage tube to prevent any
                                 ^^^^^^

Will this tube be in the growing wood?  If so, it might not be a good idea.
My dad always told me that you should not use uninsulated copper wire to
put up birdhouses and such (where it will grow into the tree), since
the copper will poison the tree.  Is this really true?  Or just a rural
legend?


>           accumulation of moisture if the seal leaks.
>
>        3) Is there anything else I should consider?  I don't want to
>           remove the branch since it is such a large part of the tree.
>           Should I try reinforcing it with a support cable for a few years,
>           or possible permanently?  How should I determine if a support
>           cable is necessary?  Should I trim back a few of the smaller
>           branches to reduce the weight on the main branch?
>
>Thanks for any advice.
>
>Joe Meyer


John
snyder@henry.ece.cmu.edu

Xref: sparky rec.gardens:8732 alt.pagan:14925
From: ceci@lysator.liu.se (Cecilia Henningsson)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens,alt.pagan
Subject: Herb names
Keywords: starhawk, herbs, systematical names
Date: 4 Jan 93 21:37:22 GMT
Organization: Lysator ACC at Linkoping University

I have a list of plants with only common names. Most of the plants I
have been able to identify, but not all, so I am turning to the
netters for help. Here is the list:

S:t Joan's (or S:t John's) wort                      (the sun)
all-heal                                             (mars)
betony                                               (mars)
High Joan the Conqueress (or John the Conqueror) root(money)
broom tops                                           (protection)
gota cola                                            (energy)

The associations of the author of the book are listed to the right,
though I doubt that they will help. What I need, is some kind of other
identification, either another common name, or a systematic (latin)
name. The above common names are verbatim quotes.

The source of the names is Starhawk's _The_Spiral_Dance_. One last
question, are bay laurel and laurel the same plant?

--Ceci

--
=====ceci@lysator.liu.se===========================================
"'Tis an ill wind that blows no minds."
			Malaclypse the Younger
===================================================================
From: ceci@lysator.liu.se (Cecilia Henningsson)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Setting-out onions by the moon
Keywords: moon lunar gravity onions alliums
Date: 12 Jan 93 14:56:59 GMT
Organization: Lysator ACS at Linkoping University

cs161fcd@sdcc10.ucsd.edu (Sean Maschue) writes:
>Quick Question:
>What is the proper phase of the moon to set out onion bulbs by?
>Waning seems familiar to me, but I can't remember?

Modern day people who like to do things by the moon, usually do things
that involve seeding (literally or figuratively) by the waxing moon,
harvesting on full moon and decaying/composting/pruning by the waning
moon. If you see someone wearing a pentacle, they will know more. The
pentacle is a symbol used by NeoPaganists in general. Check out
alt.pagan for more information about moon-phases aswell as pentacles.

>Also, while on the subject of onions, does anyone know about 
>this thing that the Guatamalan Mayan descendants do called
>onion terracing?  

Sorry, no idea.

--Ceci

--
=====ceci@lysator.liu.se===========================================
"The map is not the territory." Alfred Korzybski
===================================================================
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: karpen@nrlfs1.nrl.navy.mil (Judy Karpen)
Subject: seed sources: answers to earlier requests
Followup-To: rec.gardens
Organization: NRL
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 22:18:33 GMT

Over the past few weeks, various people have asked for sources of seeds for
different plants. Now that some catalogs have come in, I've finally been
able to 
look for them. So, here are the ones I could  remember; hope this is still 
useful! Note: I've only ordered from Park, Johnny's, & Shepherds before,
and
liked the results (esp Johnny's -- they have untreated & organic seed).

key: J=Johnny's Selected Seeds, Sh=Shepherd's Garden Seeds, P=Park Seed,
H=Henry
Field's Seed & Nursery, G=Gurney's Seed & Nursery 

broccoli rabe: J ("spring raab"), S, P ("broccoli raab salad")

broccoflower: J (romanesco broc & Alverda green cauli.), S (romanesco), 
                       P ("cauli-broc" & romanesco)

castor bean: G, H

chrysanthemum pacificum (plants): P

golden purslane: J

habanero (HOT) peppers: S, P

Addresses & Phone Numbers
-----------------------------
Shepherd's Garden Seeds                              CT phone) 203:482-3638
Shipping Office                                                 fax)       
     482-0532
30 Irene Ct.                                                  CA phone)
408: 335-6910
Torrington, CT 06790

Park Seed
Cokesbury Rd.
Greenwood, SC 29647-0001                                no phone

Johnny's Selected Seeds                         phone) 207: 437-4301
Foss Hill Rd.                                            fax)           
437-2165
Albion, ME 04910-9731  

Henry Field's Seed & Nursery                          605: 665-9391
415 North Burnett
Shenandoah, IA 51602

Gurney's Seed & Nursery
110 Capital St. 
Yankton, SD 57079                                         no phone?

and for those who want nice fruit trees, etc. (I have their mini. apricot &
asparagus)

Stark Bros.                                                   phone)
800:325-4180
Box 10                                                          fax)   
314:754-5290
Louisiana, MO  63353-0010


Judy Karpen                "pushing back the frontiers of science"
karpen@nrlfs1.nrl.navy.mil  Naval Research Lab, Washington, DC USA
From: afong@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Krell Kraver)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Worms and Home Composting in Winter
Date: 6 Jan 93 07:49:25 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego

Here's a little summary I wrote.  Some info's duplicated by earlier
posts...

 
The basic idea of worm composting is that you use redworms to
aid in the process.  The regular composting processes still
occur... if they didn't the worms wouldn't be able to digest
the matter because it would be too hard.
 
If well maintained (proper moisture level, not too much matter)
the worm bin doesn't smell!  Well, it actually does have an odor,
but its a rich, earthy smell.  Its just like what rich forest soil
smells like.  The reason it doesn't smell is that the bacteria
at work are aerobic meaning they live in oxygen.  If the bin
becomes too moist or the bedding becomes too compacted, anaerobic
bacteria take over.  Those are the kind that live in sewers, swamps,
etc.  The bedding can be shredded newspaper, shredded corrugated, 
manure, leaves, etc.  The idea is that the bedding needs to allow
air exchange throughout the bin.  This encourages aerobic bacteria
growth.  
 
The worms also speed up the process considerably.  Mine deals with
garbage from 4 college age males - one of which is a vegetarian.
Its only 42" wide (front) by 23" long, and 16" high.  Most soft
garbage disappears within a week or two; the result is a dark, rich
soil ammendment.  Things like orange peels take longer.
 
I strongly recommend acquiring "Worms Eat My Garbage" by Mary
Appelhof.  If you can't find it in a local bookstore, order it from:

The Worm Concern
580 Erbes Road
Thousand Oaks, CA, 91360
 
(805) 496-2872
 
They don't take credit cards, so if you want the book send a check
for $12 (includes shipping. Call if you're out of the states).  They
also sell redworms ($15/pound. I needed 2 pounds).  Unfortunately, 
standard garden earthworms aren't as voracious, nor do they deal
with the temperature variations as well.
 
The good news is that once you get the initial population in there,
they reproduce like crazy to take up the given space and food
supply.  So, there shouldn't be any reason to have to order worms again.
 
If you order the book, or call and ask, they'll send you a flyer
with their stuff on it (they also sell ready made worm bins, worm
compost, etc). 
 
What can you put in there?  Basically any kitchen scrap other than meat.
Carrot peelings, orange rinds, banana peels, old lettuce, tortillas,
bread, cereal, egg shells (crushed - helps pH and adds calcium for breeding),
pizza crust, apple cores, etc.
 
And no, I'm not affiliated with The Worm Concern.  Just ordered the
book, and later the worms from them.
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: kathleen@casbs.Stanford.EDU (Kathleen Much)
Subject: Glastonbury Thorn source?
Originator: kathleen@casbs.Stanford.EDU
Organization: Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 17:09:24 GMT

Does anybody know where I can get a Glastonbury Thorn tree (Crataegus
Monogyna Biflora--flowers twice a year)?  I live near Stanford
University in west Menlo Park, CA, and would like to plant one in my
new garden unless it needs more winter chill than we get here (most
years temperature doesn't go below 20oF; normal weather is above
freezing most of the time).  None of my catalogs lists this particular
Crataegus.  A possible substitute would be Crataegus 'Rosa Plena', but
I can't find it in the U.S. either.  Both apparently are readily
available in England but can't be shipped to California.

Any leads and hints on cultivation would be welcome.
-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Kathleen Much, Editor		|E-mail: kathleen@casbs.stanford.EDU
CASBS, 202 Junipero Serra Blvd.	|Phone: (415) 321-2052
Stanford, CA  94305		|Fax: (415) 321-1192
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: garyp@rmtc.paramax.com (Gary Palangian [RMTC/ISP])
Subject: Re: Preparing Clay Soil for Planting
Organization: Paramax Systems
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 20:55:54 GMT

In article <fXK0W0R@quack.sac.ca.us>, pharvey@quack.sac.ca.us (Paul Harvey) writes:
|> In article <1993Jan8.222946.26930@gvl.unisys.com> 
|> garyp@rmtc.paramax.com (Gary Palangian [RMTC/ISP]) writes:
|> >Thanks to everybody for the advice on clay soil preparation.
|> >I have one question... How does one go about mixing
|> >bark chips 4 feet into soil?
|> 
|> Now, make sure it's ground fir bark, say pieces smaller than 1/4" or so,
|> not the big bark chunks (2x2" and larger) used as decorative mulch. Also
|> rice hulls are said to work just as well and may be cheaper. As for
|> working the soil to a four foot depth, this will take some time. Do
|> little patches at a time, start with a small garden and slowly expand
|> it. Plant shrubs and trees over the years instead of trying to make an
|> instant rain forest all at once. Fast planting has a false, cheezy,
|> new-SUBurb, look to it. Drive around your area and study the vegetation.
|> You should find older neighborhoods with nice mature vegetation which
|> did not occur over night. As for the tools required; the best, most
|> expensive shovel you can find, pick axes, perhaps a rock bar and in
|> really bad cases perhaps a sledge hammer to break up the clods. If it
|> seems like a lot of work, it is, but when taken slow the investment pays
|> off. On heavy clay or shallow bedrock soils, I would go with raised beds of
|> imported garden loam bought by the truckload.
|> 
|> >Party On...
|> 
|> Sure, why not. Just take it easy.


Thanks Paul, but....


I was hoping for a more industrial solution.  Like, you'll need a bulldozer 
with a ripper for 8 hours and about a yard of bark for each square yard of
garden.  And I don't believe a well planned fast planted landscape
would look worse than the slow approach either immediately or
10 years down the road.  Judging from the quality of most home landscapes,
I believe a well planned landscape will look better than 90% of the
DIY yards immediately.  Not to mentioned becoming more beautiful with time
and being much more cost effective.  After all, the sooner its green the sooner
you can enjoy it.

Be excellent to each other....


Gary P.
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: dipirro@star.dec.com (Steve DiPirro)
Subject: Re: Peppers from seed in New England
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 18:22:36 GMT


In article <1993Jan5.185344.27326@nntpd.lkg.dec.com>, jam@chapln.enet.dec.com (Joe Micozzi) writes...
> 
>--
> 
>Has any had any luck growing pepper plants from seeds??  I live in New England
>so I am especially interested if any one from New England has had any luck.  
> 
>The catalog say's 70-80 day's which is the summer around here.

Well, Joe, I probably should have just sent you some "local" email.
We can follow-up that way if you like. I live in Southern N.H. and
previously lived in Mass. I've been growing 9-12 different varieties
of peppers every year for the past 11 or 12 years with GREAT success.
In fact, they've done better than everything else I've tried to grow.
This includes many varieties of hot chiles. Initially, people told me
they wouldn't get hot. They don't say that to me any longer.

I start my peppers from seed in seed-starting trays and mix during the
last week in February (indoors, of course). I keep them under grow lights
once germinated. I transplant to peat pots when a couple of pairs of
leaves develop. For soil in the peat pots, I mix commercial potting soil
with potting mix, and maybe a little peat so it won't be too heavy.

Late May or early June, I "harden" the plants for a week outside before
putting them into the ground. I water them every 2-3 weeks with a fish
emulsion solution which they love. I don't add much, if any, manure or
high N fertilizer to the raised beds which will contain peppers. They
just don't like it.

I start getting reasonable-sized Jalapenos in July...as well as the first
red cayenne peppers. August and September are the best months though.
I typically grow 6 plants of each variety. Last year, although I was
harvesting peppers all along, when the first hard frost was about to hit,
I went out and picked all the remaining peppers and filled several grocery
bags with them.

So, the answer is a big YES to growing peppers in New England!

------------
Steve DiPirro        dipirro@star.dec.com
                     --or-- dipirro@star.enet.dec.com
                     --or-- ...!decwrl!star.dec.com!dipirro
                     --or-- dipirro%star.dec@decwrl.dec.com
------------
From: dmiller@theory.lcs.mit.edu (Dick and Jill Miller)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Pond underwater plants
Date: 6 Jan 93 00:33:27 GMT
Organization: Laboratory for Computer Science, MIT

In article 1993Jan4.175737.26340@voodoo.ca.boeing.com>
   mnb@miraca.boeing.com (Mike Burr) writes:
>
>In article <1993Jan3.191701.10898@cichlid.com>
>            aab@cichlid.com (Andy Burgess) writes:
>>
>>Underwater oxygenating plants are a pondkeepers myth -- they add scant 
>>oxygen to the water and in darkness actually compete with fish for oxygen.
>>
>
>Andy,
>
>Your statement is contradictory to everything I have read - both on pond
>maintenance and general ecological reading.  I'm sure other people are
>curious as well as to how you have arrived at this conclusion.  Could
>you please your sources and/or data that have led you to this conclusion?
>
>Thanks,   
>
>
>--
>Michael Burr  Boeing Computer Services, Bellevue WA
>              Email:mnb@voodoo.ca.boeing.com
>
Andy is correct.  Plants produce oxygen only in the presence of light.  How 
bright depends on the species.  This is because plants have two respiratory 
cycles.  One is the same as any animal, using oxygen and sugar to produceg 
CO2.  The other, using light and chlorophyll uses CO2 and produces O2 and 
sugar.  The first takes place all the time but is overpowered by the second 
when there is enough light.  You sould find discussion of this in any basic 
biology text.

What plants do help with is to absorb some of the waste products of fish, 
thus keeping the pond from getting to nutrified (provided that some of the 
weed are harvested from time to time).

Pond weeds make GREAT mulch and compost.  They are guaranteed to be 
weed-seed free and full of nutrients.  I harvest the ones that grown at my 
beach area and haul them up to my garden.  GOOD STUFF.

--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: rodger@rand.ORG (Rodger Madison)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Naked Ladies
Date: 11 Jan 93 15:38:46 GMT
Organization: The RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California

Otherwise known as Amarylis Belladona.  I have been propogating these from the
seeds which form each year and have had good success getting the plants started. 
Does anyone know:

	1 - How long it takes the bulbs to bloom?  I have some three years old
	    with no flowers.
	2 - Are these the source of the infamous poison?

Thanks, 

	Rodger
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: karen@athena.cs.uga.edu (Karen Snetselaar)
Subject: Re: Catalpa tree
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 00:13:46 GMT

In article <carolyn.726721729@bucket> carolyn@bucket.rain.com (Carolyn Peterson) writes:
>
>
>I'm looking at our cold, frozen, snowy yard and making plans
>for spring planting.  One thing I'm considering adding is a
>catalpa tree.  Are there any negative points that I should be
>aware of?  Is there a specific variety anyone can recommend?
>We live near Portland, Oregon.
>
>I want a deciduous tree.  30-40 feet high, with big leaves
>(faster to rake in the fall).  It will be about 10-12 feet
>from a sidewalk and 10-12 feet from a patch of lawn..
>
>Any help will be greatly appreciated!
>
If you're choosing a tree based on how easy it is to clean up
after, there are some things you should know about Catalpas.
In the spring, they produce large numbers of lovely foxglove-like
flowers whose petals end up as a slippery mess under the tree 
after a big shower.  Later in the summer they often get infested
with Catalpa worms, which don't seem to hurt the tree but are
grossly slimy underfoot.  I've been told the worms make great
fishing bait but never tried them myself.  The fruits are persistant
foot-long pods that litter the yard later in the year.  And, like
many fast-growing trees, Catalpas have weak wood and tend to lose
branches during high winds.

Having said all that, I must tell you that one of my favorite
trees in the world is the big Northern Catalpa that stands about
15 feet from my back door.  This beauty has a dbh of more than a 
meter, a graceful arching habit, and these wonderful buttresses
that remind me of eagle talons.  Catalpa is in a family that is
primarily tropical (Bignoniaceae) and the flowers are unusually
showy for a temperate tree.  When they come drifting down to make
that white carpet on the lawn in the spring, I want to go dance
around a maypole or something.  

I would recommend that you locate some Catalpas in your area, and
see how they look (evidence of wind damage, etc.) before you plant
one.

Karen Snetselaar
Department of Plant Pathology
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: bae@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca (Beverly Erlebacher)
Subject: Re: spring fever
Summary: Spring is inevitable
Organization: UTCS Public Access
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 16:21:54 GMT

Many people write:

>|> >	   IS IT SPRING YET?!

Here is one fairly lousy remedy for spring fever.  When you find yourself
saying:

>|> >ARRRRGGGGHHH!!!!!!

recite the Northern Gardener's Mantra:

	Spring is inevitable
	Spring is inevitable
	Spring is inevitable
		etc....

Beverly Erlebacher
Toronto Ontario Canada
From: jill@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Jill Swenson)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Golden Gate Gardening
Date: 6 Jan 93 01:12:36 GMT
Organization: the HP Corporate notes server

Kind of a postscript on the "what do gardeners want for Christmas" string...
This is what I got and I LOVE it!

My favorite Christmas present was a book especially for those of us
gardening in the fog belt from Santa Monica up into Oregon.  Specifically
the foggy areas near the ocean with cool summers, warm autumns and mild
winters.  The book is called "Golden Gate Gardening" by Pam Peirce (yes,
"e" before "i") and is available from agAccess in Davis (916) 756-7177. 
Call for a price.  I don't know much about agAccess, but their catalog
lists oodles of agriculture and horticulture books, videotapes and research
services.  Sounds pretty neat.

The author has obviously gardened for years in San Francisco and isn't
afraid to share both successes and failures.  The book covers what will
and will not grow in foggy, borderline and relatively sunny areas,
recommends especially successful varieties and when to plant them.  It 
shows how to interpret such statements as "as soon as the ground can be
worked" in an area where the ground never freezes, tells about expected
frustrations (a corn listed for 55 days takes 90 days in a sunny SF garden),
and tells why our weather is the way it is.

The book covers vegetables, herbs, fruit trees and some flowers in detail.
The descriptions include likely pests and diseases and sources for seed/plants.
She also not only mentions weeds, bugs and diseases, but tells which ones 
are likely to be a problem (the Colorado potato beetle hasn't shown up here 
yet, the tomato hornworm doesn't like coastal weather, but snails and slugs 
are rampant).  She approaches problems by first telling you the least toxic
way to deal with a situation, and works up to the chemicals.  She also 
reviews common pesticides, explaining their toxicity and suggesting which 
one to use when you have a choice.  Finally, she tosses in some recipes for 
using your harvest, references sources for seeds, plants, supplies, 
cooperative extension offices and educational outlets, and includes a 
detailed bibliography of books that she found useful.

This book is absolutely wonderful, and the author really knows her stuff.
The planting advice is pretty specific to the coast and won't apply as 
well to warmer areas such as Palo Alto or Santa Rosa, but many of the 
pest control and information resources are helpful for all.  Check it out!

Jill Swenson
jill@corp.hp.com