The heater just lopes along to heat this house. It was supposed to have a 20k btu unit. They were out of stock so a 30k btu was put in. Sorry I need to stop for now I'll pick it up again in a bit. --- DB 1.53/002232 * Origin: The Twilight Zone (1:130/503.2) @PATH: 130/503 509 124/1 396/1 3615/50 3641/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (862) Sun 1 Jan 95 1:00 By: Ken Jones To: Cal Clift Re: Re: Thermostat suggestio ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > DC> 25 degrees in the hall. I tried taping around the thermostat to > DC> eliminate drafts but no change. When I've cooled the house down > while Could your draft be comming from inside the wall. You might try unmounting it and see if there is air comming out the hole the wires feed through. --- DB 1.53/002232 * Origin: The Twilight Zone (1:130/503.2) @PATH: 130/503 509 124/1 396/1 3615/50 3641/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (863) Sat 31 Dec 94 19:35 By: Sharon Allsup To: Alan Hess Re: Paw-paw ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @MSGID: 1:130/404.1 2f05f8c4 @REPLY: 1:261/1000 4c4d7810 MR> Have you ever tasted a fruit from one ?? I havn't but for some MR> reason I still want to grow them. Would you know off-hand MR> where I may get the friut from?? AH> I've never tasted one - the description in a garden AH> catalog interested me. I can't guess where to buy the fruit. *adh* Sometimes they can be found in gourmet or natural food stores. Try Fresh Fields or the little hole-in-the-wall natural foods or Co-Ops. --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: SYSABEND CENTRAL (1:130/404.1) @PATH: 130/404 41 124/4115 1 396/1 3615/50 3641/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (864) Sat 31 Dec 94 19:50 By: Sharon Allsup To: Tom Megow Re: vietnamese coriander ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @MSGID: 1:130/404.1 2f05fc3e TM> I need to find a source (hopefully in the S.E.) for TM> vietnamese coriander.I live in lower zone 8,Will it do TM> well here?TIA Plain old coriander does well in the south. I've never heard of Vietnamese coriander but have a late fall transplant of the regular variety that is doing well (very mild Ft Worth winter). You can usually find it in nurseries and catalogs, often under the name Cilantro. Coriander the spice is the ground-up seed of Cilantro the plant. It likes sun and a nitrogen-rich soil will give you lush leaf growth (harvest & dry the leaves for chili & salsa spicing). Eventually it will bolt when summer heat comes on. The seeds are VERY fragrant and strong when just harvested! *grin* 1995 seed catalogs are coming in fast and furious now. If I see an entry for a "Vietnamese" coriander/cilantro I'll pass it on to you. --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: SYSABEND CENTRAL (1:130/404.1) @PATH: 130/404 41 124/4115 1 396/1 3615/50 3641/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (866) Sat 31 Dec 94 17:25 By: Nolan Chamczuk To: Sharon Allsup Re: Re: plants to try out ---------------------------------------------------------------------- On Dec. 29th Sharon wrote; SA> I don't know if they are Zone 3 survivable, but 4 o'clocks are SA> pretty, fast-growing, bloom from summer until frost and will, as the SA> quaint phrase goes, "reseed vigorously". We all know what that means. SA> If you want to experiment with them, send me your Snail-Mail address, I SA> still have some seeds left to give away. These are purple, pink and SA> white, unsorted tho. They like full sun to light shade. Some in heavy SA> shade did OK because it was "dappled" shade. Hi ho; and happy new year! The wife says sure, we will give them a whirl. It should be a interesting year, as we (usually me) will be trying out a few experiments, the flower beds and pots wont know what hit them. As she plants them and I tend them most of the time. But heres the addrress: Nolan & Rochelle Chamczuk Box 308 BonAccord, AB T0A-0K0. Canada If you want I can send you some seed back, I collected lots of petunia, and potulaca seed this year, they too love to re-seed vigorously but in the great white north the seed wont survive the winter, so I collect instead. TTYL.... Nolan. * Q-Blue 1.0 [NR] * --- DlgQWK v0.71a/PDQMail v2.54 * Origin: Amiga Devil BBS, Edmonton AB, Supra 28.8 (1:342/53) @PATH: 342/53 61 3615/50 3641/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (867) Sun 1 Jan 95 21:56 By: Sharon Allsup To: Ken Jones Re: Cutting Electric Bills ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @MSGID: 1:130/404.1 2f076b50 KJ> The co-op is ok I guess, I dom't really have a thing to KJ> compare it to. In California gas and elect was dumped KJ> in one bill. But both were never as high as just elect KJ> is here. I never had a PG&E bill break $90. and never KJ> had a water bill over $20. The electric *rate* seems to be 6.8-7.1c pkh (hasn't been fixed on the last few bills); I don't remember if it is on par with other areas of the country. If it helps any, your city water bill includes trash pickup (and sewer, if you're not on septic). One thing that IS for sure - few of the homes in this area have anywhere near decent energy conservation features! In our househunting last summer we saw endless walls of lovely picture windows and triple-wide sliding glass doors. Very VERY few of them were anything other than a single pane with no protection. Even our current house has only storm windows for the lower panes and nothing for the upper ones. It leaks heat like you wouldn't believe. The view of the wooded backyard is lovely. Feeling the chill radiating out from those broad expanses of unprotected glass isn't. There is a *hole* in the joint of the patio door - time to get out the caulking gun. Only the newer houses, and those recently remodelled, had insulated windows. Attics seldom have more than a token layer of insulation. grr. With months of blistering summer heat, followed by a winter in housing that offers little protection from heat loss, no wonder Texans go through an incredible amount of KWH's. In Virginia we cut down on the summer AC a great deal by replacing the semi-sheer (but pretty) vertical blinds in our larger picture windows with vertical blinds made of the opaque PCV-type vinyl. The solid ones blocked sun and turned the room into a cave even in midafternoon (big disadvantage). But the entire downstairs was noticeably cooler and electric bill much less. The curtains were about $300 for both a standard sliding patio door and large window. An added advantage for us at least was that the cats could not pull them down like the others because they couldn't get a grip on the smooth plastic. ;) New paint, wallpaper, carpet, and energy-efficient windows. My New Year's Resolution is to do at least 2 of the 4 by next New Year's. Without going bankrupt or getting divorced. --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: SYSABEND CENTRAL (1:130/404.1) @PATH: 130/404 41 124/4115 1 396/1 3615/50 3641/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (868) Sun 1 Jan 95 22:19 By: Sharon Allsup To: Richard Rose Re: Moderator & Echo Status ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @MSGID: 1:130/404.1 2f0770a4 @REPLY: 1:2245/101.0 2f032628 RR> Thanks Sharon. This board just picked up the echo recently, so I never RR> realized it was down. RR> Gardening is my favorite past time (and occupation for that matter) RR> so I was excited to get this echo. Gardening is your OCCUPATION? Do tell! (and welcome to the echo) --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: SYSABEND CENTRAL (1:130/404.1) @PATH: 130/404 41 124/4115 1 396/1 3615/50 3641/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (869) Sun 1 Jan 95 22:20 By: Sharon Allsup To: Basil Barnes Re: Re: Moderator & Echo Status ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @MSGID: 1:130/404.1 2f077110 BB> to us Zone 2 people up north! BB> The growing season is so short up here that the plants BB> have adapted by growing faster ... trouble is that the BB> rustling at night as the plants grow keeps us awake! BB> I'll never forget the troubles we had one year with an BB> exceptionally long growing season (3 weeks instead of BB> the usual 2 weeks) combined with an unusually active BB> pumpkin vine ... :-) hahahaha the mental image that brings to mind..... Pets & small children running in terror from enraged squash vines.. Nyahnyahnyah taunt taunt. We'll probably have the second real freeze of the season on Tuesday. This time I might actually believe the forecast since the birdfeeder has been mobbed all day, a sure sign of *something* about to happen weather-wise. It's already time to start the parsley and cabbage sets. Of course the price for 200+ frostfree days a year is tornados, summer scorchers, hail and heat bursts. There really are two short growing seasons in this area of Texas - spring & fall. Summer is too hot for most veggies. That's when we'll come visit you, OK? --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: SYSABEND CENTRAL (1:130/404.1) @PATH: 130/404 41 124/4115 1 396/1 3615/50 3641/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (870) Sun 1 Jan 95 22:30 By: Sharon Allsup To: Bill Mason Re: Re: MONSTER TOMATO CATERPILLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @MSGID: 1:130/404.1 2f07733c SA> Bt is effective against almost all caterpillars. It is SA> harmless to birds & most wildlife, which is why it's so popular as SA> an organic method of pest control - but it will kill many types of SA> caterpillars, not just the Tomato Hornworms. BM> BM> Ah, so careful and selective spraying would definitely be in order. Yes. If you want to keep some of them around for turning into butterflies, raise a patch of Queen Anne's lace, fennel, or other sacrifice plant and move the caters over there. I'm trying to get locate/put together an article listing the nectar vs food plant preferences of butterflies & moths. Most have very specific needs. Even though the adults may nectar off many flowers from the garden, their larvae are restricted to a very few types of food plants, and that varies by species. BM> messages about it earlier that I guess I couldn't BM> contain my amusement over BM> another aghast SOS (or SOT) from someone just BM> discovering tomato hornworms. And I guess you were just the Joe Cool type when you first saw this wierdo monster chowing down on your prize t'maters? We can't all be complacent old pharts. ;) BM> From all the replies this time around, it does look like hand-picking and BM> squishing may even be quite a bit easier and faster than getting out and BM> finding a place that has Bt spray anyway. There is a bit of concern by some folks that continued use of Bt spray will eventually result in Bt-resistant strains of pests. Now *that's* scary! Personally, I prefer squishing them beneath my feet. So much more gratifying. --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: SYSABEND CENTRAL (1:130/404.1) @PATH: 130/404 41 124/4115 1 396/1 3615/50 3641/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (885) Sat 31 Dec 94 0:06 By: Cathy Mcgregorsmith To: Jo Meyers Re: Re:canadian organic farming ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @MSGID: 1:231/710 2EFE0912 hi we are from canada as well.we have a good growing season from april to november.our farm is nestled in between the great lakes in southern ontario. we have 3 greenhouses to start transplants and early greens.we will be starting them in feb. we have very hot summers and usually very cold damp winters. we have a good size storeroom which enables us to have tons of organic produce to continue to sell vegetables throughout the winter. you can imagine fresh greens and asparagus tastes good in a few months. please tell me about your location and growing conditions. bye for now cathy.mcgregor@onlinesys.com --- QuickBBS 2.80 Ovr (Zeta-1) * Origin: ** H.O.M.E. BBS -- Where everyone is a hoe-er! ** (1:231/710) @PATH: 231/710 2880 50 3615/50 3641/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (886) Sat 31 Dec 94 0:13 By: Cathy Mcgregorsmith To: Lee Follweiler Re: Re: MONSTER TOMATO CATERP ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @MSGID: 1:231/710 2EFE0AA2 i used to work for agriculture canada in entomology (insects).one of my jobs was to rear TOMATO HORNWORMS.we had to make up artifical diet for them and re-create their life cycles and conditions. their real name is MANDUCA Quinquemaculata .......or MANDUCA (5 spots) Tobacco hornworms are MANDUCA sexta.......or Manduca (6 spots) just count the spots on the side of the adults body. bye for now cathy.mcgregor@onlinesys.com --- QuickBBS 2.80 Ovr (Zeta-1) * Origin: ** H.O.M.E. BBS -- Where everyone is a hoe-er! ** (1:231/710) @PATH: 231/710 2880 50 3615/50 3641/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (887) Sat 31 Dec 94 9:07 By: John Hartman To: Karin Brewer Re: Re: cactuses and other greens ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @PID: QE 2.80 Zeta 1+ @MSGID: 1:231/230 2EFE87EC If you have a drafty window and like orchids, you might try some of the small dendrobiums. I got one in a local orchid club gift exchange a few years back that would not bloom for the original owner. One month later, in January, it sent out flower spikes. I had over 100 blooms on it at once! The window was very drafty and almost freezing. Something to consider. --- QuickBBS 2.80 Ovr (Zeta-1) * Origin: ORDOVICIAN OOZE *From Whence We All Emerged* (1:231/230) @PATH: 231/230 1500 50 3615/50 3641/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (888) Sat 31 Dec 94 9:12 By: John Hartman To: Bruce Bosdet Re: Re: MONSTER TOMATO CATERPILLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @PID: QE 2.80 Zeta 1+ @MSGID: 1:231/230 2EFE88FA They are sphinx moth caterpillars. Another name is Tobacco Hornworm. The are easy to pick off and toss into the street where they make a great green splat. If they are covered with little white cocoons on their backs, leave them on the plant. The cocoons are parasitic wasps which have already killed the critter, except that he doesn't know it yet. --- QuickBBS 2.80 Ovr (Zeta-1) * Origin: ORDOVICIAN OOZE *From Whence We All Emerged* (1:231/230) @PATH: 231/230 1500 50 3615/50 3641/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (889) Sat 31 Dec 94 18:35 By: Brian Murrey To: John Hartman Re: hi guy ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @PID: QE 2.76- @MSGID: 1:231/30 2EFF0D09 In a message to Bruce Bosdet <12-31-94 09:12> John Hartman wrote: > They are sphinx moth caterpillars. Another name is Tobacco Hornworm. > The are easy to pick off and toss into the street where they make a > great green splat. If they are covered with little white cocoons on > their backs, leave them on the plant. The cocoons are parasitic > wasps which have already killed the critter, except that he doesn't > know it yet. Yummy. Hey John, are you still in seed savers? Would you by anychance have some Birdhouse Gourd seeds I could bum off ya? --- QuickBBS 2.76a Ovr * Origin: Take a trip and never leave the farm (1:231/30) @PATH: 231/30 50 3615/50 3641/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (892) Mon 2 Jan 95 12:55 By: Ken Jones To: Sharon Allsup Re: Re: Cutting Electric Bills ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > KJ> is here. I never had a PG&E bill break $90. and never > KJ> had a water bill over $20. > anywhere near decent energy conservation features! In our househunting > last summer we saw endless walls of lovely picture windows and We tried to go as efficient as we could afford at the time. Our house in California didn't sell so we had to do some serious purchase price changes. Like dropping the price range from $175,000 & $230,000 to $80,000 & $95,000. I think we did alright, we put more into energy upgrades than cosmetic upgrades. For a 1,750 sq. ft. house I think the utilities are overpriced. We pay on a average (36 months of history) Elect 84.57 per mo Water 64.02 Trash is included Gas 36.36 Tot. 184.95 per mo I'm used to paying less than 120 for all the above. But then again we had alot of hydro-elect and the snow runoff for water. So the expense of burning coal for the elect and using elect to pump water out of the ground wasn't there. Plus our natural gas was from Canada and Alaska, not sure where it comes from here. We also have a much different household now. Four adults with 4 different schedules, I think there is always someone awake in the house and it seems like the laundry is always going along with a shower or 2. We are looking into those dark screens for the windows. Havn't been out pricing them yet, but we are getting close. I really don't know if we will get to it here or not. We are trying to get in a good enough position to sell out in California and move North and West some, up into wise co. see if we can get the property taxes down any. That was another big shock moving here was taxes. We went from 1.03% per 100 to 2.13% per 100 moving to Keller. I really wouln't mind paying the taxes if they would just do something constructive with them. They just seem to waste them away and then ask for more. --- DB 1.53/002232 * Origin: The Twilight Zone (1:130/503.2) @PATH: 130/503 509 124/1 396/1 3615/50 3641/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (893) Fri 30 Dec 94 3:32 By: Basil Barnes To: Sharon Allsup Re: Re: Moderator & Echo Status ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @PID: ProBoard 2.01 rJ @TID: FastEcho 1.40 UNREG In a message dated 20 Dec 94 15:50:40, Sharon Allsup wrote: SA> As the ELISTed moderator of the new HOME-N-GRDN, I don't intend SA> to make many, if any changes. The typical echo rules still apply: stay SA> on topic; no flames, commercial ads, huge ANSI pictures, encrypted SA> messages; and real names preferred. That's about it. We really don't SA> NEED lots of restrictions, do we? SA> Questions? Comments?