The following statement was made in this thread on April 29, 2009: "It has been demonstrated by natural root grafting at UC Davis, but then only on rootstock plants just a few inches from each other, in the nursery row, and then only on mutiflora." In 2007 Golino et.al. at U.C. Davis published a paper on this subject. The abstract is at: http://www.actahort.org/books/751/751_26.htm In the full paper, the following is stated (page 29-30): "Field Spread in Scion Cultivars To test further for the occurrence of virus spread trials were conducted on over 300 plants each of three scion cultivars, Double Delight, Iceberg, and Queen Elizabeth. Rooted cuttings were planted approximately 30 cm apart in rows in the field, grown for one year and alternate plants were graft-inoculated as described above with one of three virus accessions: 1) ROS98.36, 2) ROS98.27, and 3) ROS70.7, which were 1) a source of PNRSV that caused bright yellow chlorosis in the spring; 2) a source of ApMV, and 3) a source of a naturally-occurring mixed infection of ApMV and PNRSV, respectively. Plants were pruned yearly using shears that were cleaned between each plant by dipping in 10% bleach solution. Bushes were observed for symptoms periodically and ELISA tested for PNRSV and ApMV in the spring for two years. All non-inoculated plants that tested positive were re-sampled and tested to confirm the result." In the conclusion section (page 221) the following was stated: "In scion varieties, transmission rates two years postinoculation ranged from 0 to 25% depending on virus and cultivar. Queen Elizabeth had the lowest percent infection of all the varieties at an average 5% for all three viruses; Iceberg had the highest for a scion cultivar at 13% average for the viruses (Table 4). These differences correlate with the cultivars relative root vigor. It is possible that a larger, more vigorous root system would increase the chance of forming a root graft with an adjacent plant. R. multiflora has a more vigorous root system than all three scion cultivars tested and within the scions, Iceberg is more vigorous than Queen Elizabeth and Double Delight." -------------------------------- I do not understand why someone would make the April 29 statement. Especially since on April 30, 2009 the same writer states: "If one actually looks up Golino's paper in Acta Horticulturae......." ----------------------------------- Please also note that not all types of mechanical transmission were ruled out in the 2007 paper since the observed rate of spread was higher in the unpruned bushes than in the pruned bushes. In another PNRSV infected plant, hops, this is attributed, in part, to the branches of neighboring plants rubbing against each other. Golino et.al. acknowledge this as they state (page 220-221): "The possibility remains that spread occurred by mechanical transmission due to contact between the leaves of the closely spaced plants and experiments are underway to test that putative mechanism of spread."

New reports the week of 6/22-29: Reported on 6/24: Late blight has been confirmed in tomatoes on an organic farm in Harrison County, OH. Harrison County is in east/central Ohio, one county west of the Pennsylvania border. Previous reports (most recent first): On 6/19 late blight was reported on tomato in a community garden in north central Suffolk county, NY. The gardeners were taking out all their tomato and potato plants. On 6/17 late blight was confirmed on tomato from a home garden in New Haven county, CT. The plants had been grown from seed by the gardener. Outside our reporting area, a 6/21 find on potato in Michigan. The week of 6/8-15 there were two additional late blight reports in Pennsylvania. Both were on tomato transplants in home gardens. One find was in Somerset Co. (south central PA), on a plant purchased at a local greenhouse. The other was from Beaver Co. (near the Ohio border), unknown source. Late blight was found in a greenhouse in northwestern Pennsylvania in mid-May. It was being monitored and treated to prevent spread.

But it doesn't have to generate controversy, particularly if we all take some time to stop and think twice about making comments that are hypocritical. I used to have a mounted mule deer head many years ago, but sold it to an antique store. We decorated him with a red nose and Santa hat for Christmas. Although not something I'd want to live with at this point in my life, I do recognize that my leather sofa and chairs - and a host of other ways that I have used animal parts throughout my life - pretty much disqualify me from ragging on someone because they choose to decorate with hunting trophies.

The newest version of Tess of the D'Urbervilles is set to be shown on MASTERPIECE CLASSICS on PBS in two 2-hour episodes, commencing 4 January 2009. See link below for more info. I caught an installment when I was in England and wished I could have seen the rest. It looked, from what I saw, to be a more detailed adaptation than either the A&E version of the 1990s or Roman Polanski's film. I found a couple of the young actors rather annoying, including the one playing Tess -- she wasn't very expressive, in my opinion, but maybe she was better in other parts. But the older actors seemed well cast, including the wonderful Anna Massey as Mrs D'Urberville. Yep, Tess and most of Hardy's books are real downers -- Little Father Time in Jude, oh mercy!! But I have a real soft spot for Tess. I guess I first read it at exactly the right time for me. Here is a link that might be useful: Tess on Masterpiece