Did you try emailing from his page?

Hi: I have tons of gathered columbine seeds (unknown colors--my bf doesn't remember what his mom grows!), oodles of medium-leaf dark green hosta seeds, and plenty of commercial lobelia and digitalis from trade. I also have some astilbe from trade. From your list, I'm interested in: Miribilis Jalapa: Metallic Red, or Red Magic. Miribilis Jalapa: Penstemon Digitalis: Penstemon Smallii: Semiaquilegia Elcarta. Styrax Japonica And feel free to browse my trade list. Let me know! stage_rat

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."

Read and re-read this carefully. It might seem complex to the novice but it is really a straight forward and in depth explanation of what goes on, and what you will be looking at. Remove the spark plug from each cylinder. You will adjust BOTH valves on "the same cylinder", ONLY AFTER THAT CYLINDER has been positioned to the proper point in the 4-stroke cycle. Remove the valve cover from both cylinders. Identify each valve as INTAKE valve or EXHAUST valve by doing a visual reference. The INTAKE valve will be physically closest to where the intak manifold connects to the head and the EXHAUST valve will be nearest to where the exhaust manifold connects to the head. Next you need to determine which direction the engine rotates when running. You can determine this by spinning the engine with the starter while watching the flywheel through the fan shroud. Mark the direction with an arrow (at least on a sketch if not on the engine). Once you have determined the direction of rotation, you can proceed to positioning the engine for valve adjustment. You should trun the engine by hand a few complete revolutions to familiarize yourself with the sequence of valve movements through the entire 4 stroke cycle. It requires two complete revolutions of the crankshaft (720 degrees of crankshaft rotation) to one complete "4 stroke cycle". The 4 strokes of a four cycle engine are (and in this sequence): (1) INTAKE STROKE (2) COMPRESSION STROKE (3) POWER STROKE (4) EXHAUST STROKE. The compression stroke is the stroke where you perform the valve adjustments. Before we try to figure out how to identify the compression stroke for a specific cylinder let's describe the movements of the valves and the terms used: When a pushrod is RISING and lifting a rocker arm, the rocker arm will be pushing a valve DOWN. When a valve is DOWN, it is OPEN. When a valve is UP, it is CLOSED. OK, turn the engine by hand in the correct direction of rotation while watching both valves of the cylinder you are going to adjust the valves on. When you get to a point in the turning where the INTAKE VALVE begins to rise up (closing) and the exhaust valve is already UP (closed), you are in the beginning of the COMPRESSION STROKE. At this time you need to insert a wooden pencil or a wooden dowel rod straight into the spark plug hole until it contacts the piston. Hold the dowel firmly against the piston with one hand and resume turning the engine with the other hand. Observe how the piston pushes the dowel out of the plug hole as the piston moves toward the magical point known as Top Dead Center (TDC). At the point where the dowel movement stops, mark the dowel flush with the edge of the plug hole. Now, measure upward 1/4 inch from that mark and put a second mark. Put the dowel back in the hole, firmly against the piston and slowly resume turning the engine (in the direction of rotatation) and you will see the dowel move into the hole as the piston drops. Continue turning the engine until the second mark on the dowel is flush with the edge of the spark plug hole. This cylinder is now in the correct position for adjusting the valves ON THIS CYLINDER ONLY. After adjusting the valves on this cylinder, you will need to repeat the entire procedure to get the opposite cylinder into position to adjust its valves.