I don't use it ( although I have a bag) because of the importance of re-applying as it is washed off and I can only get to the orchard on weekends and the weather does not co-operate with my schedule. If it rains on Monday and the stuff is washed off it does me no good to reapply it on Saturday next. I use a low spray regimen. Look up "harvestman" or "low level spray program " here and you should find it. I use "chemicals" but sparingly. Keep in mind that cobra venom is also organic. I don't worship at the organic temple. I prefer the "Temple of Reason". Mike

Clones can be used to great effect when hybridizing or breeding stable OP varieties, and tomatoes are super easy to clone. I know with human cells, telomere length is a limiting factor on immortality. But cancer cells can achieve immortality in a petri dish, see link below. I am not sure if there is such a limit on plants. Considering 2000+ year old trees here and there perhaps there is not a fundamental limit, and plant clones could be kept alive forever. As for OP vs. hybrid, I'll gladly take the adaptability, resilience and independence from seed co's that OP offers, over whatever gains might be obtained by buying hybrid seed. I want seeds that are adapted to my climate, my garden, my pests and my habits as a gardener. My plan is to just keep chucking tomato seeds out there to see what thrives and produces. My aims are different than a lot of gardeners, for me it's more about resilient gardening than gourmet gardening. I'm happier with the 'wild arugula' that reseeds itself perpetually than with some named variety of arugula that I would have to resow every year. I am a member of a local seed library, $10 lifetime membership, and I have access to way more veggie seeds than I could ever grow, with the caveat that I return extra saved seed when possible. With those seeds, I follow stricter seed saving protocols, because there is an obligation to keep the varieties true. Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.npr.org/2011/03/18/134622044/tracing-the-immortal-cells-of-henrietta-lacks This post was edited by yukkuri_kame on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 17:18

Proudmama: Yes, that's exactly what I'm looking for in a light maple. Puppy farms? Egads, just another category of purchases to feel guilty about.... I can't buy anything from China without a twinge of guilt either.... Ellen: Thanks for the insight into Amish business practices. I'm glad they've found a way to survive and still hold their belief system together. I admire those people for their lifestyle and discipline. Thanks again for all of the replies!

Whoa, Back! I don't believe that I fully understand your situation. Your air bag blew and could continue to drive the car without a problem. It must have been a side airbag that went off. If it had been the frontal one in the steering wheel, you'd gotten a faceful and would have been much more excited about the incident. Also, the car would not have been driveable with ruptured air bag hanging from the center of the steering wheel. (In that case, one has to cut the bag away before driving away.) So, I aassume it was one of the side bags. (You must have a nice car.) Next, you say that you hit a rut and caused the Bang. I'm betting what happened is this: you moved to the side of the road and did not see the hazard. There may have been a culvert across the road that was short - did not reach all the way to the edge of the shoulder. At this time of year, this hazard is often hidden by vegtation growing on the shoulder. So, when you moved over to the side of the road, you missed the culvert and hit the ditch that it laid in - Wham! (I did this once a very long itme ago in a Model A Ford.) Yes, such a blow can damage the car by bending parts and set off airbags. The alignment should be checked and if there are bent parts, it should be fixed and the body alignment checked. If the hit was caused by a short culvert, you or your insurance company may have a claim against the maintence department responsible for that road (assuming it is a public road.) If you have personal injury, the claim gets bigger. Go back to the place where you had the big hit and look. If you find that you did run off the end of a short culvert, tell your insurance agent. Let your agent advise how he wishes to handle this (if this hazard eixted). Narrow bridges and short culverts should have signage to warn motorists. Usually, a short culvert will have flags placed at the ends of the culvert. However, A short culvert should never have been allowed in the first place and the culvert should have extended all the way to the edge of the roadway including the shoulder.