Lol - up in the middle of the night fretting over fertilizers? Please tell me something else had you up at that hour. ;-) Here's how I fertilize in the winter: I water/fertilize (fertigate) every time I water with a low dose of fertilizer. Not everyone CAN fertigate that way - it depends on your soil choice and watering habits, so don't emulate unless you understand the ramifications. After I'm done fertigating, I fill 5 - 1 gallon milk jugs with tap water and add just under 1/4 tsp of 9-3-6 to each, and let them rest for the 4 day interval between fertigating, so they come to room temperature. I've asked a LOT of degreed hort people if plants suffer adversity from being watered with cold water, and not one has ever offered anything conclusive that says it's either good or bad, other than potential damage to foliage on some plants, like AVs. Most bonsai books suggest that a cool drink during the midday time period is very helpful because it quickly cools roots down, so apparently the 'shock' thing is a perpetuated myth. Still, it's no extra effort to allow the water to come to room temp, so that's what I do. When I fertigate, I use a watering can with a long spout that allows me to reach plants in the center of my 4x8 growing areas. The spout has a fine nozzle that sends out a 1/8" stream of water, so it take on average about 20-30 seconds to water a plant. This allows me to wet the entire surface of the plant, so gravity moves the solution down through the entire soil mass. When I see water flowing into the collection saucer, I water for a few more seconds, then stop. My plants are set on pieces of plastic u-channel above the effluent, so I don't need to empty the saucers. The evaporating water means my humidifiers run less. When it's time to water, I pour 2 qts of fertigation solution from the gallon jug into the watering can. I then add 3 drops of ProTeKt while the water is still turbulent, so it mixes well. I don't mix it in until the last minute because mixing the fertilizer and ProTeKt ahead of time causes some of the elements to precipitate from (fall out of) the solution. You asked if the ProTeKt is necessary. I think it's good to remember that in many cases, we approach growing with only our own perspective in mind. Much disagreement arises between someone who thinks their way is good enough for everyone because they are happy with it, and the grower who has found a way superior to that particular way and wants to share it. People very often get defensive when someone suggests that what someone says or does isn't the best way. "Well, it works for me!" really isn't very conclusive when it comes to deciding what might or might not be best for the plant. In addition to that, some growers place a high premium on 'less maintenance is better (for me)', while the next grower is trying to make the point that MORE maintenance is better (for the plant). I tend to always speak from the perspective of how to get to what's best for the plant, and then let the grower decide if they want to go to any extra effort or expense that might be entailed in getting there. So, the ProTeKt isn't necessary if your goal is to raise a healthy plant. I had healthy plants for many years before I started using it, but after I started using it, I noticed a lower incidence of insect and disease issues, and I noticed that my plants seemed more resistant to temperature extremes. I noticed these things even before I read a few of the many studies that quantify the effects of aqueous Si on plants, so if I was dreaming, I was at least dreaming in accord with the conclusions of others who made the actual effort to nail down the Si's effects on plants. I can't really tell you it's necessary, but I can say with a fair degree of certainty that if you do use it regularly, it's going to be helpful. Al

gaatooor, I, too, have LB sales brochures from 1965/66 with good pictures. My dad was a dealer back then, and I kept his "stuff". Old LB repair manuals, brochures, and even B&S repair manuals from the period still come in handy more frequently that you might expect. Ahhh, besides....I'm a certified pack-rat! ~grin~ I can't post them here but, if you wish, I'll scan them and send them to you directly via e-mail. I'd try to get the color balances as close as possible, but what you view on your monitor may still not be an absolutely perfect match. If you're interested, go to my Members Page and send me an e-mail with the subject line being very specific. Otherwise, it might get zapped as spam. ~grin~ Cordially offered, Hal

On the tool options for the freehand selection, make sure antialias is checked and set feather to 1. You can zoom in and remove smaller sections. When you have an area selected, hit delete on the keyboard instead of in PSP, I think it makes it cleaner. Make sure you have the background promoted to layer. You don't have to crop out the whole b/g just enough so that you can isolate your image. Then you can use the eraser tool to get rid of the rest.

I haven't checked this post in quite awhile. I got this computer sometime around 2002. I could have gotten XP then. I sure wish I had made him give me my copy of XP as I furnished my own 98. A little late now. I guess sooner or later I'll have to bite the bullet & get it. I just hope I don't lose everything when when it is done. I have a zillion PSP tube LOL & would hate to lose them. They are on drive D so maybe I won't. Most of my PSP filters are on drive D also. I need to backup my filters. I have a burner but haven't used it in a LONG LONG time & don't even remember how. I don't even have the program installed anymore. My son found out the hard way if your XP is pirated U can't put in some new programs. He bought his computer USED from a shop. It had XP but was an illegal one & he didn't know it. He now has a legal one in it. His was XP professional. The HOME one may be different. I just got NetScape 7.1 last nite. I only use it for mail but my old 4.7 quite working all of a sudden when NS did some changes. I wish I could get a CD for it like I did the 4.7 I had. I can't upgrade as higher doesn't support mail. Most of the time newer isn't better.. just harder to use. Dar