If you are not in a hurry, research the BEST tasting figs, and put an order in to UC Davis. Get your order in early. You will have to pay shipping, but out of my 3 varieties that I ordered last year and just received, 2 Varieties are leafing out (Panachee and Mission). The one I really wanted is lagging, but it's only been 2 weeks, and I have time. My research showed that Mission, Panachee, and Violet de Bouchet taste the very best. I heard it from the grapevines! I am trying 3 methods for rooting. The ones that are leafing out are in damp perlite and peat. Baggie method not showing any improvement at all, and then I laid some on their sides in shallow trenches in the dirt outside. Nothing there either. Here is a link that might be useful: UC Davis FREE cuttings for fruit trees

Many years ago we had a plot of ground that belonged to the railroad. Frankly, I'm not sure how we got it it's use (Dad may have secured it before I was around). It was where we always planted our popcorn (we ate a lot of popcorn). It was off a seldom used spur that serviced a couple of country elevators and an FS plant. It was really old trackage - the railroad (N&W) had a 5mph speedlimit on it and always ran a speeder out front to make sure the rails were still aligned. If we were working the patch and a train came by they always stopped and I would get to ride in the locomotive for a mile or two (imagine that happening today). I spent a lot of summer days tramping up and down that railroad doing goodness knows what. Eventually, the line was abandoned and pulled out. The land went to the elevator and we quit farming it. I know that there are still some properties that the railroad owns and leases out - there is a casket warehouse in one of the towns around here that is on RR ground - so it's possible. Probably would be more trouble that it's worth unless you know someone. Tom

Tomatoes4ever, I make potting soil for some of our potted perennials - mostly mints. About 3 or 4 years ago, I purchased a small roll of 1/4" hardware cloth and attached it to a board frame with lathe. I use this screen to remove stones from garden soil and to mix in the other ingredients as I go along. The frame fits over a wheelbarrow. A local farmer will load a pick-up with well-aged manure for $4. It is a mix from cows and horses and pretty good stuff. I purchase compressed peat moss at wholesale for $11/3.8 cu ft. Garden soil is obtained from a fertile location. These 3 ingredients are mixed in equal amounts and run thru the screen 3 shovelfuls at a time. The mix will have weed seed but if I don't count labor and garden soil what do you suppose . . . my cost is maybe a dollar for every time I fill the 1/4 yard wheelbarrow. This year I added vermiculite but I'm going to need to find a less expensive source and prefer perlite, anyway. It certainly improved the weight of the mix, however. I've also used sand in the past but my garden soil has plenty of sand in it and that component wouldn't reduce the weight. With or without vermiculite/perlite, the mix has worked well. ATTRA, the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, has "Recipes for Growing Media" information. Mixing your own doesn't take long and if you can find a nearly free source of composted manure, is a great deal cheaper than purchasing potting soil. At the price of bagged potting soil, it may be a little cheaper just to buy all the ingredients in the bag and mix them yourself. Or, a reasonable alternative may lie somewhere between these 2 approaches. Check out the recipes. Steve Here is a link that might be useful: Recipes for Growing Media

The best price I've seen for Bermex furniture in the Boston area is Chair Fair. Have you found a good place?