Lucy's right. Apples and crabapples need stratification in order to germinate, and this can take as much as 3-4 months of cold to happen. You will also need to scar the seed coat some before planting (scarification). From Iowa State University: "Most apples and crabapples will not reproduce true from seed. They are usually propagated by grafting and budding. However, seed of most apples and crabapples are viable, and can be germinated. Collect fruit from trees as they ripen. Remove the seed. Sow the seed in the fall or stratify the seed for 60 to 120 days at 37 to 41°F and plant in the spring. Sow the seed 1/2 to 1 inch deep." Matt

I just finished " Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures". Another Canadian book. Great stuff. I don't often enjoy medical type stories, but this is fantastic! I highly recommend it. I also just finally finished a one of the "Sandman" graphic novels by Neil Gaiman. I loved all of his other works that I'd read, but I'm not, nor have I ever been a "comic" person. I finally got into it, read it, and it's not so bad. I suspect they'll grow on me. Anyone have a Library Thing account?

Gonna get it. My dd was diagnosed 2 summers ago with an autoimmune disease we'd never heard of and happens to be very rare. I think I've mentioned it here before. It's called Relapsing Polychondritis. I'll read anything about autoimmune diseases or what can be done to help someone that suffers from them as this has hit home.

Life of Pi ... one of my all time favorite books about a boy who, after a shipwreck at sea of a ship carrying zoo animals ends up stranded on a raft with some wild animals. The ending will have you scratching your head. The movie is coming out in November of this year. Sarah's Key ... a heartbreaking story of a little girl who's family is sent to concentration camps during the WWII Nazi occupation in Paris, France. The film is excellent too. The Poisonwood Bible ... follows the life of a Southern family that moves to the Congo to be missionaries. Each chapter is written in the voice of the three kids in the family. Jodi-