"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message
from "Mike" contains these words:

Good Heavens Harold, you will be asking if anyone shaves with a Brush and
Shaving Soap and a Cut throat razor.

Doesn't everybody?

My valet would hand in his notice if I even looked at a safety razor,
what?

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Did you ever try using a cuthroat razor in the middle of the
atlantic on one of its real rough days?..H

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message
from "Harold Walker" contains these words:

Gary...."We" over here are far behind the 'Brits' when it comes to
gardening....I see things/methods/techniques being introduced over here
as
being new 'discoveries'....perhaps new here but ancient over the other
side
of the big pond.

(A personal belief....the best/most productive farmers in the world are
in
the USA but as far as gardening is concerned that honor belongs to the
other
side of the water).

I wouldn't agree about farming. It's done on a much larger scale, true,
but have a look at yields per acre and I think you'll find the picture
changes.

Bearing in mind of course, that varieties suitable for growing 'Over
There' are not always ideal for 'Over Here'.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Must admit my belief is based on total quantity produced..H

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message
from "Harold Walker" contains these words:

Many years ago I used to graft a desease resistant tomato root stock
on to a
Moneymaker tomato plant. This day and age I buy desease resistant
plants.
Out of curiosity am wondering if anyone grafts tomato plants these
days....HW

Yes, but why bother with Moneymaker? I'd happily see the whole variety
succumb to disease.

I 'grafted' some carefully pinched-out laterals on to potato stems one
year, and got spuds underneath and tomatoes on top, but the results
weren't worth a repeat trial.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Back then (talking of the 30's)Moneymaker was one of the more popular
tomatoes if my memory serves me correctly...H

The message
from "Harold Walker" contains these words:

Back then (talking of the 30's)Moneymaker was one of the more popular
tomatoes if my memory serves me correctly...H

Only commercially or for those with no idea of what a tomato should
taste like.

Well, those with no idea that tomatoes *HAVE* any flavour...

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from "Harold Walker" contains these words:

Did you ever try using a cuthroat razor in the middle of the
atlantic on one of its real rough days?..H

No, but I've used one on a train...

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"Gary Woods" wrote in message
...
"Harold Walker" wrote:

Out of curiosity am wondering if anyone grafts tomato plants these
days....HW

The only thing I've seen is U.S newspaper adverts for "THE AMAZING
POMATO!!! GROWS TOMATOES ON THE TOP AND POTATOES UNDERGROUND!!"

********
Many years ago when I was a boy it was quite common to find tomato plants on
the wasteland heaps out the back, some with potatos on the roots.
I think the two species are of the same genus.
Doug.
********


Grafted, of course, and neither part as productive as separate plants.
Always touted as some marvelous new breakthrough. But maybe we colonials
are more gullible.

I'm still trying to get successful apple grafts, and they're supposed to
be
dead easy.

********
They are. You have to buy in the appropriate rootstock. These can be for
dwarfed trees or larger. Naturally, in a smaller garden one chooses the
smaller-breed rootstock.
These rootstocks have code words to identify their habit. I still have some
small apple and pear and plum trees in good condition and some fruit well,
some don't.
Discussing the plums, most of which are obstinate or tardy, - I think it's
because I haven't got a proper pollination mate nearby. They are all about
eight to ten years old. One of the best plums is said to be Kirkes Blue.
Mine has produced one plum so far. Same, more or less, for Warwickshire
Drooper, Coe's Golden Drop, and Rene Claude Violette.
Orleans and Victoria do well and are now budded. I have another plum but
the label is missing and I can't remebember it. I'll look it up when I have
time. It's dark purple and and the fruit cooks well when young and is sweet
when fully mature.
I can highly recommend Greengages. I have one called Denistoun's Superb ,
the fruit skin is naturally green but it is not tough and the inside
structure is a dream! - sweet and succulent.
Doug.
********


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at
home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

In article , doug
writes

********
Many years ago when I was a boy it was quite common to find tomato plants on
the wasteland heaps out the back, some with potatos on the roots.

Are you sure you were not simply finding potato plants in fruit and
mistaking them for unripe tomatoes?

I think the two species are of the same genus.

No, they are not. Potatoes are Solanum, tomatoes are Lycopersicum. They
are, however, in the same family (along with deadly nightshade,
aubergine and sweet peppers).

--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message
from "Harold Walker" contains these words:

Back then (talking of the 30's)Moneymaker was one of the more popular
tomatoes if my memory serves me correctly...H

Only commercially or for those with no idea of what a tomato should
taste like.

Well, those with no idea that tomatoes *HAVE* any flavour...

********
I am now in a position where I do not *Have* to grow anything. But force of
habit compels me to grow tomatoes. I like eating tomatoes so that helps.
I am not enamoured of the old soldiers like Moneymaker, Alicante et al, -
they don't taste the same.
Can anyone recommend any available tomato of the old breeds that are sweet
to eat.
When the small Golden Delicious first were introduced they were juicy and
sweet, Now they are just juicy.
The mass production of tomatoes for Supermarkets has ruined the taste. The
texture is tough, they look ripe and ready for eating but they are not
properly ripe inside. When set aside for a week they become all red inside
but the taste is missing.
Grown under "perfect conditions " in doctored water, the Markets have slowly
trained the housewife to accept them as the norm.
I want something much better than that. Mine are grown in soil, in a
greenhouse raised bed , in the North West, - west of the Lake District.
The soil is changed and is mixed three-yearly in a concrete mixer. Fresh
loam or soil: Peat: ( equal quantities.):
A small bucket of sand, - (careful! - too much sand can quickly over-thin
the texture!,): Then another equal quantity of the aforementioned, of
rotted compost, - mostly tree leaves. (Which are a b''''''' to rot, whether
soaked or not, even in proper B&Q plastic bins and in full sun.
Also a soupcon of Phostrogen or Base Fertiliser.
For real compost you have to have it heat up and only very rarely have I had
one steam up.
I don't worry too much -. this year's leaves are not rotted too well but I
am expecting the worms to help out ... again!.
Doug.
********
--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message
from "Harold Walker" contains these words:

Did you ever try using a cuthroat razor in the middle of the
atlantic on one of its real rough days?..H

No, but I've used one on a train...

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

That is minor stuff Rusty.

"Aries" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 14 May 2005 18:45:52 +0100, Leslie wrote:


(A personal belief....the best/most productive farmers in the world are
in
the USA but as far as gardening is concerned that honor belongs to the
other side of the water).

Sorry H but The English Farmer is the best and most productive, I know
cos I
am one.

.....................Leslie

My SIL and daughter farm too Leslie (Milk, beef,sheep) - in North Devon,
and they work hard and produce well. What kind of farming do you do ?
--
Great ability develops and reveals itself increasingly
with every new assignment.
http://www.copelands.plus.com/val/

I watch it......a lovely site to drive thru the corn belt and listen to the
crackle of the corn as it is growing...a sight to behold and listen to as
one drives for hour upon hour upon hour with 8 feet high corn (maize) on
iether side of the hi-way...H

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message
from "Harold Walker" contains these words:

Back then (talking of the 30's)Moneymaker was one of the more popular
tomatoes if my memory serves me correctly...H

Only commercially or for those with no idea of what a tomato should
taste like.

Well, those with no idea that tomatoes *HAVE* any flavour...

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

What were considered good tasting ones back in those days and what are now
considered to be the better tasting ones?...H

Harold Walker wrote:
"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in
message k...
The message
from "Harold Walker" contains these
words:

Gary...."We" over here are far behind the 'Brits' when it comes
to
gardening....I see things/methods/techniques being introduced
over
here as
being new 'discoveries'....perhaps new here but ancient over the
other side
of the big pond.

(A personal belief....the best/most productive farmers in the
world
are in
the USA but as far as gardening is concerned that honor belongs
to
the other
side of the water).

I wouldn't agree about farming. It's done on a much larger scale,
true, but have a look at yields per acre and I think you'll find
the
picture changes.

Bearing in mind of course, that varieties suitable for growing
'Over
There' are not always ideal for 'Over Here'.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the
foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Must admit my belief is based on total quantity produced..H

Ah, right! Yield per "business unit", or, still less, aggregate
national production give no idea of yield per unit area or return on
capital invested. On the whole, I understand grain and livestock
production in many regions of Aus and N America is at per-acre yields
which would put most UK farmers out of business, but is compensated
by much larger holdings and lower price of land.

UK agriculture is technically very proficient and efficient, and
responds pretty rapidly to market and regulatory pressures (many of
which, mind you, are artificial and not always desirable -- but that
applies world-wide in differing ways). I can't remember the last time
I met an unintelligent British farmer: they've been squeezed out.

--
Mike.
--
Mike.

The message
from "doug" contains these words:

Can anyone recommend any available tomato of the old breeds that are sweet
to eat.

Shirley? Ailsa Craig?

Someone recently recommended Red Alert.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from "Harold Walker" contains these words:
"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message
from "Harold Walker" contains these words:

Did you ever try using a cuthroat razor in the middle of the
atlantic on one of its real rough days?..H

No, but I've used one on a train...

Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

That is minor stuff Rusty.

Huh! When did you last sample one of *OUR* trains?

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message
from "Harold Walker" contains these words:
"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message
from "Harold Walker" contains these
words:

Did you ever try using a cuthroat razor in the middle of the
atlantic on one of its real rough days?..H

No, but I've used one on a train...

Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

That is minor stuff Rusty.

Huh! When did you last sample one of *OUR* trains?

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

About three years ago and again will in August of this year...wish we had as
excellent a train service as you folk over there do.....H