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Antietam bus trip slated for Dec. 4
HAGERSTOWN, Md. - The Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau is chartering three buses on Dec. 4, for the 22nd annual "Memorial Illumination of Antietam National Battlefield."
The cost is $22 per adult and $18 for children younger than 10. Refreshments will be served at 5:15 p.m. at the Welcome Center and the bus will depart at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at the Visitor Welcome Center, 6 N. Potomac St.
For more information, call 301-791-3246, ext. 10.
Globetrotters set to take the court
SHEPHERDSTOWN -The legendary Harlem Globetrotters will celebrate their 85th consecutive season when their dazzling 2011 "4 Times the Fun" World Tour stops at the Butcher Athletic Center at Shepherd University at 7 p.m. March 8. Tickets are currently on sale, and start at $25.
For more information or tickets, call 304-876-5472 or visit the website at www.harlemglobetrotters.com.
Festival of Trees opens today in Pa.
BEAVER FALLS, Pa. - Brady's Run Park, 526 Brady's Run Road, announces the following activities:
Festival of Trees: Opens today;
Breakfast with Santa: 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday;
Senior Citizen's Discount Day: noon to 9 p.m., Dec. 5; and
Benefit Holiday Auction: 5 p.m., Dec. 8.
For more information, call 412-303-5650 or visit www.beavercountyfestivaloftrees.org.
Christmas Show set in Frederick
FREDERICK, Md. - The 27th annual Maryland Christmas Show will be held Friday to Sunday at the Frederick Fairgrounds, 797 E. Patrick St.
The event will feature top artists and crafts people offering fine art, pottery, furniture, quilts, jewelry, clothing, home accessories, Christmas ornaments and more. Hours of operation are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.
Admission is $7 per adult and $4 for children 12 and younger.
For more information, call 301-898-5466 or visit www.marylandchristmasshow.com.
Shepherdstown set to host parade
SHEPHERDSTOWN - The historic town of Shepherdstown will kick off its annual "Christmas in Shepherdstown" Friday.
Activities include roasting chestnuts, a Christmas bazaar, Santa, Mrs. Santa reading "The Night Before Christmas," carriage rides, a live nativity, performances of "A Christmas Carol" and more.
For a full list of events, visit the website at www.christmasinshepherdstown.com.
Art & Craft Guild to be held Dec. 29
PARKERSBURG - The West Virginia Art & Craft Guild has opened their eighth biennial exhibition at the Parkersburg Art Center. The exhibition features 109 works of arts and crafts and includes examples of sculpture, textiles, prints, painting, pottery, photography and jewelry. The show runs through Dec. 29.
For more information, call 304-643-2583 or visit www.parkersburgartcenter.org.
Celebration event set at Boyd House
MARTINSBURG - The Christmas Celebration at the Belle Boyd House will begin from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. Pianist Linda Grubb will perform from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. On Sunday, from 2:30 to 4 p.m., the Apollo Theatre's cast of "Little Women" will be performing. Admission is free.
Events are open to the public.
For more information, call 304-267-4713 or visit www.bchs.org.
Potters guild on tap in Winchester
WINCHESTER, Va. - The Shenandoah Potters Guild will host its 14th annual holiday pottery sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the War Memorial Building at Jim Barnett Park, 1001 E. Cork St. The event will feature a large selection of handmade pottery by local artisans.
For more information, call 540-665-8396 or visit www.shenandoahpottersguild.com.
'Train Fest 2010' set for Saturday
SHARPSBURG, Md. - The Hagerstown Model Railroad Museum will sponsor "Train Fest 2010" from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Washington County Ag Center, 7313 Sharpsburg Pike. Admission is $4 for adults, children younger than 12 admitted for free.
For more information, call 301-824-2239 between 6 and 9 p.m. or visit the website at www.antietamstation.com.
Dance set in Shepherdstown
SHEPHERDSTOWN - Brothers of Harmony Lodge No. 42 will sponsor a Caberet-style Thanksgiving dance from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday at the Shepherdstown Fire Hall. Must be 21 or older. Dress code is "respectful." Admission is $10.
Research center closed for holiday
MARTINSBURG - The Berkeley County Historical Society Archives and Research Center, 136 E. Race St., will be closed during Thanksgiving week. The center will reopen Monday.
Exhibition to be held Dec. 15
SHEPHERDSTOWN - The Shepherd University Department of Art and Theater will be showing artwork by graduating BFA senior Cassandra Lopez Monday to Dec. 15 at the Frank Center Gallery. The show, titled "Saudade," is a photography-based exhibition meant to visually replicate the feeling of nostalgia. Lopez's work explores the meaning one can derive from basic human experiences and interactions, and the emotive responses that this derivation causes. "Saudade" is meant to evoke the sentimental yet indistinct response that often goes hand in hand with recollections of the past and introspection. An opening reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday.
For more information, call Lopez at 571-274-9223.
Holiday events set in Martinsburg
MARTINSBURG - Main Street Martinsburg announces the following "Holiday Happenings:"
Monday to Dec. 8: "Doors to Christmas" at the Grand Cohen Building, 131 N. Queen St. Doors open for viewing and judging from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 4 to 6 p.m.
Dec. 2: Snowflake Queen Pageant. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. at the Historic Shenandoah Hotel. Pageant begins at 7 p.m.
Dec. 3: Tree Lighting, from 4 to 9 p.m. Activities includes open houses for downtown businesses, church choir performances, Santa Claus and more. Tree lighting will be held at 7:45 p.m.
Dec. 3, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.: Cookie Cutter Reception at the library.
Dec. 4: Christmas parade begins at 5:30 p.m.
Dec. 4: Santa tours the chocolate factory: Held at 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. at DeFluri's Fine Chocolates, 130 N. Queen St.
Dec. 10-12, 17-19: Apollo Theater presents "Little Women - The Musical."
Dec. 11: Breakfast with Santa at 9 a.m. at the historic McFarland House. Reservations may be made by calling 304-263-1890.
Dec. 11, 12, 18-19: The Adam Stephen Candlelight Celebration.
Through Dec. 24: Holiday Serendipity, show and sale at the Art Centre.
Dec. 31: Apollo Theatre presents "Ringin' in the New Year."
Through Jan. 2: Wonderment Puppet Theater, 412 W. King St., presents "Nutty Nutcracker." Showtimes are noon and 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday.
For more information, visit the website at www.mainstreetmartinsburg.com.
Free pajama and movie night on tap
HAGERSTOWN, Md. - Hagerstown Community College's Student Government Association is sponsoring a free family pajama party and movie night featuring the animated film, "Despicable Me," at 7 p.m. Dec. 2 and Dec. 3 and at 10 a.m., 2 and 4 p.m. Dec. 4 in the Student Center. Children and adults are encouraged to wear their pajamas and bring pillows and blankets. Event is free and open to the public. Unlimited snacks are available for $1 per person.
For more information, call 301-790-2800, ext. 225.
Local Olde Tyme event scheduled
HARPERS FERRY - The 40th annual Harpers Ferry Olde Tyme Christmas will be held Dec. 3-5, 11 and 12 throughout Harpers Ferry.
For a full schedule of events, visit the website at www.historicharpersferry.com.
Bing Crosby Band to perform at ball
SHEPHERDSTOWN - The Shepherdstown Rotary Club's annual Christmas Charity Ball will be held from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Shepherdstown Volunteer Fire Department Hall.
Black tie optional. Music by the Bing Crosby Band.
For more information or tickets, call Monday Lockett at 304-876-9422.
Holiday events set in South Berkeley
INWOOD - The 16th annual South Berkeley Christmas events kick off at 6 p.m. Dec. 3 with the tree lighting. Events continue at 6 p.m. Dec. 4 with a banquet at St. Leo's Fellowship Hall. Tickets for the banquet at $15 for adults and $7.50 for children 5 to 12 years old.
The Pizza Oven will sponsor a 5K race at 2 p.m. Dec. 5, with proceeds benefiting the Humane Society. The parade will be held at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 5.
For information about Local artists to show off works the race, call 304-839-2054.
For more information on the parade or banquet, call 304-229-6282 or 304-229-7271.
Local artists to show off works
FREDERICK, Md. - Local artists Callie Badorrek and Victoria Wenderlich will exhibit their work beginning Friday at the Pfister Gallery, 437 N. Market St. Meet-the-artist receptions will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday and Dec. 4. The exhibit will be on display through Dec. 13.
For more information, call Callie at 240-446-1626.
Town tree lighting set in Hedgesville
HEDGESVILLE - The Town of Hedgesville will be sponsoring an "Olde Town Hedgesville Christmas" open house holiday event from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 3.
Churches and shops will be participating with festivities and goodies.
The event also will include the town tree lighting with holiday caroling at the Town Spring at 7 p.m.
There will be a "Toys for Tots" donation drop off box located at the Town Spring during the event.
Rain date will be Dec. 5.
Arts and crafts market to be held
MARTINSBURG - Original designs and creations by local artists and artisans will be offered during the holiday shopping season at an Arts and Crafts Market opening at 3 p.m. Dec. 3 in downtown Martinsburg at 116 N. Queen St. The market will continue for three weekends, through Dec. 19.
A meet-the-artist reception will be held at 5 p.m. Dec. 3. All items are unique, original fine art and crafts created locally by some of our finest local artists and artisans, including potters, glass artists, photographers and painters, such as Mary Jo Bennett, Paul Berryhill, S.J. Brown, Hilda Eiber, Terry Harden, Judy Jeffares, Patricia Kinzie, Michael Pulsifer, Matt Sechler, Gail Siano, Carol Slovikosky, Sterling "Rip" Smith and Leia Wood.
For more information or store hours, visit www.berkeleyartswv.org.
'Sea Creatures' exhibit to be shown
MARTINSBURG - The Redbrick Gallery, 404 W. King St., will display the exhibit "Clay Boys and Sea Creatures" through Dec. 4. Gallery hours are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, or by appointment. In addition, an opening reception will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, featuring local artist Hilda Eiber and Andrew Snyder.
'Holiday Home Tour 2010' set
HAGERSTOWN, Md. - The North Hagerstown High School, class of 2014, will present "Holiday Home Tour 2010" from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 5. Five unique north-end homes will be open, including a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired design to a Victorian home where each room has a different design style. Special holiday decorations and festive music will be featured at each home. Tickets are $20 and will be available beginning Monday at the school.
For more information, call Teresa Schoeck at 301-992-7529.
'The Nutcracker' to take the stage
INWOOD - The Inwood Dance Company will present the holiday classic, "The Nutcracker" at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11 and at 3 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Musselman High School auditorium.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students.
For more information, call Denna Smith at 304-229-3209.
Apple Chapel to exhibit local works
GERRARDSTOWN - Local artists Donna Ashbaugh, Anna Hogbin, Susan Parker, George Knipe and John Bickle will be exhibiting their work from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 10-12 at Apple Chapel, on Dominion Road.
For more information, call 304-229-8148.
Events set at historic homes
MARTINSBURG - The Adam Stephen House will hold its candlelight celebration from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 11 and 18 and from 1 to 5 p.m. Dec. 12 and 19. The Belle Boyd House Museum will have extended hours during these weekends as well.
For more information, call 304-267-4434 or 304-267-4713.
'Jersey Boys' bus trip scheduled
MARTINSBURG - A local theater group has scheduled a coach bus trip to see "Jersey Boys," the Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons story Feb. 3 and 26, at the Hippodrome Theatre, in Baltimore, Md.
For more information, call Clint at 304-668-5418.
Medicine museum open daily in Md.
FREDERICK, Md. - The National Museum of Civil War Medicine is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 10 to 17 and free for children 9 years old and younger. In addition, a family rate, which includes two adults with children, is offered for $15.
For more information or to register for training workshops, call 301-695-1864.
Museum of Fine Arts to host events
HAGERSTOWN, Md. -The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts will host the following exhibits:
Sunday: Civil War Lecture with Dr. Susanna Gold; and
Dec. 5: Museum Consort Holiday Celebration
For more information, call 301-739-5727 or visit the website at www.wcmfa.org.
Art work to be on display in library
MARTINSBURG - November finds the artwork of Wayne Hilliard on display on the main floor of the Martinsburg Library.
Hilliard's works in oil include landscapes inspired by trips abroad and those closer to home.


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Bela Fleck (BEY-Lah Fleck): See Curious, Creative Mind
He's got all that in his pocket. But as a twenty-something musician whose prowess was gaining notoriety with the bluegrass crossover band New Grass Revival, Fleck still had his heart set on other things. He had a wider musical vision. He was listening to bands of the day like Return to Forever: "I'm one of those people to whom fusion is not a dirty word," he says. He envisioned more. He dreamed of having a band that could bring that vision to life. A couple attempts didn't hit the mark and it began to feel like a pipe dream. Until a set of circumstancesfate, as it werecaused Fleck to cross paths with bassist Victor Wooten and his brother, percussionist/drummer Roy Wooten, known as Futureman because his arsenal was electronic and computerized, not standard traps drums.
Fleck also met harmonica virtuoso Howard Levy, who played piano and composed at a high level. The confluence resulted in The Flecktones, a band that has been wowing enthusiastic fans since its first rather impromptu concert on a Kentucky television station in 1988, and its first album, Béla Fleck & The Flecktones (Warner Bros., 1990). The result "went far better than I ever could have dreamed," Fleck admits to this day.
Levy left after a few years, replaced by saxophonist Jeff Coffin, but the band rolled on to immense success, including five Grammy Awards. After a hiatus, and the departure of Coffin for the vacant sax chair in the Dave Matthews Band, The original Flecktones is back together with a new recording in 2011, Rocket Science (eOne), and a world tour that has now extended into the spring of 2012. It's been nearly 20 years since the original four did these things, so it's been exciting for both fans and the band. The CD is full of the exploratory, flaming hybrid of all types of music: jazz, folk, rock, world, and bluegrass. One tune, "Life in Eleven," penned by Fleck and Levy, has been nominated for a 2012 Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition.
Fleck acknowledges that The Flecktones may be at an end when the tour is over, but could just as easily reconvene some time down the road. All the members have other things to pursue.
Primary among them is the banjo player, who performed the 2011world premiere of "Concerto for Banjo"a classical piece that took him about a year to writewith the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. A concert recording, and a DVD documentary on its creation, will be released in 2012 and Fleck will play the music live here and there with various orchestras. He's also recorded an album with pianist Marcus Roberts that will also come out in 2012 and involve a tour.
"Concerto for Banjo" isn't the first foray into classical music for the ever-curious Fleck. But it's the first time he has written that kind of music, note-for-note, for such a huge ensemble. In addition to banjo, the concerto is scored for piccolo, flutes, oboes, English horn, clarinets, bass clarinet, bassoons, contrabassoon, trumpets, trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings. It was a tremendous challenge for the former wunderkind of the bluegrass genre. Fleck is also influenced by jazz and his band has played a lot of jazz festivals and clubs. He places a high value on improvisation in everything he does, including his noted exploration of African music, the Grammy Award-winning Throw Down Your Heart (Rounder, 2009).
Fleck is a New York City native who was transplanted to Boston during his young adulthood, eventually settling in Nashville. In the early 1960s, while watching the television show The Beverly Hillbillies, he heard virtuoso banjoist Earl Scruggs and it struck home. But while he didn't get his first instrument until 1973, he quickly made up for lost time. After high school, he moved to Boston to play with Jack Tottle's Tasty Licks and, by 1979, he had his first solo recording,Crossing the Tracks (Rounder Records).
In 1981 he was invited to join New Grass Revival, lead by Sam Bush on mandolin, fiddle and vocals. The band was a big success, merging bluegrass, rock, folk and country. Then, Fleck's serendipitous meetings with the Wootens and Levy occurred in the latter part of the '80s and The Flecktones sprang forth.
All About Jazz: Rocket Science consists of all-new material?
Béla Fleck: Yeah, but on tour we're also doing some older stuff. About half-and-half. It's not so much that we reworked [older songs], it's that we all play a bit differently after 17 years of not playing together. We put most of the energy into creating the new music. The old music is still fresh to us because we hadn't played it for so long. It's fresh to the audience because everybody plays so differently on their solos. We haven't really rearranged the older stuff.
Related Video
About Bela Fleck
Live Reviews
CD/LP/Track Review
- Across The Imaginary Divide by Doug Collette
CD/LP/Track Review
- Rocket Science by Doug Collette
Extended Analysis
DVD/Film Reviews
CD/LP/Track Review
- Throw Down Your Heart by Chris May

subset: commoncrawl


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CLEVELAND - Cleveland fans gathered around televisions and yelled in anguish Thursday night as LeBron James announced he will leave the Cavaliers and sign with the Miami Heat.
At a shopping area in suburban Westlake, a loud "No" was heard the moment after James said on ESPN that he was going to South Beach. Hundreds of people who had clamored to see the announcement turned their backs and headed home in droves.
"I'm really stunned, I never thought he'd leave," said Tom Sheehan, 15, of Westlake, who wore a James Cavaliers jersey as he watched the announcement. "It's like we just lost a championship on the final shot at the buzzer. It's so disappointing."
Slideshow profile: LeBron James
Fans fell silent at the Harry Buffalo bar across the street from the Cavs' Quicken Loans Arena, as the announcement was made, with some covering their faces and looking as if they were crying. Some yelled "Turn it off" and others shouted profanities aimed at James.
Within five minutes, the packed bar was nearly empty.
At The Purple Shamrock bar's two locations, owner Frank Borally had promised to pick up patrons' food tabs if James had chosen to stay with the Cavs.
"I would have paid it threefold ... if he would have stayed," Borally said. "It's bad, it's not good. We'll deal with it. It's Cleveland, it's typical Cleveland."
Bar-goers had started making reservations for tables of eight and 10 by mid-afternoon.
"We were packed, and then everybody left," he said.
He said James' presence kept his business going when Cavs' fans went to the games, especially during cold-weather months.
"I hope Mr. Gilbert has a good plan set up, but we need a miracle," he said, referring to Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert.
Fans across the northeast Ohio region had sung, danced and cheered in a campaign to keep James. On Thursday, "LeBron Watch" parties throughout the region featured dunk tanks, beer specials and poster giveaways.
The Harry Buffalo bar had painted "STAY LBJ" in white on the building. On the sidewalk were cardboard cutouts of James dunking, and several posters for the "More Than a Player" campaign were hung about.
Many fans had written messages to him on the sidewalk in chalk. One said: "We will always love LBJ, but we'll love you more if you stay."
Also making an appearance was the pleasedontleave23.com campaign's "Witness Mobile," a 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme covered with signatures of fans who wanted James to stay in Cleveland.
The Positively Cleveland convention and visitors bureau estimates that Cavs' home games each net about $3.7 million in ticket sales, souvenirs, food and hotel bookings.
James has been with Cleveland since he was drafted in 2003. The team had an average home attendance of about 11,500 the season before he joined, and sold out every game in its 20,000-seat arena last season. ---
Associated Press Writer JoAnne Viviano in Columbus and Associated Press freelance writer Chuck Murr in Westlake contributed to this report.
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Fans at Harry Buffalo in downtown Cleveland react after free agent NBA basketball star LeBron James announced on television (above) he would sign with the Miami Heat on Thursday, July 8, 2010.
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Quasi Sonnet
There is nothing that leads to nothing.
as Blaise Pascal, will have some effect
on Tanzania maybe, or on New Guinea,
just as the beating wings of a lepidopter--
according to the proverb about butterflies in Peru--
could incite a tidal wave in Shanghai,
or knock down an Iraqi helicopter.
And so we become ourselves, hypocrite lecteur,
at the very least accomplices, you and I.
This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. You can order presentation-ready copies for distribution by contacting us at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Residents affected by the pending development of more than 5,000 acres around Cainhoy Plantation — the largest potential land project in Charleston's history — on Wednesday asked for the effort to slow down so that more voices can be heard on what the changes may bring.
Advocacies from the Audubon Society to historic preservationists and locals concerned about family heritage showed up at Charleston's Planning Commission where they said more idea-sharing time is needed.
"Our concern is, our way of living is going to vastly change," said Aaron Green of the nearby Jack Primus community. "Our parents and grandparents worked on the plantation out there."
Members of the late Harry Frank Guggenheim family are envisioning a planned urban development that would create a mixed-use of residences, schools, businesses parks and other amenities for the 5,000-acre-plus site on the south side of Clements Ferry Road. It would take decades to build.
While the development has been publicly disclosed for a while, Wednesday was the first time the idea was taken in front of the city's planning commission. No vote was taken as the package was presented as information from the developer.
During the meeting no one found fault with the bigger scope of what the Guggenheim's envision for the land that's located north of Interstate 526 above Daniel Island. But some of the more than 60 who attended raised a variety of concerns over the traffic, housing, wildlife and how centuries of local history will be preserved and protected.
"The density scares me to death," said Mount Pleasant resident Pat Sullivan, who added the development won't just affect locals around Cainhoy but also its neighbors in Mount Pleasant, as cars come and go.
The property has been in the Guggenheim family for 80 years. It is in both the City of Charleston and Berkeley County.
Matt Sloan, who is representing the landowners, said the group will continue to meet with as many interested residents and parties that request input.
"We'll know when the time is right to come back" to the planning body for approval, he said.
Others at the meeting spoke in endorsement of the Guggenheims, saying they have a history of siding with projects that take into account local sensitivities.
"This property could not be in better hands," said Frank Brumley, chairman and CEO of the Daniel Island Co., which is not connected to the Cainhoy project, although Guggenheim was part of the first Daniel Island development.
No timetable was set on when the project will be formally submitted to the planning commission, but members of the board suggested a field trip to the site might be warranted to better gauge the lay of the land.
Commission Chairman Frank McCann also said the stakes are high. "What happens in this property might be our legacy," he said.
Reach Schuyler Kropf at 937-5551


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Wednesday, December 22, 2010
hayden has strep throat?!?
He threw up Friday evening. Since Friday he has had a low-grade fever: never going below 99.2 or above 100.5 (generally it was 99.5). He has complained about his tummy hurting and hasn't been eating as much as he usually does (on Saturday he didn't eat anything).
In general, he just seemed off. He was still playing and active, but he just seemed weird and a little funky. I had no idea what was going on. I thought it was probably a little virus, but just to be sure I decided to go ahead and be the "paranoid parent" and take him to the doctor. With the holidays coming up, I thought it was better to be safe that sorry. Plus, my mommy instincts told me that something was wrong.
So last night we went to the pediatrician. We had to wait in the waiting room for an hour - not cool. We checked him for a bladder infection (he had seemed to be peeing a lot so I thought it would be a good idea just to check the urine) and the doctor looked him over, but nothing really stood out (and the pee "looked good"). She did note that his tonsils (which are naturally HUGE) were a little red, and so she thought just to cover all the bases that she would do a quick strep test on him.
Lo and behold, it came out positive. I was REALLY surprised. He hadn't complained of his throat hurting AT ALL and his fever wasn't all that high. The doctor said it is a very atypical presentation of strep throat, but that her son had had a similar strep throat experience when he was younger.
I am really glad that she was so thorough and that she was able to discover that he has strep throat. And I have to say, that Hayden was a WONDERFUL patient. He was a trooper during our long wait in the waiting room and was great with the doctor (this hasn't always been the case - in the past, Hayden hasn't always been a compliant patient).
Needless to say, Hayden is now on antibiotics. He is doing well - although really he was never doing "bad." I feel awful to exposing him to the public over the past few days while he apparently was contagious with strep throat. My bad! I seriously had NO idea.
10 comments:
I hope he gets a-okay before Christmas! and I wouldn't feel to bad about having taken him out in public...a few germs never hurt anyone :)ReplyDelete
Aren't kids so weird when it comes to illness?! Glad it got diagnosed before chrisas so he can feel 100% on the big day. Hope you don't get it!!ReplyDelete
I have a friend who's son NEVER complained of a sore throat, but always complained of stomach issues. Every time, it was strep. I think Dylan has reacted the same way from time to time! Glad you went on your instincts though! Sometimes you think you are being paranoid...and then you find out that you WERE justified in visiting! :) I'm sure he'll be back to normal in no time!ReplyDelete
Aww poor guy. Hope he's feeling himself again by Christmas. Glad being sick doesn't seem to be bringing him down too much.ReplyDelete
Strep is a sneaky bug. Sometimes the only symptom in children is the tummy trouble, low grade fever, and one throw up. My baby had it this summer and that was her symptoms exactly! Hope he feels better very soon!ReplyDelete
Get that boy better before the Holidays!!! I served Ted some Airborne today in case you infected him. :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 22, 2010 at 11:47 AM
HAYDEN DIDNT SOUND TO SICK WHEN I TALKED TO YOU!! BUT THEN WHEN YOU GIVE THEM ONE SHOT OF MEDICINE THEY SEEM TO SNAP RIGHT OUT OF IT.LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING YOU ALL HERE WHAT EVER WORKS FOR YOU IS FINE WITH ME SEE YOU SOONReplyDelete
Oh no! I hope he gets better soon. I'm still new at this parenting thing, but it always seems to go that way for us too. Baby never let on when she had double ear infections. Just a little reduced eating from a bottle ... that was my only clue. Good for you for listening to your instincts!ReplyDelete
good thing you trusted those mommy instincts.ReplyDelete
Poor Hayden. I'm glad he didn't have any more severe symptoms making him super miserable. Good job taking him in on your instinct mama! I never take the girls to the dr... hehehehe! Well, of course I do when their fevers are super high and stuff like that but with his symptoms I wouldn't have. Your mommy radar was on target!ReplyDelete


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As a result, their official arrivals tended to feel like a smallish baby dropped by a drooping stork. Then they were instantly viewed, discussed, graded up or down and made to run the gauntlet of social media.
In the future, everyone will be Carrie Underwood in The Sound of Music Live! for 15 minutes. It won't be pretty.
This year's Super Bowl ads didn't send out any real ripples – nothing like 2013's oddly sensational Go Daddy spot with Bar Refaeli making out with a gratefully passionate nerd. In general, they settled for cute, if not always as cute as they were supposed to be. A Volkswagen ad that imagined German engineers getting wings ended with a proctological gag that stayed within good taste but never escaped the fact that it was a proctological gag.
Here are the ones I liked best.
Hyundai Genesis: 'Dad's Sixth Sense'
Applause to Hyundai's brilliant use of CGI to create a sense of "found" footage of fathers rescuing their kids from danger.
Budweiser: 'Puppy Love'
An adorable puppy bonds with a noble horse. The spot pushes this a little far and ends with an image that suggests Planet of the Horses. (There's a thin line between a sentimental horse and a defiant one.) But the puppy really is adorable.
Cheerios: 'Gracie'
Just the right amount of charm. Note how the sweet little girl and her father use the Cheerios on the dining table almost as if the Cheerios were bargaining chips. The quiet emotional cunning of ad writers cannot be underestimated.
Chevrolet: 'Life'
In this ad in support of the American Cancer Society's World Cancer Day, a Chevy truck goes by with a couple of people who could be driving through an Alice Munro story. Superb use of music: Ane Brun's "Don't Leave."
Chrysler: 'America's Import'
"Is there anything more American than America?" That's a silly question, but Bob Dylan is doing the asking, so it takes on his oracular inscrutability and leaves you not sure whether you can tell which way the wind blows, or how you feel, or anything.
Coca-Cola: 'It's Beautiful'
One of those embracing, patriotic ads you expect from the Super Bowl. To answer Bob Dylan, this is more American than America.
Honda: 'Hug Someone'
Bruce Willis appears solo until about halfway through, when the camera pulls back and Fred Armisen creeps into the frame like a koala hugging a eucalyptus.
Toyota: 'Terry Crews & Muppets'
Enter Terry Crews and a crew of Muppets, including chickens – Cluckets, maybe? Someday, the Muppets will finally exhaust their happy appeal. That will be the same day there are no cookies left in the world. It will be sad.


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The small fruits offer advantages over fruit trees for home culture. They require a minimum of space for the amount of fruit produced and bear one or two years after planting. Also, pest control typically is easier than with most tree fruits.
Success with a small fruit planting will depend on the attention given to all phases of production: variety selection, soil management, fertilization, pruning, and pest control. Plant only what you can care for properly. It is better to have a well-attended, small planting than a neglected, large one.
Locate your small fruit planting as close to your home as possible, in full sun. Space in or near the vegetable garden is usually preferred. Where space is a limiting factor, small fruits may be used in place of ornamental plants of comparable size. Strawberries may be used as a border for a flowerbed or as a ground cover. Grapes and raspberries may be planted parallel to the garden on a trellis or a fence along a property line. Blueberries may be planted to form a dense hedge or used in a foundation planting around the home. Select a site that is free from frost pockets, low/wet spots, and exposure to strong prevailing winds. Small fruits thrive best in a fertile, sandy loam soil high in organic matter, but they will give good returns on the average garden soil under adequate fertilization and good cultural practices.
Overcrowding frequently results in weak plants and low yields. It also makes insect and disease control more difficult. For best results, small fruit plants should be set no closer than the minimums indicated in Table 1.
|Table 1. Space Requirement, Yield, Bearing Age, and Life Expectancy of Small Fruits.
|Fruit Expectancy
|Minimum Distance
|Annual Yield per Plant
|Average Bearing Age
|Between Rows
|Between Plants
|Blackberry (erect)
|1 1/2
|Blackberry (trailing)
|1 1/2
|Raspberry (red)
|1 1/2
|Raspberry (black)
|1 1/2
|Raspberry (purple)
|1 1/2
|Grape (American)
|15 lb
|Grape (French American)
|15 lb
|Grape (muscadine)
|15 lb
|Strawberry (Juneberry and dayneutral)
|Strawberry (ever bearer)
|* per parent plant grown in the matted row system.
Special attention should be given to the selection of varieties. They must be adapted to your soil and climatic conditions. If possible, without sacrificing too much yield or quality, select varieties with the least insect and disease problems. Table 2 lists some varieties of small fruits suggested for planting in the home garden. They are listed in the order of ripening, and include only those adapted for growing under Virginia conditions.
|Table 2. Some Suggested Varieties for the Home Small Fruit Planting (listed in order of ripening).
|BLUEBERRIES (Highbush)
|1 Earliblue
|1 Blueray
|Red Jacket
|STRAWBERRIES (Regular)
|2 Berkeley
|BLUEBERRIES (Rabbiteye)
|BLACKBERRIES (Erect)
|STRAWBERRIES (Ever-bearing)
|Ozark Beauty
|STRAWBERRIES (Day-neutral)
|GRAPES (American bunch)
|BLACKBERRIES (Semi-erect)
|Seneca (white, seeded)
|Black Satin (thornless)
|Himrod (white,seedless)
|Dirksen (thornless)
|Mars (blue, seedless)
|Delaware (red, seeded)
|BLACKBERRIES (Trailing)
|2 Concord (blue seeded)
|(Dewberry and Boysenberry)
|Steuban (blue, seeded)
|Niagra (white, seeded)
|GRAPES (hybrid, for wine)
|RASPBERRIES (Red)
|Vidal blanc (white)
|Chardonel (white)
|Heritage (everbearing)
|Traminette (white)
|Chambourcin (black)
|RASPBERRIES (Black)
|New Logan
|GRAPES (Vinifera)
|Chardonnay (white)
|Cabernet Franc (black)
|GRAPES (Muscadine)
|RASPBERRIES (Purple)
|3 Carlos
|3 Magnolia
|Red Lake
|1 Recommended for Eastern Virginia only.
2 Not recommended for Eastern Virginia.
3 Perfect flowered. Scuppernong is female flowered and requires pollinizers.
Obtain the best nursery stock available. Buy only from reputable nurserymen who guarantee their plants to be true to name, of high quality, and packed and shipped correctly. Beware of bargains. High prices do not necessarily mean high quality, but well-grown plants are not cheap.
Place your order early, as soon as you decide what you want. Specify variety, size, grade of plants desired, and time of shipment preferred. It is best to have the plants arrive at the time you are ready to set them out. Unless you specify otherwise, some nurseries will only send plant material at the proper time to be planted in your area.
When your order arrives, unpack the bundles and inspect the plants. The roots should be moist and have a bright, fresh appearance. Shriveled roots indicate that the plants have been allowed to freeze or dry-out in storage or transit. Such plants seldom survive. Water root system lightly only if they are very dry.
If the plants cannot be set immediately, they should be kept either in cold storage or heeled-in. Wrap them in a garbage bag or other material that will prevent them from drying out, and store them at a temperature just above freezing. Strawberry plants, in small quantities, may be held in the refrigerator for a few days. Avoid storage chambers with apples and pears, which release damaging ethylene gas. If refrigerated storage is not available, remove the plants from the bundle and heel them in carefully in a trench of moist soil in a shaded location (Illus. 1). Pack the soil firmly around the roots to eliminate all air pockets and to prevent the roots from drying out.
|Illus. 1
There is probably nothing that causes more disappointment and failure in small fruit plantings than the lack of careful preparation and attention to detail at the time the plantings are established. Prepare the soil properly, set the plants carefully, and generally create conditions favorable for new growth. Detailed suggestions for the establishment of each of the small fruits follows. These suggestions should be followed closely for best results.
Once the planting has been established, future success will depend on the care it is given. If the planting is to be productive and long-lived, it must be properly fertilized. Competition from weeds or other plants must be avoided. Insects and diseases must be controlled, and the plants must be properly pruned. Study the maintenance suggestions for each of the small fruit crops, and plan to care for the planting properly. To do otherwise will probably result in disappointment and wasted effort.
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Strawberries are the most widely cultivated small fruit in America. They are the favorite of many for pies, jams, jellies, preserves, and for eating fresh. Because strawberries are adaptable to a greater range of soil and climatic conditions than any other fruit, they are well suited to the home garden, (where supplemental watering is readily accessible).
Strawberry varieties vary greatly in their adaptability to soil and climatic conditions. The varieties suggested for planting in Virginia have been selected on the basis of plant vigor, productivity, and quality of the fruit. Virus-free plants of the varieties are available and should be purchased. Varieties other than those listed may perform equally well.
Allstar bears late midseason. The berries are pinkish-red, very large and symmetrical with a sweet, mild flavor - great for table use. They are resistant to red stele and verticillium wilt and have some resistance to leaf scorch and powdery mildew.
Delite has berries that are large, long, and conic in shape. They are vigorous and produce runners freely. They are highly resistant to both red stele and verticillium wilt. Fruit flavor is mild, which makes it a good dessert berry; however, freezing ability is only fair.
Delmarvel is productive on a variety of different soil types. It is an attractive berry with good aroma and flavor. Plants have excellent disease resistance and good winter hardiness.
Earliglow is a variety noted for its superior dessert quality and disease resistance. The medium-large berries are very attractive with a glossy, deep-red color. It is one of the best for eating fresh, as a frozen product, and in jams and jellies. The plants are very vigorous and productive; however, they bloom early and are subject to frost injury.
Honeoye is one of the most highly regarded and popular varieties grown in the east. Fruit has excellent size, color, and freezing quality. Plants perform best on lighter soils and lack disease resistance.
Surecrop is mildly subacid and not of the highest quality for desserts. The deep-red berries are large and irregularly shaped. The plant is large, vigorous, and tolerant of drought and other environmental stresses.
Redchief is an extremely productive, high-quality dessert berry. It is medium to large in size; of uniform, deep red color; and has a firm, glossy surface. Redchief is very resistant to red stele.
Lateglow was developed for its production of fancy quality, late-season fruit and good disease resistance. Its berries are very large, symmetrical, and attractive. Its dessert quality is good for both fresh eating and freezing.
Sunrise produces extra-firm berries that run from medium to medium-large in size. They are relatively drought resistant and extremely vigorous. They have a tremendous aroma and a sub-acid flavor that makes them great for desserts and preserves.
These are less vigorous and generally less productive than the regular varieties. Because of consistently low yields, they are not recommended for planting in Eastern Virginia. Ozark Beauty is the most popular everbearing strawberry in Virginia, and the only one that can be recommended at this time. The plant is vigorous and produces good-quality fruit. The berries are red, wedge-shaped, firm, and only slightly acid. It is a good variety for eating fresh and for freezing.
An interesting development of strawberry breeding in recent years is the production of varieties that are day-length neutral. This means that they do not respond to day length the way that conventional varieties do and can continue to produce over a longer period of time during the season. Although these varieties are sometimes listed with everbearers in catalogues, they are heavier producers and can be used satisfactorily in the home garden. Tribute is a vigorous variety with glossy, deep-green leaves; fruit is medium-sized in spring and summer, large in fall. Production and size drop in the heat of summer, but pick up in fall; this variety is best for fresh eating. Tristar also produces high-quality fruit, but is not as productive as Tribute.
Site and Soil. Strawberries bloom very early in the spring, and the blossoms are easily killed by frost. In areas where late frosts are a hazard, try to select a site for your planting that is slightly higher than surrounding areas. Although strawberries grow best in a fertile, sandy loam soil with a pH of 5.7 to 6.5, they may be successfully grown in any good garden soil that is well drained and well supplied with organic matter. Soil for strawberries should be thoroughly prepared for planting. It should be loose and free of lumps. Avoid planting early varieties on south-facing slopes and be sure to select a site where tomatoes, potatoes, or eggplants have not been grown. These crops often carry verticillium wilt which lives in the soil for many years, and strawberries are very susceptible to this disease.
Do not set strawberries in soil that has recently been in sod. A clean-cultivated crop planted on the site for a year or two will leave the soil better prepared for strawberries and will assist in controlling weeds and white grubs which are troublesome in strawberry plantings. Where grubs and ants are a problem, chemical control may be necessary.
Planting. Virus-free, 1-year-old dormant plants should be set out early in the spring, about three or four weeks before the average date of the last frost. Spacing of the plants will depend on the training system used, but they should not be crowded. They should be placed no less than 12 inches apart in rows 3 to 3' feet apart. Set each plant so the base of the bud is at the soil level. Spread the roots out, and firm the soil carefully around them to prevent air pockets which allow them to dry out.
Soil Management. Cultivation for weed control in strawberries should begin soon after planting and continue at approximately two-week intervals throughout the first growing season. Cultivation must be shallow to prevent root injury. Hoe as often as necessary to remove grass and weeds growing between the plants.
In colder areas, home garden strawberry plantings should be winter mulched. Any organic material free of weed seeds makes acceptable mulch. Hay, straw, and pine needles are most frequently used. Mulch should be applied 2 to 4 inches deep over and around the plants after the first freezing weather in the fall. This protects them from injury due to freezing and heaving of the soil during the winter. After the danger of frost is over in the spring, about half the mulch should be raked off the plants into the area between the rows. Mulch left around the plants will help keep the berries clean, conserve moisture, and check weed growth.
Fertilization. Where a soil analysis indicates the need, about 1 pound of a complete fertilizer, such as 10-10-10 or 10-6-4, per 100 feet of row should be cultivated into the soil before planting. The fertilizer used in the fall application should be the same analysis at the same rate and should be broadcast over the row in late August or early September.
The limited root systems will not benefit from fertilizer placed in the row middles. Brush the material off the plants to avoid foliage injury.
Do not apply spring fertilizer to strawberries growing in heavy soil because there is danger of excess vegetative growth resulting in reduced yield, increased rot, later ripening, and poor-quality fruit. In light, sandy soils where nitrogen leaches out rapidly, a spring application is usually beneficial. Apply a quickly soluble nitrogen fertilizer, such as nitrate of soda, at the rate of 1/2 to 3/4 pound per 100 feet of row before new growth begins.
Training. There are three popular training systems used in strawberry production. Many modifications of these systems are found. Under the matted-row system, used by most home gardeners, runner plants are allowed to set freely in all directions. The original plants should be set 18 to 24 inches apart in the row. Keeping the width of the plant bed narrow (16 to 18 inches) results in a good grade of fruit that is easy to pick.
Plants in the spaced-row system are set 18 to 24 inches apart in the row. The runner plants are set in place by hand until the desired stand is obtained. They are usually spaced 6 to 12 inches apart. All late-formed runners are removed as they appear.
In the hill system, plants are spaced 12 inches apart in the row. All runners are removed as soon as they appear, and the plants are encouraged to multiply in large crowns. This system is desired by many because the planting is easier to cultivate and harvest and produces larger, better berries than other systems. Many plants are required, however, and the initial cost of the planting is high. Black plastic mulch is particularly effective with this training system, but requires drip irrigation lines for optimum performance. This "plasticulture" system is currently popular with commercial growers.
Blossom Removal. During the first season, all flower stems on the plants should be removed as soon as they appear. This strengthens the plants and allows early and vigorous runner production. The early-formed runner plants bear the best fruit the following year.
Renovation. If your strawberry planting is in a vigorous condition, it may be retained for fruiting the second year. However, allowing a planting to fruit more than two years often results in smaller berries and weak plants.
Soon after harvest, remove the mulch and clip the tops of the plants to within 1 inch of the crowns with a scythe or mower. If insects and foliage diseases are prevalent, move the leaves and mulch material out of the planting, and burn them. Apply a quickly soluble nitrogen fertilizer, such as ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) at 1/4 to 1/2 pound or 1 to 2 pounds of 10-10-10 per 100 feet of row to encourage vigorous top growth. Any good garden fertilizer supplying an equivalent amount of nitrogen may be used if desired.
Some plant thinning may be needed, particularly in the matted-row system. Thin plants to 6 to 8 inches apart after new foliage appears. Keep the planting clean cultivated throughout the summer, irrigating when necessary during the dry season to keep the plants growing vigorously. Fertilize again in the fall as recommended for the first year, and renew the mulch after freezing weather begins.
Pest Control. Birds are one of the biggest pests in the strawberry planting. It may be necessary to cover the plants with plastic netting to keep the crop from being eaten before the berries are ripe enough to harvest. Aluminum pie tins, suspended by a string or wire above the plants in such manner that they twist and turn in the breeze, may be successful in keeping birds away.
Irrigation is particularly important for everbearing varieties because the late-summer/early fall crop ripens during a period when soil moisture is usually quite low. Soil preparation and fertilizer requirements before planting are the same as for regular varieties. Best yields are obtained from the everbearing varieties if they are set in early spring in the hill system about 1 foot apart, cultivated for the first ten days to two weeks, then mulched to a depth of 1 to 2 inches with sawdust. As the sawdust decays, the development of a nitrogen deficiency could occur. It can be quickly overcome with the application of 1 pound of 10-10-10 to each 100 square feet of mulched area.
Remove all runners as soon as they appear to encourage the plants to multiply in large crowns. Blossom clusters must be removed until the plants have become firmly established and are growing vigorously, usually about the first of July. Berries will begin to ripen about a month later, and plants will continue to bear fruit until frost if weed growth is kept down and adequate moisture is supplied. Allow the plants to bear fruit for the spring and fall crops the second year, then replant the following spring.
In the home garden, strawberries should be allowed to develop an overall red color and become fully ripe before harvesting. It is at this stage that the sugar content is highest and the flavor is best. It may be necessary to harvest every day during the peak of the season.
Harvest the berries carefully by the stems just above the caps to prevent bruising. Pick all that are ripe, since they will not keep until the next harvest. Ripe strawberries may be held for a day or two in a refrigerator.
In a garden where space is extremely limited or where the gardener wishes to use the strawberry planting as a novelty or decorative feature, the strawberry pyramid or the strawberry barrel can be useful and interesting. Pyramids may be square or round. Each step of the pyramid should have a flat surface not less than 6 to 8 inches in width. The frames for a square pyramid can be constructed out of landscaping wood. A suggested soil mixture for the pyramid is two parts good garden soil, one part peat, and one part sand.
In preparing a strawberry barrel, 1-inch diameter holes are made in the sides of the barrel at approximately 8-inch spacings. As the barrel is filled with successive layers of soil, strawberry plants are carefully inserted through the holes so that the roots are held firmly in contact with the soil. A porous tile inserted down the middle of the barrel will facilitate water reaching all of the plants (see diagram). Though the strawberry barrel may be a successful novelty, yields of fruit will be smaller than those in pyramid culture, and much more attention to planting, watering, and winter protection are required.
Damage to the strawberry plants growing under normal cultural conditions can be expected if they are not protected from extreme cold during the winter. Owing to the fact that plants growing in a pyramid or barrel are elevated above normal ground level and therefore are highly exposed, additional winter damage can be expected to roots, crowns, and fruit buds. Consequently, care must be taken to provide adequate winter protection. Pyramids can be mulched with 6 to 8 inches of straw after the soil is frozen. In the coldest part of the state, strawberries in barrels will survive better if protected with burlap covering. For especially cold winters, enclose straw in the burlap for added insulation. However, even with careful mulching, some plant injury can be expected during severe winters.
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Grapes of some type can be grown almost anywhere. Careful selection of cultivated varieties compatible with local soil and climatic conditions has led to successful production in home gardens and commercial vineyards.
Gardens may include a number of varieties of bunch grapes ripening in succession over a long season.
Seneca, an early yellow grape, is noted for its good flavor and tender pulp. It holds well on the vine and will keep in cold storage for about two months after harvest. Vine vigor and productivity are only moderate, and this variety is quite susceptible to black rot and mildew.
Himrod, a new golden-yellow grape, has good flavor and is almost seedless. Hardy, vigorous, and productive, it has been superior to its sister seedling, Interlaken, in areas where both have been grown.
Delaware is a high-quality, red grape ripening about one week before Concord. Quite susceptible to downy mildew, this variety produces clusters and berries that are rather small and vines that grow slowly. Delaware has an unusually good balance of sweetness and acidity. It yields fine-quality white wines and is often used in blends for American champagnes.
Concord is by far the most widely planted blue-black grape. The good-quality fruit ripens unevenly some seasons in warm climates. Concord is an excellent variety for the home gardener! The vines are vigorous and productive.
Steuben is a blue-black variety ripening about one week after Concord. The berries are medium in size with a sweet, spicy flavor. They keep well in storage. The vines are hardy, vigorous, and productive.
Niagara has green-white berries and is used in wine and as a table grape. It is the most widely planted white American grape in the United States and is being used more and more for white juice.
Mars Seedless has medium-sized berries of the slip-skin type and is sweet and enjoyable. It is a cold-hardy plant with high resistance to black rot, powdery mildew, and downy mildew.
The following hybrids have been sufficiently tested and can be grown anywhere American bunch grapes can be grown.
Chambourcin is a black grape that produces a red wine often compared to Merlot.
Chardonel is a late ripening white wine grape. It is very productive and more cold hardy than Chardonnay, which is one of its parents.
Traminette is a mid-season white wine grape with good productivity and partial resistance to several fungal diseases. It produces a wine with characteristics similar to one of its parents, Gewurztraminer.
Vidal Blanc is vigorous white wine grape, medium winter hardy, and ripens 5 to 10 days after Concord. It is slightly susceptible to downy mildew, moderately susceptible to powdery mildew.
Varieties of Vitis vinifera for table and wine use have increased in popularity in recent years. Although they lack winter hardiness, are susceptible to fungus diseases endemic to this area, and are totally lacking in resistance to the grape root louse, Phylloxera, it is possible to grow them with careful variety selection and cultural practices. Viniferaculture requires planting only vines grafted on resistant rootstocks, a rigorous spray program, and protection in areas subject to frequent, low and fluctuating winter temperatures.
Cabernet franc is a black grape that produces fine red wine. Vines are vigorous and more cold hardy than other black vinifera types.
Chardonnay, considered by many to be superior to all other varieties for dry white wine, is only moderate in hardiness, vigor, and productivity. It is a medium-sized, white grape in a compact cluster ripening three to five days ahead of Concord.
In areas where it is adapted, the muscadine grape is a favorite for home plantings. It is highly desirable for juice, jam, and jelly. Some varieties are cultivated for the exceptional quality of the wine. It cannot be successfully grown where temperatures fall below 10ÉF, however, which limits its production.
Many varieties have imperfect flowers and require pollination from either male or perfect-flowered varieties. Of those suggested for planting, Carlos, Magnolia, and Dearing are perfect-flowered and will supply adequate pollination for the other varieties.
Scuppernong, a name commonly applied to all bronze-skinned muscadine grapes, is the oldest and best-known variety. Berry clusters are usually small and shatter badly, but the grape quality is good, and it has a very distinctive flavor.
Carlos, a 1970 introduction from North Carolina, is a perfect-flowered bronze variety, ripening with Scuppernong and similar in size and flavor. It makes excellent white wine and is relatively cold hardy, disease resistant, and productive. It is recommended for both commercial and home garden plantings.
Magnolia is a self-fertile, white variety of large size and very high quality. The vine is vigorous and very productive.
Site and Soil. Grapes should be planted where they have benefit of the sun for most of the day. They are deep-rooted plants, frequently penetrating to a depth of 6 to 8 feet under good soil conditions. They grow best on fertile, sandy loam soils high in organic matter. Deep sands or heavy clays may be used, however, if provisions are made for adequate fertilization, moisture, and soil drainage. Grapes are tolerant of a wide range of soil acidity, but prefer a 6.0 to 6.8 pH range.
Planting. Grape vines are usually set in early spring, about three or four weeks before the average date of the last frost. Vigorous, 1-year-old plants are preferred. Allow plenty of room between plants, at least 8 feet for the American bunch varieties and 10 feet or more for the vigorous-growing muscadine type. Trim the roots to about 6 inches in length to encourage formation of feeder roots near the trunk. Where the vines are to be set, dig the holes large enough so the roots can be spread without crowding and the plants can be set at about the same depth they grew in the nursery. Prune to a single cane, and head it back to two buds.
Soil Management. Mulching is the preferred soil management practice in home grape planting. Hardwood or softwood bark mulch to a depth of 4 to 6 inches is recommended.
Although grapes are deep-rooted plants, they do not thrive in competition with weeds and grass. If mulch material is unavailable, some cultivation should be done. It should be shallow and only as necessary to eliminate undesired vegetation.
Fertilization. Like all fruit plants, grapes usually require nitrogen fertilization. Except in sandy soils, this element may be the only one needed in the fertilization program. In the home garden, 1 ounce of ammonium nitrate per vine should be applied after growth begins in the spring. Spread the fertilizer in a circle around the plant and 10 to 12 inches from the trunk. Repeat the application about six weeks later. Just before growth begins in the spring of the second year, apply 4 ounces in a 4-foot circle around each vine and about 1 foot from the trunk. Apply the same amount (4 ounces) the third year. A mixed fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, applied at twice the rates may be substituted where phosphorus and potassium are needed.
Fertilizer applications to mature, bearing vines should be based on the growth and vigor of the plant. If the average cane growth is only 3 feet or less, additional nitrogen may be needed. Where proper pruning is practiced and competition from weeds and grass is kept to a minimum, however, it is doubtful that you will need to go beyond the amount recommended for a 3-year-old vine.
Training and Pruning. Much attention is given to the training and pruning of grapes. To be most productive, they must be trained to a definite system and pruned rather severely. There are several training systems used. Two that are commonly used are the vertical trellis and the overhead arbor. Both of these are satisfactory in the home planting if kept well pruned.
Of the many variations of the vertical trellis, the single trunk, four-arm Kniffin system is the most popular. Posts are set 15 to 20 feet apart and extend 5 feet above the ground. Two wires are stretched between the posts, the lower being about 2 1/2 feet above the ground and the upper at the top of the posts. Set between the posts, the vine is trained to a single trunk with four semipermanent arms, each cut back to 6 to 10 inches in length. One arm is trained in each direction on the lower wire.
During annual winter pruning, one cane is saved from those that grew from near the base of each arm the previous summer. This cane is cut back to about ten buds. The fruit in the coming season is borne on shoots developing from those buds. Select another cane from each arm, preferably one that grew near the trunk, and cut it back to a short stub having two buds. This is a renewal spur. It should grow vigorously in the spring and be the new fruiting cane selected the following winter. All other growth on the vine should be removed. This leaves four fruiting canes, one on each arm with eight to ten buds each, and four renewal spurs, one on each arm cut back to two buds each.
|Stages in training the young vine to the single trunk, four-arm Kniffin system.
(1) After pruning the first winter. The single cane is cut back and tied to the lower wire. If the cane has grown less than 3 feet during the first summer, it should again be cut back to two buds.
(2) After pruning the second winter. Two new canes of four or five buds each are tied on the bottom wire. A third new cane is tied up to the top wire and cut off.
(3) After pruning the third winter. Three of the arms (A) and the fruiting canes (B) have been formed. A cane (C) with four or five buds is left to establish the fourth arm.
(4) A fully formed vine after pruning the fourth winter. The arms (A) should be shorter than those shown. The vine consists of a single permanent trunk (T), four semipermanent fruiting arms (A), four annual fruiting canes (F), and four renewal spurs (S), with two buds on each.
The same training and pruning techniques may be effectively used in training grapes to the arbor system. The only difference is that the wires supporting the arms are placed overhead and parallel with each other instead of in a horizontal position. Overhead wires are usually placed 6 to 7 feet above the ground.
If an arm dies or for any reason needs to be replaced, choose the largest cane that has grown from the trunk near the base of the dead arm and train it to the trellis wire. To renew the trunk, train a strong shoot from the base of the old trunk to the trellis as though it was the cane of a new vine. Establish the arms in the same manner as for a new vine, and cut off the old trunk.
Pruning may be done anytime after the vines become dormant. In areas where there is danger of winter injury, pruning may be delayed until early spring. Vines pruned very late may bleed excessively, but there is no evidence that this is permanently injurious.
For best quality, bunch grapes should be fully ripe when harvested. They will not improve in sugar content or flavor after being removed from the vine. Most varieties should be used immediately because they do not keep well after ripening. Cut the clusters off with a knife or shears to avoid bruising the fruit and damaging the vine.
Muscadine grapes grow either singly or in small, loose clusters. Some varieties may be shaken off easily when ripe, others have to be handpicked. The grapes should be used soon after harvesting, since their storage life is relatively short.
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Bramble fruits, which include the red, black, and purple raspberries and the semi-erect blackberries, may be successfully grown in most gardens. Both raspberries and blackberries will usually yield a moderate crop of fruit the second year after planting and a full crop the third season. With good management, it is possible for gardeners to extend the productive life of well-located plantings beyond the six- to eight-year average.
Of the many varieties of blackberries and raspberries available, few have proven totally satisfactory for growing under Virginia conditions. Only top-quality, 1-year-old plants of the best varieties should be planted. Obtain virus-free plants when possible.
Six erect and two semi-erect blackberries are suggested for planting. All are productive, vigorous, and winter hardy. Dewberries and boysenberries are also included under blackberries. Dewberry is a trailing form of blackberry, and boysenberry is a bramble hybrid of loganberry (Rubus loganobaccus) and various blackberries (Rubus spp.) and raspberries (Rubus spp.). The boysenberry is easily winter killed and should be planted only in areas of mild winters. Plants are extremely vigorous and productive and the berries are large and flavorful when fully ripe.
Most erect blackberries have thorns typical of many brambles. Recommended varieties include:
Darrow, more cold hardy and ripening about the first week of August in the Charlottesville area, is a large berry, almost an inch long and 3/4 inch wide. It is glossy black, mildly subacid, and of good quality.
Cherokee, Cheyenne, Comanche, and Shawnee are also good, with productive, erect-type vines.
Navaho is an erect, thornless, late-ripening blackberry that requires little or no trellising when properly pruned. The fruit shape is conic; the berry size is medium, but very firm; and the flavor is excellent.
The semi-erect blackberries recommended are thornless:
Black Satin is very productive and hardy. The fruit is large, firm, jet-black when fully ripe and has a delicious flavor. Peak quality is attained two to three days after the berry turns black.
Dirksen is also very productive and hardy. Slightly smaller than Black Satin, it is equally good when fully ripe.
Dewberries and boysenberries are vigorous plants with large, flavorful berries. Thornless boysenberries are also available. Recommended varieties of dewberry and boysenberry include:
Lucretia dewberry, best of the trailing blackberries, is relatively winter hardy, vigorous, and productive. The fruits are very large, often 1 1/2 inches long. It is a sweet berry with a good flavor.
Lavaca, a seedling of the boysenberry, is superior to its parent in production, size, and resistance to cold and disease. The fruit is also firmer, less acid, and of slightly better quality.
Raspberry types are based on color: red, black, and purple. Chances for success with raspberry plantings are better if the plantings are located in the cooler mountain sections of the state.
Red raspberries have generally been more successful in the warmer areas than have the other types.
Latham is the standard, spring-bearing, red raspberry grown in the eastern United States. Plants of this variety are vigorous, productive, and somewhat tolerant to viral diseases. The berries are above average in size, firm, and attractive. The flavor is somewhat tart, but the quality is good. This variety ripens evenly over a long season to mid-July in Zone 5.
Heritage is an everbearing red variety with crops in June and again in the fall. This variety may be annually pruned by simply mowing all tops in late winter. Use of this pruning technique will yield one crop in the fall of each year.
Black raspberries are very susceptible to viral diseases and are readily infected when grown near red varieties carrying a virus. Plants of red and black raspberries should be separated by at least 700 feet.
Titan is an early bearing, winter-hardy crop. This bright-red, firm berry is conic in shape and mild in flavor. It is the largest berry grown in the eastern United States. It is high yielding, and the canes are stout and nearly spineless which facilitates picking. It can be planted 2 feet apart as suckering is light to medium.
New Logan yields heavy crops of large, glossy-black fruit of good quality. The plants hold up well during drought and are relatively tolerant to mosaic and other raspberry diseases.
Bristol is a hardy, vigorous-growing, highly productive variety. The good quality, glossy-black berries are large, firm, and attractive. They may be difficult to pick unless fully ripe.
Cumberland, ripening about one week later than New Logan, has long been a favored variety because of its attractive, large, firm berries and fine flavor. The plants are vigorous and productive.
The purple raspberry is a hybrid of the red and black types. The fruits have a purple color and are usually larger than the parent varieties. They are more tart than either the reds or blacks and are best used in jams, jellies, and pies. They are excellent for quick freezing. The plants are hardy, vigorous, and very productive.
Brandywine is the best purple raspberry available. It ripens later than most red or black varieties. The fruit is large, firm, and quite tart, but of good quality.
Royalty, a new purple raspberry with delicious flavor, very large fruit, and high productivity, is excellent for fresh use and for jam and jelly. It is resistant to mosaic-transmitting aphids and raspberry fruit worm.
Site and Soil. Brambles grow best on deep, sandy loam soils well supplied with organic matter. They may be grown in almost any good garden soil, provided it is well drained to a depth of at least 3 feet and has a high moisture-holding capacity. Although the pH of the soil is not critical, a range of 5.8 to 6.5 is considered optimum. Select a site where tomatoes, potatoes, or eggplants have not been grown. These crops often carry verticillium wilt, which lives in the soil for many years, and brambles, particularly black raspberries, are very susceptible to this disease.
Planting. Bramble fruits should be planted early in the spring, about four weeks before the average date of the last frost. Work the soil as for garden vegetables, particularly where the plants are to be set. When planting in rows, allow at least 8 feet between rows to facilitate cultivation. Erect-growing blackberries and red and purple raspberries may be set as close as 3 feet in the row; set semi-erect plants 5 feet apart. Black raspberries should be no less than 4 feet apart, and trailing blackberries no less than 6 feet apart.
Set the plants at about the same depth they grew in the nursery. The crown should be at least 2 inches below the soil line. Spread out the roots and firm the soil carefully around them. Do not allow the roots to dry out.
Most bramble fruits come with a portion of the old cane attached. This serves as a handle in setting the plants. Soon after new growth begins, the handle can be cut off at the surface of the ground and destroyed, as a safeguard against possible anthracnose infection.
Soil Management. Brambles grow best where there is a large amount of humus or organic matter in the soil. This is most easily maintained under permanent mulch. Mulch should be applied soon after setting the plants, and maintained throughout the life of the planting by replenishing annually or as needed.
It is suggested that hardwood or softwood bark at least 5 or 6 inches in depth should be applied. If materials low in nitrogen are used, it may be necessary to add sufficient nitrogenous fertilizer to prevent a temporary deficiency as the mulch begins to decay. Usually about 1/2 pound nitrate of soda or 1 pound of 10-10-10 for each 100 square feet of mulched area will be enough.
If mulch material is unavailable or if cultivation seems necessary, make the cultivation very shallow to avoid disturbing the roots and repeat as often as necessary to control weeds until the beginning of harvest.
Fertilization. On fertile soils, or where good mulch is maintained, it is usually unnecessary to make an application of fertilizer in the bramble planting. If growth is poor, the addition of 2 to 3 pounds of ammonium nitrate to each 100 feet of row when growth begins in the spring will be beneficial. On light, sandy soils, where phosphorus and potassium may be low, twice the amount of 10-10-10 or similar fertilizer should be used instead. Do not overfertilize, however, because it may result in too much vegetative growth with a loss of yield and quality of fruit or in injury to the roots of the plant and burning foliage.
Training and Pruning. Trailing blackberries need some form of support. They may be grown on a trellis, trained along a fence, or tied to stakes. Other brambles may either be trained to supports, or with more severe pruning, grown as upright, self-supporting plants. Red raspberries and erect-growing blackberries are frequently grown in hedgerows.
A simple trellis, used in many home gardens, consists of two wires stretched at 3 and 5 foot levels between posts set 15 to 20 feet apart. Fruiting canes are tied to these wires in the spring. The erect varieties are tied where the canes cross the wires. Canes of trailing varieties are tied horizontally along the wires or fanned out from the ground and tied where they cross each wire.
Where stakes are used for support, they are driven into the ground about 1 foot from each plant and allowed to extend 4 or 5 feet above the ground. Canes are tied to the stake at a point about midway between the ground and the tips of the canes and again near the ends of the canes.
Canes of bramble fruits are biennial in nature; the crowns are perennial. New shoots grow from buds at the crown each year. Late in the summer, the new canes develop lateral branches with fruit buds on them. Early in the second season, fruit-bearing shoots grow from these buds. After fruiting, the old canes die, and new shoots spring up from the crowns.
These fruiting canes may be removed any time after harvest. They should be cut off close to the base of the plant, removed from the planting, and destroyed. Some growers, as a sanitation practice, do this immediately after harvest. Most, however, wait until the dormant pruning.
The dormant pruning is usually delayed until danger of severe cold is past and accomplished before the buds begin to swell. It consists of the removal of all dead, weak, and severely damaged canes and the selection and pruning of the fruiting canes for the coming season. Where possible, fruiting canes 1/2 inch or more in diameter are selected.
Black raspberries should be summer-topped when the young shoots are about 24 inches high; purple raspberries, when about 30 inches high. Summer topping consists of removing the top 3 to 4 inches of the new shoots by snapping them off with the fingers or cutting them with shears or a knife. Where trained to supports, let them grow 6 to 8 inches taller before topping.
At the dormant pruning, thin each plant until only four or five of the best canes remain. Cut the lateral branches of the black raspberry to 9 to 12 inches long; those of the purple raspberry to 12 to 15 inches long (See illustration below.).
(The following comments concerning red raspberries do not apply to the 'Heritage' variety.)
Red raspberries should not be summer-topped. Canes of everbearing varieties are handled in the same manner as those of ordinary varieties. At the dormant pruning, where the hill system of culture is used, thin until only seven or eight of the best canes remain per hill.
If the plants are grown in hedgerows, keep the width of the rows to 18 inches or less and remove all plants outside the row areas. Thin the canes within the hedgerows to 6 to 8 inches apart, saving the best canes (See illustration below.).
Where the canes are supported either by a trellis or stakes, cut the canes back to a convenient height for berry picking, usually 4 or 5 feet. Grown as upright, self-supporting plants, whether in hills or in hedgerows, the canes should be cut back to about 3 feet in height. Any lateral branches should be cut to about 10 inches in length.
New shoots of erect blackberries should be summer-topped when they are 30 to 36 inches high. To prevent the planting from becoming too thick and reducing yields, it may be necessary to remove excess sucker plants as they appear. This can be done either with a hoe or by hand. In the hedgerow type of culture, leave only three or four shoots per running foot of row. Grown in hills, four to five new shoots may be allowed to develop in each hill.
At the dormant pruning, where supports are used, head the canes to 4 or 5 feet in height. Canes grown without support should be headed to 3 feet. Cut lateral branches back to 15 or 18 inches long.
Trailing blackberries require little pruning. All dead and weak canes should be removed after harvest or at the dormant pruning. They should be thinned to seven or eight of the best canes per hill, cut to about 5 feet in length, and tied to either a stake or trellis.
Return to the Table of Contents
Many home gardeners in Virginia have been successful with Highbush blueberry plantings. Although they may be grown in any area where native blueberries, azaleas, mountain laurel, or rhododendrons do well, they have a better flavor when grown where nights are cool during the ripening season. They are very exacting in soil and moisture requirements, but require little protection from insect and disease pests.
To provide adequate cross-pollination and to increase chances for a good crop of fruit, two or more varieties of blueberries should be planted. The following varieties suggested for planting ripen over a six- to eight-week period, beginning in early June and continuing through July. All are vigorous and productive under good growing conditions and produce berries of large size and good quality.
Berkeley produces medium-large fruit but inconsistent yield. Bush is vigorous with spreading growth habit and attractive as an ornamental landscape plant.
Blueray, very hardy and productive, is recommended for planting. The fruit is large, medium- to light blue, flavorful, and resistant to cracking.
Bluecrop, although lacking in vigor, is very hardy and drought-resistant. The fruits are large, light blue, firm, and resistant to cracking. Their dessert quality is good.
Coville is of good dessert quality, but quite tart until fully ripe. It is a very large berry, deep blue, firm, and resistant to cracking. The fruit hangs well in clusters even after it is ripe.
Earliblue, though not a superior variety, is popular due to its early ripening. Fruit size is medium to large with average quality. Upright growing plants have good winter hardiness and ornamental appeal.
Elliott is light blue and has a good, mild flavor when fully ripe (if not fully ripe the flavor will be very tart). Its firm berry ranges in size from small to medium. Ornamental use of this crop is very good because of its upright growth habit, bluish-green leaf color, and late-blooming flowers (long-lasting, orange-red fall color).
Jersey, one of the leading commercial varieties, is also a favorite in the home garden. The plants are vigorous and hardy, producing heavy crops of large, light-blue berries of good quality.
Rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium ashei) have black, often dull fruit about 3/4 inch in diameter. These plants can grow in drier soils and are more productive than highbush blueberries; however, they cannot withstand low winter temperatures so production is limited to Zones 7b and 8 in Virginia. In warmer areas, Rabbiteye varieties Climax, Premier, Powderblue, and Tifblue do well.
Site and Soil. Blueberries should be planted where they have full sunlight most of the day and are far enough from the roots of trees to avoid competition for moisture and nutrients. They are shallow-rooted plants and must either be irrigated, heavily mulched, or planted in a soil with a high water table. Adequate drainage must be provided, however, because they cannot tolerate saturated soils.
They grow best in porous, moist, sandy soils high in organic matter with a pH range of 4.2 to 5.5. Have the soil tested, and if it is not acid enough for blueberries, work such materials as peat moss, oak leaves, pine needles, or sulfur into the area where the plants are to be set. This should be done six months to a year before planting. To acidify sandy soils, sulfur is recommended at the rate of 3/4 pound per 100 square feet for each full point the soil tests above pH 4.5. On heavier soils use 1 1/2 to 2 pounds. Once proper acidity is established, it can be maintained through the annual use of an acid fertilizer, such as ammonium sulfate or cottonseed meal.
Planting. Vigorous, 2-year-old plants about 15 inches high are recommended for planting. Set in early spring about three or four weeks before the average date of the last frost. Blueberries are usually planted every 4 feet in rows 6 feet apart.
Give the roots plenty of room. Where the plants are to be set, dig the holes wider and as deep as necessary to accommodate the root systems. It is not necessary to incorporate organic matter or other soil amendments into the backfill soil. Trim off diseased and damaged portions of the top and roots, and set the plants at the same depth that they grew in the nursery. Spread the roots out, and carefully firm the soil over them. Water thoroughly after planting.
Soil Management. Mulching is the preferred soil management practice in the blueberry planting. The entire area around and between the plants should be mulched. Hardwood or softwood bark and sawdust applied to a depth of 5 or 6 inches is recommended. Many growers use a combination mulch - a layer of leaves on the bottom with 2 or 3 inches of sawdust on top. Renewed annually, this heavy mulch retains moisture, keeps the soil cool, and adds needed organic matter.
Fertilization. No fertilizer should be applied at planting time, and usually none is needed during the first growing season. On weak soils, however, the application of 2 ounces of ammonium sulfate around each plant about the first of June is beneficial.
Ammonium sulfate, at the rate of 2 ounces per plant, should be spread in a circle around each plant about 6 to 8 inches from its base just before the buds begin to swell the second spring. Increase the amount each succeeding spring by 1 ounce until each mature bush is receiving a total of 8 ounces annually. Cottonseed meal has proven to be an excellent fertilizer for blueberries and is used by many home gardeners. It supplies the needed nutrients and helps maintain an acid soil. Use it at the rate of 1/2 pound per plant. The rate should be doubled when the plants come into bearing. Where sawdust is used as a mulch, it will be necessary to apply additional nitrogen to prevent a deficiency as the sawdust decays. Usually about 3/4 pound of ammonium sulfate for each bushel of sawdust is sufficient.
Pruning. Until the end of the third growing season, pruning consists mainly of the removal of low spreading canes and dead and broken branches. As the bushes come into bearing, regular annual pruning will be necessary. This may be done any time from leaf fall until growth begins in the spring. Select six to eight of the most vigorous, upright-growing canes for fruiting wood and remove all others.
After about five or six years, the canes begin to lose vigor and fruit production is reduced. At the dormant pruning, remove the older canes of declining vigor and replace with strong, vigorous new shoots that grew from the base of the bush the previous season. Keep the number of fruiting canes to six or eight, and remove the rest. Head back excessive terminal growth to a convenient berry-picking height (See illustration).
Pest Control. Birds are by far the greatest pests in the blueberry planting. Covering the bushes with wire cages, plastic netting, or tobacco cloth is perhaps the best method of control. Aluminum pie tins have been used successfully. They are suspended by a string or wire above the bushes in such a manner that they twist and turn in the breeze and keep the birds away.
Some varieties of blueberry will bear the second year after planting. Full production is reached in about six years with a yield of 4 to 6 quarts per plant, depending on vigor and the amount of pruning.
Blueberries hang on the bushes well and are not as perishable as blackberries or raspberries. Picking is usually necessary only once every five to seven days. Blueberries will keep for several weeks in cold storage.
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Currants and gooseberries are hardy and easy to grow in the home garden. Currant (Ribes spp.) bears flowers in racemes and fruits that are red, white, yellow, or black, often with bloom. Gooseberry (Ribes grossularia L.) has only one or two flowers on each stem and globose to ovoid fruits that are red, yellow, or green. Their planting has been restricted in many areas in the past because they are alternate hosts to the white pine blister rust disease. However, the ban has been lifted completely for all gooseberries and currants.
Currants and gooseberries are used mainly in making jellies, jams, preserves, and pies. Red varieties of currant are sweet when fully ripe and may be eaten fresh.
Wilder is one of the best currant varieties. It has large, dark-red, subacid berries that hang in large, compact clusters that are easy to pick. The bush is upright-growing, large, and vigorous.
Red Lake, ripening just after Wilder, has large, firm, light-red berries. The clusters are large and hang on long after the berries are ripe. The bush is upright-growing, vigorous, productive, and very hardy.
Although European or English varieties of gooseberry are larger, the American varieties are more productive, hardier, considered to be of better quality, and are the two recommended for Virginia:
Pixwell is a nearly thornless variety of gooseberry that produces heavy crops of good quality fruit. The berries are pink when fully ripe and hang on slender stems almost an inch below the branches, where they may be easily picked. The bushes are very hardy and thrive in almost any soil type.
Red Jacket is a vigorous-growing bush; large, sturdy, and nearly thornless. It is very productive, with large berries that are dull red when ripe.
Site and Soil. Currants and gooseberries need a cool, moist, semi-shady location. They are very resistant to low temperatures, but do not thrive where the summers are hot and dry. Gooseberries are somewhat more tolerant to heat than are currants. Where only a few plants are grown for home use, the north side of a building may be selected to protect them from summer heat.
Select a site with good air and soil moisture drainage. Currants and gooseberries bloom very early in the spring and need to be protected against frost. They are shallow-rooted plants that require a moist, but not saturated soil. They grow best in a deep, fertile loam with a pH range of 6 to 8. Although the heavier soils, such as silt or clay loams, are more suitable, the plants may be grown in lighter soils well supplied with organic matter if moisture is added during periods of drought.
Planting. Vigorous, 1-year-old plants are preferred. Planting in rows 8 feet apart with the plants spaced 4 feet within the row is the usual practice. Prepare the soil for planting as you would for a garden crop, and set the plants slightly deeper than they grew in the nursery. This causes new shoots to arise from below the soil level, forming bushes rather than single stems. Pack the soil firmly about the roots, and cut the tops back to a height of 8 to 10 inches.
Soil Management. Mulching is the preferred soil management practice for currants and gooseberries. Hardwood or softwood bark in a 3-foot circle around each bush is recommended. Pull it back each winter to eliminate a nesting place for mice that like to feed on the young shoots.
Fertilization. Currants and gooseberries usually respond to fertilization even when planted in fertile soils. An annual, fall or late-winter application of either barnyard or poultry manure is an effective way of supplying their nutritional needs. Spread it about 1 inch deep in a 3-foot circle around each plant. In the absence of manure, 4 ounces of ammonium nitrate per plant should be applied just before the buds break in the spring. On sandy soil, a complete fertilizer, such as 10-10-10 or 10-6-4, at the rate of 12 to 16 ounces per plant may be needed.
Pruning. Currants and gooseberries typically form bushes with many branches arising near the ground level. Pruning may be done any time during the dormant period and consists primarily of thinning out excess stems. Except for the removal of weak, broken, or prostrate stems, very little pruning is done until the plants are 4 years old. The mature bush should have three or four stems each of 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old wood. The actual number should be determined by the vigor of the bush. Heading back is done only to reduce the height of extra-long, 1-year-old shoots (Fig. 4.).
Remove all wood over 3 years old. Cut off the damaged and low prostrate stems, retaining only the most vigorous of the 2- and 3-year-old shoots, and remove the rest. Head back young shoots that are too long (Fig. 5).
Currants and gooseberries begin bearing when about 3 years old and have a productive life of 10 to 20 years. Under good cultural practices in the home garden, currants should yield 4 to 6 quarts per bush annually, and gooseberries even more. Unlike most fruits, currants and gooseberries may be left on the bush for several weeks after they are ready for use. Gooseberries may be left four to six weeks, and some varieties of currants even longer. They should be handled carefully to avoid bruising the fruit. Since gooseberries sunscald quickly, they should be placed in the shade soon after picking.
Return to the Table of Contents
Reviewed by Alan McDaniel, Associate Professor, Horticulture
Virginia Cooperative Extension materials are available for public use, reprint, or citation without further permission, provided the use includes credit to the author and to Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, and Virginia State University.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Edwin J. Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; M. Ray McKinnie, Interim Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia State University, Petersburg.
May 1, 2009


text: The news last week contained a report about a plane departure delayed because thousands of bees were nesting under it. Because bees are on the endangered list, it is against the law to kill any of them. Therefore, beekeepers were called to safely remove them. And I do respect this regulation. However, I find it appalling that many American people and our government leaders value and protect the rights and life of a bee more than the rights and life of an unborn baby. At least a bee can possibly fly away from its attacker, but an unborn baby is totally defenseless against his or her abortion. I all fairness, how can killing a bee be illegal in this country while killing a baby is totally legal? Where are our priorities, values and common sense?


text:
Software Freedom Law Center to Open India Branch
The Software Freedom Law Center has plans for for a new international organization in New Dehli, India, expanding the SFLC's reach and mission of promoting FLOSS on a global scale.
Mishi Choudhary will oversee the SFLC's New Dehli office. Miss Choundhary has worked the SFLC in India and the US and was the inaugural recipient of the SFLC's International Fellowship. Her recent work with the SFLC has been on FLOSS licensing issues, patent re-examinations, trademark and copyright registration, and GPL enforcement actions.
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text:
Seven miles - the distance from Kihei to Costco, Walmart, Kmart, etc.
Yet, they want to put in a mega-mall in Kihei
Oh, it will provide jobs. Think again.
First of all, the construction jobs will be temporary at best and often outsourced.
Second, the mall will cause the closing of many small businesses in Kihei. Just look at the number of storefronts empty. Just talk to the local business owners; they will tell you they are barely making it now.
There is a limited supply of spending dollars by our residents. As we divide those dollars now with a mega-mall, profits will go down even for the current big-box stores and people will be let go. So the imaginary increase in jobs will really be a shift of jobs from small stores and our current box stores to the new mega-mall. Knowing that visitors are not coming to Maui to shop, the mega stores will also soon suffer and once again jobs will be lost.
We must keep our eye on the prize. The prize is the industry that keeps this island going - tourism. We must maintain and increase tourism, our real industry, for economic solvency. We must be diligent about what we construct, how we manage our land, our open spaces, our beaches and natural wonders. We must focus on the prize. Tourists come for the beauty, the beaches, the aloha spirit and the wonders that are Maui.
Mary Trotto


text:
Here is the best of two worlds, with the Monty Python troupe, joined by Peter Cook and other British comedians, meeting the cream of British rock. This is a live-performance film, culled from two benefit concerts in London in 1980 and 1981, arranged by Python's John Cleese for Amnesty International. It contains vintage Python, including such daft skits as a skewered It's Academic ("Who wrote Jane Eyre?" "Brussels." "Two points to you") and the ad incredulum dialogue of four businessmen trying to top each other by recounting deprived upbringings ("There were 150 of us living in a shoebox in the middle of the motorway." "You were lucky. All I got to eat every morning was a cold lump of poison"). The wildest moments are provided by a Liverpudlian New Wave comic, Alexei Sayle, a raving skinhead, who does imitations of people on various kinds of illicit drugs. While the spirit may be willing, though, the flesh is too weak to laugh for two hours, so the musical interludes are welcome. Peter Townshend, Sting and Phil Collins give moving performances of their songs with little or no accompaniment, and Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck trade hot blues licks on Farther Up the Road. It seems odd that when Brits sing, Americans can usually understand every word, but some of the jokes, through dialect or regional references, are incomprehensible. Still, this felicitous admixture of comedy and music makes one wonder why there are not scads of films being made like this. And whatever happened to the TV variety show? (R)
Picks and Pans Review: The Secret Policeman's Other Ball
updated 08/02/1982 AT 01:00 AM EDT
•originally published 08/02/1982 AT 01:00 AM EDT


text: New NCMS Member- ThinGap, LLCNovember 26, 2012 Home » New Members » New NCMS Member- ThinGap, LLC ThinGap offers light and highly powerful motors for industry, unmanned platforms and robotics. They replace the traditional iron core motors with an ironless composite stator and unique new rotor design offering tremendous power and torque density. http://www.thingap.com/


text:
The low-key wedding which was attended by few friends, colleagues and family members took place in Ilorin, Kwara State.
The talented singer took to his twitter page to express his joy,
"I think i am getting married 2day as
opposed to yesterday....",
"Tweeting from the altar; I have counted the cost and i have made a choice...."
The couple have a 2 year-old son (Alex) and rumour has it that Busola is expecting another child.
We wish the couple a blissful marriage.


text:
I am always impressed with your commentary effectiveness. This one made me sit and send a compliment as the best illustrator of ideas I have come across yet; and I look at a lot of news sites. I have seen your work forwarded to any # of news link sites, like Drudge and such, and I don't blame them! Thanks for your gifted talent Rick. I hope to meet you some day, Randy Lambeth
Thanks, Randy!
My husband said that cartoon should be in every paper in our country.
@Rick McKee - We (the CSRA) totally have one, if not the best, cartoonist in the country and I agree with KSL, you should be everywhere! Continued great job Rick!
If the majority of Americans are stupid enough to re-elect Obama then they get what they deserve. There will only be hope for this country if we change the man in the WH!! That's the real hope and change we need!!! - PS: excellent work Rick!!
You missed it Mr. Mckee. That's the way things were four years ago when he took office.
..well most of you!
Wow....still blaming Bush....that's almost as worn as the Race Card.
Rick this is a good example of what the "BUSH Administration left for the President to fix. Thank you for your support of the President. (SMILE)We may not be where we want to be but we are not as bad as when Bush was in office. President Obama was not he Massiah nor is he Houdini. The mess he stepped into takes time to fix. I have not agreeded with "everything" any President has done and I'm sure all Americans agree. They all make some bad choices. President Obama has emproved quite a number of things. The White House is not falling down around his head as McKee portrays. To all the Obama haters including Mckee, I say, It was a lot worse under the Bush administration. It will be even worse for below poverty and poverty level(middle class) under Romney.
Since nearly every measurable aspect of the economy is worse now, what exactly is he doing to fix it? Bush didn't leave him 8% or more unemployment. He didn't leave him $4 a gallon gas. He didn't leave him a war in Libya.
Care to explain this comment? " It will be even worse for below poverty and poverty level(middle class) under Romney."
Democrat Congress. You can blame the wars on Bush, in part. You have to look to Clinton for part of the blame for 9/11. But, the financial meltdown is a direct result of the Democrats in Congress.
Even Obama wouldn't have been able to do the damage he's pulled off on the nation, especially upon the economic engine of the nation, if Congress hadn't been funding his lunacy up, down and sideways.
That is THE ONLY reason the liberal agenda has any power at all. Even the SCOTA wouldn't be able to really harm us if Congress didn't fund their agendae as well.
Ever wonder why he's not?
...I am. At the risk of tooting my own horn, I've been syndicated nationally since 2001, first with King Features, and now with CagleCartoons and my cartoons have regularly appeared in about 800 newspapers across the country and around the world like the LA Times, San Diego Union Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Houston Chronicle, Cincinnati Enquirer, Tallahassee Democrat, the AJC and USA Today to name a few. They've also been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek's domestic and foreign issues and on Time.com. Why, the Orange County Register (that's in California) even has a "Best Of" gallery of my toons:


text:
Englewood Waterparks
• A WorldWeb.com Travel Guide to Waterparks in Englewood, CO, Colorado.
A six-lane pool, water slides and a kids center can be enjoyed at the Pirates Cove Aquatic Center in Englewood. From Memorial Day through Labor Day the pool is open daily from 10:30am to 6:30pm, and on weekends afterwards if the weather permits.