Market Farming

["Paul A. Bock" <bockpa AT plesh.com>]

Hello everyone,
  I am curious if anyone out there uses refractometers to analyze plant sap
to determine plant health?  refractometers are used to measure sugar
concentrations in a water solution.  They are used for measuring maple syrup
concentration, as well as sap concentration.  I have heard that they can be
used on the sap of any plant, specifically to test when the best nutrient
density is achieved in hay before it would be cut, or before a green manure
would be cut down.

  Also I have heard of a device called a soil penetrometer, which indicates
soil density, more specifically it is used to determine hardpan conditions.

Paul Bock
Stone Gully