North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Ginda Kaplan Fisher <list@ginda.us>]

I agree, a valuable book that's also attractive and fun to read.  (You 
can read my review on Amazon, I hope.)

Ginda Fisher

On Monday, December 23, 2002, at 05:18  AM, Lawrence F. London, Jr. 
wrote:

> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: The grape book to end all grape books
> Date: Sat, 21 Dec 2002 04:13:14 +0000
> From: Bargyla Rateaver <brateaver@EARTHLINK.NET>
> To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU
>
> I have another     extremely valuable     suggestion for Xmas shoppers.
>
>   There is a tremendously valuable book that needs to get out among all
> of us home and/or farm-size growers, and that is the superbly written
> and  color-illustrated book, by an author who knows his subject:
>    up and down
>    crossways
>     endways
>     sideways
>      backside front
>      inside out
>      front to back
>                             etc etc etc
>
> THAT IS LON ROMBOUGH on GRAPES, GRAPES, GRAPES
>
>   THE GRAPE GROWER--Chelsea Green Publishing, White River 
> Junction,Vermont.
>
> Years ago I heard him talk  at the Rare Fruit Growers meeting.
>
>     HE KNOWS WHAT THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT GRAPES
>
>  Here is a man who thinks of grapes as though they were his own family.
>
> I myself have never been such a superb grape grower, but I did try ,
> before the ants made me give up for this year.
>
> But this writer takes you by the hand, comforts you by his very 
> literary
> presence, and convinces you that you, YES YOU!!! can really grow grapes
> to be proud of.
>
> And it isn't just skillful writing, no, it is the heartfelt love of
> grapes that seeps out from every page.  To him grapes are almost like
> family.
>
> AND it is about  O R G A N I C growing too.
>
> Are you thinking of a xmas present for someone special who tries so 
> hard
> and is getting discouraged? OR someone who knows his way around just
> fine in the garden but just never quite had the nerve to grow grapes?
>
> OK HERE IS HELP FORYOU.
>    this is a beautifully illustrated book. FULL COLOR PICTURES  make
> sure you don't make any mistakes, and the sketches of HOW TO DO IT are
> topnotch.
>    I have grown grape vines, and got fruit that the ants did not get to
> first, but I was just on my own.
>
> I DID NOT HAVE THIS SUPERDUPER BOOK.
>                     ----- THE GRAPE GROWER------
>
> Look at the chapter headings;
>    Structure of the vine
>    Getting started:Site, Soil, and Planting
>     Pruning and Training
>     Diseases of Grapes
>     Insects of Grapes
>     Animal and Bird Pests
>     Propagation
>     Rootstocks
>     Varieties
>     Grape Species
>     Grapes in Cold Climates and Tropics
>
>     Breeding Grapes
>        Glossary of Viticulture Terms
>         Resources
>         Index
>
>     and the simple title should not fool you:
>
>                                   THE GRAPE GROWER
>
>                A GUIDE TO ORGANIC VITICULTURE
>
> Think of that, folks!! ORGANIC!!
>
> See, he is just as brave as I am, ha.   He puts the word "organic" 
> right
> in the title.
>  Now that's my kind of a person.
>
> But the important point is, that he looks right into your head with its
> worries that
>     oh, dear, maybe this won't go right,
>     oh, dear, maybe I should have done that, not this,
>     oh, dear,  maybe I don't have enough light.
>     oh, dear, maybe it's too cold here
>     oh, dear, maybe it's too hot here
>
> and so on   and so on    and so on.
>
> Phooey to all that. This very kind grower     wants   you   to  
> succeed!!
> Grapes are NOT fussy, pesty, impossible here, need more light, need 
> more
> this, that and the other thing.
>
> NO!       YOU, YES YOU can grow grapes.
>
> Relax and just sit in a comfortable place and read.
>
> and do you know what will happen? You will say,
>      Wow, why did I not know all this before?  No wonder my vines faded
> out.
>       Wow, can it really be I doing this grafting?
>       Wow, will organic method really do it, no poisons needed
>
> And soon you will think---Huh, if others can do it, maybe I can too
>
> and then
> you start thinking--HM, NOW JUST WHERE WILL I PUT THOSE VINES?
>
> Already in your mind's eye your rows of vines take shape.
> Maybe you see them in an arbor
> Maybe you see them along a fence
> Maybe you imagine them arching over a trellis
>
> Whatever, he will take you by the hand and so softly carry you through
> it all so kindly and gently that ---WOW, I DID IT  !!
>
> and you become the gardener in the neighborhood  WHO REALLY HAS GRAPES
>
> Yeah, and all those  who said, yeah, but you can't grow them
> ORGANICALLY, no way.
>
> Yes, You Can!  he did it.
>
> OK, you want to see this book. The cover is beautiful  ((  hey, what a
> gift!  ))
> There are illustrations for every step, yes, every single step.
> There are 2 columns to every page, no skimping here.
>
> There are: charts in the back--'RESOUCES'
>                   further reading--bibliography, annotated !!    E-MAIL
>                   an excellent index----(teacher marked you AA on that)
>                   lists of propagation supplies
>                   insects, pests, and disease- control- sources,
>                   who sells what
>                     +even phone, fax, email,  web
>                   Europe (Latvia, England, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden,
> Canada, all US
>
>   AND he even tells you what each source/company supplies, by headings:
>                     rootstocks
>                     trellis
>                     planting, training, pruning
>                     propagation supplies
>                     knowledgeble authorities
>                     Canada and Europe authorities--address.phone, fax,
> email too
>
> AND Who do you thinkg wrote the foreword?
>      Yessiree:   Roger B. Swain---yeah, you saw that name in SUNSET
> magazine?
>
> AND color photos, so you really know what he is talking about.
> AND a glossary of terms
>
> Maybe you just want to sit down and READ. OK, here are good titles.
>
> ANYWAY I JUST WANTED YOU TO READ THIS, TREAT YOURSELF   OR A FRIEND, 
> AND
> READ, READ, READ.
>
> Oh, yes, the price????? just $35, yes really, can you believe it?
> All that knowledge and skill offered, for that tiny price?
>
>  AN EXCELLENT GIFT,  THINK ABOUT THIS !
>
> He tells you the truth about soil, too.
>
>
>
> >  of biology in soil to read Bargyla's books.  Can you give us a list
> > of them, please?
> >
> >
> > Elaine Ingham
> > President, Soil Foodweb Inc.
> > www.soilfoodweb.com
> >
> >
> --
> Bargyla Rateaver PhD
> http://home.earthlink.net/~brateaver/
>
>
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