North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["kieran or donna" <redherring@tnaccess.com>]

About 10 years ago I happened to look in a dumpster behind a grocery store,
and discovered a bunch of greasy metal grids about 16"x14" in size with the
wires spaced about 1/4" apart.  Looked like they came from the bottom of a
deep fryer.  I just had to have them, fished them out, tossed them in the
back of the pickup, left them out in the garden in the weather till they
were fit to handle.  Mostly I've used them to protect seeds from birds and
mice, but they have been used for many other purposes.  Right now one is on
a flat of peas in cell paks, one is over a very small rosebush to keep
critters from nibbling it, two are being climbed by short peas, one is
hanging on a chicken cage where it is used to block the birds in when the
two halves of the cage are being moved separately, and several more are
sitting around the garden waiting for their next use.  I have also collected
shelves from old stoves and refrigerators and fronts off old fans.  These
are all used to keep cardinals from eating peas, to hold down nylon
curtains, to keep hens or cats from scratching where I don't want them.  The
fryer grids are the only ones I would absolutely trust to keep out mice.
They are all lightweight, long lasting, and easily leaned up out of the way
when not needed.  Donna