permaculture

[rick valley <bamboogrove@cmug.com>]

Mikal asked about black locust...
Worth checking out is  Black Locust: Biology, Culture and Utilization, '92,
Dept. of Forestry, Michigan State. 
There's also some folks in NY who are propagating & promulgating. Anyone know
if the Black Locust Journal of which I have the first is happening? I'll dig
it out- still packed from the last PDC...
The thing the remember is there's high variation among populations- also true
of Robinia neomexicana acc. to BL: B,C & U; there's a paper in there about a
tall, straight population in AZ... could be nice seed for CA;
And the tree is super for green woodworking: I've split 2 ft. by 3 inch thick
planks off with just a sledge and wedge.
I have grown seedlings up to post size (for arbors, etc.), cut 'em, and the
root suckers are now alwost ready for the second crop.
Down with treated lumber!

and for black walnut- a tree will be more valuable for veneer if you just
beat it with a chain now and then in passing. As reported by Larry McGraw in
the HOS news. (Although I wouldn't want to be known far advocating tree
abuse...)

every carrot I saw in India in '82 was purple- while not awful, they were at
least bland.
 
And for wildlife in agricultural systems-
The Mayans doing shifting cultivation in S. Belize seemed to obtain a good
deal of their protein by protecting their crops. We were showed a way to
build a gopher trap that'll hang 'em up out of the ground so the trapper can
take 'em home- they get plump, those gophers, I know. The guys seemed to make
a regular thing of late night cornfield patrols for Coatis and Javelinas with
shotguns; the pattern is widespread; Buffalo Bird Woman told about the
Hidatsa boys protecting the gardens in the middle 1800's. I myself recently
did battle with nutria, after they let me know they wouldn't share my nursery
with me, and Kiwis we visited on South Island served us wild pig stew,
telling us they had no choice, as tigers had not been introduced along with
the pigs...
-Rick

Rick Valley Northern Groves 
PO Box 1236, Philomath, OR 97370 
Mobile-(541)602-1315, hm.& msg. (541)929-7152  Bamboo catalog $3 or at 
<http://www.teleport.com/~dbrooks/bamboo.html>
"Useful Bamboos and other plants‹ Permaculture education‹ Ecological design &
consultation centering on water,landform and horticultural systems"