DOWN BY THE ORCHARD

WHAT can I say? When I started planting three decades ago, edibles were not part of the scheme. Oregano, basil, capsicum, rosemary, fruits or tubers, none of it. In the ornamental department not everything got my attention or interest. I did not know then, anything except digging the hole, planting and watering. Unfortunately, it seems that most people seem satisfied about gardening and biodiversity, with just THAT.

Things have changed. Now I look at the whole picture. Bitching and critical, not necessarily based on aesthetics, but what is better for all. Flora and Fauna. A garden (Nature) should not be anthromorphised. Mine is thought in terms of variables regarding shade, heat, irrigation, resistance to diseases, insects, salt breeze and most important, avoiding common places in selection of plants. The beauty aspect of it, is taking a back seat, as time goes by, I care less about it.

The amount of lizards have increased thanks to over five types of vines in the north/south gardens. They have been mentioned before (vines), will not get into that. These vines attract small flies, the wise lizards escort them morning and afternoon when they seem more active.

Most lizards are not too afraid of yours truly, some hit the road as soon
as I get closer, most just hang and watch, I imagine a group may even recognize moi. When I water spray the foliage, unless the water hits them directly, will not move to catch the insects escaping the liquid. It is a real trip watching these fellows, always attentive to their surroundings. Cats and birds are their predators. Other than that, they live happily and well fed. Yet, it is worthy of mentioning that some handsome spiders are moving in. Their number has increased slowly and preferring the south
side, creating some competition. The way I see it there is plenty of food for all.

The lemon three is now on the third crop, something I would not imagine
when it arrived a year ago. It is not three feet high, healthy, except for the
attacks of different insects into the sap sucking mood. If you do not monitor constantly, the ugly, sticky damage gets worse as time go by.

The orange tree, has had the fruits for a l o n g time...Still not ready. By the way, in a post from the past, I mentioned the ugly woman, a resident
of LOIZA, employee from the Environmental Quality Board, who came to measure the noise levels from Universidad Sagrado Corazon. This character asked me if these were pumpkins! Make what you wish about
that. But it is a sign of disconnection between people and nature (edible/drinkable). Or a feeble minded quality of some segments of the urban native islanders.

As usual, time to go, still happy after all....

WHEN MANURE WAS KING FROM A 1918 REFERENCE

SOME readers may wonder what the hell is going down, with such a tittle.
Nothing to worry. But you will probably not find another blog about gardening/horticulture with the subject, since most people live in cities and just use chemicals. However once upon a time there were none of these.

FARM MANURES

We cannot know the relative values of manures without some knowledge of their composition, and in comparing these values we must assume that the various kinds
of animals have been fed in a normal way, receiving a reasonable amount of nutritious
feeds. In these comparisons we must also assume that all of the liquid manure is saved with the solids. If this is not done, as is so often the case, the figures mean little to us, because, generally speaking, the liquid portion of the manure contains nearly half of the plant food, and the more valuable half, at that, since it is in quickly available form.

Horse manure. Accepting Van Slyke's estimates of production and value, a horse produces about 18,000 pounds of manure annually for each 1,000 pounds of live
weight, to which there should be added the bedding, which has its plant food made
rapidly available by mixture with the manure. The manure (not including the bedding) contains 128 pounds of nitrogen, 48 pounds of phosphoric acid and
108 pounds of potash; and of this amount the liquid contains nearly two fifths
of the nitrogen and more than two fifths of the potash.

If we place a cash valuation upon this manure on the basis of prices prevailing before
the European War, the value of the manure produced annually by a horse per 1,000
pounds live weight is $23.60, or $2.62 per ton. Conditions prevailing during the summer of 1917 easily doubled this valuation, which is given rather for comparison
with those of other manures and commercial fertilizers than as the price any farmer

should put upon his supply.

from
FARM KNOWLEDGE
A Complete Manual of Successful Farming
Written by Recognized Authorities in All
Parts of the Country; Based on Sound Principles
and the Actual Experience of Real Farmers
"The Farmer's own Cyclopedia"

Volume II

PREPARED EXCLUSIVELY FOR
SEARS, ROEBUCK AND CO.
BY

DOUBLE DAY, PAGE & COMPANY

GARDEN CITY NEW YORK

This book was a present from Federico, one of those friends lasting
like one of those long matches for barbecuing...But the present will last
as long as I can hang around.

It is really rare besides being old, with impressive prints, works of art in miniature. Besides that, the information, considering the times, is really
advanced considering what one watches in television and read in different media regarding agricultural practices all over.

If you are a serious, rigorous gardener, you would study how manures can improve your garden. I have integrated to my compost,
dog poop and hair. If you follow the example given you could calculate the amounts of dog manure annually. With Diva, a dog of sixty pounds,
for argument sake, two pounds a week, for 104 total. In addition to dry,
green leaves, shredded newspapers, it will certainly reach over two hundred pounds!

Depending on your interests, how far you want to develop your knowledge, skills this type of reading may expand not only the views about up keeping your garden, but realize how much stupidity there
is all over the world regarding NATURE. Think of it.


To be continued...Cow, pig, sheep and hen manures. Farewell, words for thought. The feeble minded will often sing about the sweet smell of cut lawns, being around nature while playing GOLF, forgetting the irritable noise, pollution with gas/oil and smoke, destruction to the environment both create.

The book does not mention the intense smell of different manures. The worst in my humble, are pig and hen..Time to go....

IF YOU LIKE THIS
check
ANGLOSPANO REVIEW
THE
MICHAL BROWN

LOVE POSTCARDS

TO YOURS TRULY

circa 1984-85

anglospano review is another product of the 'intelect'
of antigonum cajan
but reproduced verbatim
from the actual postcards...

IRELAND REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL CONGRATULATIONS

WATCHING THE BBC was a little hard to believe. An agreement between
those who have been enemies for centuries has been reached after a marathon of conversations. A certain spark of happiness and hope invaded yours truly.

After all IRELAND provided the fundamentals for Boston one of the most interesting cities in USA, the Boston Celtics when they were ethnically correct or more of my liking, with Larry Bird and company. The NBA looks like some basketball league out in Togo, to name a country in the news. With some token pale players...I hate street ball, dunking a la Cirque de Soleil, and those ancient tribal gestures after a dunk/basket.
Oh, by the way all them NBA's carry the ball, and often run with it...

Sorry...IRELAND, other reasons why I have great affection for these chaps and ladies, is their Jameson and Guinness. Their music and that
weird dance with paralyzed arms. It is really something. I do not know
about the Bono, but what the heck. Congratulations to all Irishmen/women all over the world and those at home.

GARDENING IN THE BACKYARD

YESTERDAY, was mostly irrigation day. Two hours in the south side

with the drip kind, with final touches with a hose. The concrete/asphalt warming, that never mentioned warming is felt, already. Being so far away from June, sure sign is going to be hell, again...

PLANT relocation....Just made a quick research to provide the botanical for MAGUEY, but it is not going to be easy. Lets leave it at that for now. The Maguey along with the Pandanus had been planted for a year in the west side high bed shown
in some pictures.. The are ready to become part of the guerrilla gardening community and now happily in five gallon liners...I have kept 3 off shoots of each..

Pseuderantemum carruthersii went from north to west, in bed. A Gardenia from right to left in the same bed. An endemic Anthurium, from the front of the house,
to the north side. This plant was collected after some rain storm brought it down its
perch in the rocky/clay soil in the from Cayey to Guayama City. I do not care, about
these plants AT ALL. But looks cool among the others. This shows gardening flexibility. It is better to bend as Confucius mentioned, as some trees are capable of doing, than to break.

In Puerco Rico, USA,is fashionable now to add the English word city, to towns. Thus,
towns known for centuries just as Guaynabo, for example, the pioneer with this ridiculous trend, is now Guaynabo City. The politicians feel we get closer to mainland USA, becoming better second class American citizens. That way they may accept them/us in the Union, becoming the 51 state. Believe it or not. The street traffic signs also move in that direction. These show the national mental feebleness I always bring up, since what are the colors of a stop/pare sign, anywhere?

Now for the first time I leave. Happy, for the IRISH, and that is that...

ELEMENTS OF STIGMA/STATUS IN YOUR GARDEN

STIGMA VS STATUS, is part of the parameters of language in Linguistics.
The branch of knowledge involved in what else, language related issues.
It seems that all started with Ferdinand d' Saussure, moons ago, if curious
go ahead and research, you will probably go nuts finding out how wide is
this type of analysis, and how much court it covers.

For us, lets be brief...In the ideal SPANISH, the one only academicians speak, pronouncing R, S, where one is supposed to, makes you a status speaker for example, Arbol, Zapatos, Amor, Partido versus Albol, Zapatoh, Amol, Paltio.

As you see the first words 3 are similar in two things, typical of the CARIBBEAN, the R was changed to L, the S omitted, deleted. With the last example, partido, the word was transformed since the D, in the last syllable disappeared and instead of ido, we get io, instead of partido, paltio.
There is the less effort law. It takes less to pronounce L than R, or the S.
That is why I LOVE people from the Canary Islands, Andalucia, Spain, they are the most intelligent speakers regarding the issue.

In English, lets take the speak of Negros or Rednecks, just one example will suffice. Ain't got nobody that I can depend on. The use of that contraction instead of, I do not have anyone or I got no one, makes you an idiot in the ears/understanding of many pretentious people, paying attention not to the message or essence. In the Spanish examples the same is true. The extrapolations are infinite if you are into this field.

Can we apply the rule, concept to GARDENING/HORTICULTURE? I have. It is applicable to Puerco Rico, USA, but I am more than certain
that in the five continents, similar examples can be found. After all,
I spend most of the time thinking about this or the practical angle of it.

I have prepared this list of plants, bushes and palms that places 98% of
the population of Puerco Rico in the stigmatized horticultural spectrum.
Me? I belong to the little % left. As anything you may disagree. Warning.
If you do, develop your own writing/debate scaffold for the rebuttal since

this is not pulled from any sleeve.

STIGMATIZED PLANT SELECTION
BY ANTIGONUM THE HUMBLE

PALMS


Washingtonia robusta/filifera
Rhapis excelsa
Veitchia Merrillii
Ptychosperma macarthrurii
Roystonea regia
Phoenix Roebelinii
Pritchardia pacifica
Phoenix canariensis
Cocos nucifera
Licuala grandis
Coccotrhinax alta

Bismarckia nobilis

Here is the whole picture of the dull, lame gardening scene in
Puerco Rico through the palm infatuation imposed by every
imaginable JERK in the private/public sectors of
landscape installations, including private residences
with post stamp size yards.

EVERYTHING ELSE

Acalipha wilkesiana
Alpinias
Anthurium anoraenum
Bromeliads
Brugmansias suaveolens
Callistemon citrinus/viminalis
Dracaena fragrans
Eucaliptus deglupta
ALL FICUS
Cordias
Heliconias
Spathifphylum
Liriopes
Cheffera
Ixoras
Philodendron
Pothos
Strelitzias

IN ESSENCE, this list represents the universe of garden installations all over the island, the same crap, exactly in the same shape, way or form.
Thanks to 2uglas Kndelario, Edwin Gonzalez Bauza, Gabriel Berriz, Alberto Areces Mallea, and so many fools that will probably be as long as
one of my short posts.

You may question as to why one may be an intelligent speaker while using
stigmatized speech and a JERK if in possession of any of these plants in your back/front yard?

Simple, while one speaks one can not control the psychology, understanding of the listener. You know if the other is a feeble minded
character soon or later depending on your ability to grasp the nuances.
He may think you are the jerk not vice versa.

WITH A GARDEN, is not that difficult it is evident, it is front of your eyes.
IT does not depend on psychology. It is there. Is ugly, is everywhere.

The greatest stupidity in ANY GARDEN, if you believe there is C02, pollution and global warming, is to have a lawn, hedges and palm trees.
The all require use of polluting machines for their maintenance. Noise,
water waste and soil pollution in addition.

I propose a ban of lawns, hedges and palms...People who have, sell, install, them should be ostracized/fined, just as smokers are in many cultures. Place them in a corner. Get rid of these (plants) soon...The environment will be grateful. After all Nature does not need us. It will remain somehow when we pass away. Time to go.

FROM THE EDITOR

Some palms
are excused
Dates, Cocos Nucifera and
Phoenix canariensis, only
in the right contexts.
Perhaps the beef with palms is the
exagerated overuse, they are
the easy way out.

Food for thought:
HOW can any jerk
reduce the possibilities
to the ones listed
when there are thousands?

Reference

Tropicals
Gordon Courtright
Timber Press

CHRONICLES OF THE LONE GARDENER

SUNDAY

At the Plaza mall, dropped by to check an exhibition of classics, from those days when I was a child. Hordes of fat mothers, fathers and their children. It feels like Patagonia, among penguins, sea lions and killer whales, on the ground, walking.

At the bookstore nothing to read, except one coffee table one on trees of the world. Only Baobabs, old Olive trees and Dracaena Dragos from tropical regions really attract my attention.

The British and Germans stole the show with their MG, Triumph, Austin
Healys, VW and Karman Ghia. FROM the USA, only Carol Shelby's,
Cobras really still impress me. I am writing about those models from 60/70's.

If you grew up around auto body shops, as your humble servant, you got some memories, but also criteria. When I think about those Fords, Chevy's and Chrysler's, I thought of living rooms on wheels. UGLY, TACKY comes to mind. On the other hand with one Chrysler you could probably build three MG's, saving tons of chromium, not to get into mileage, CO2 to the atmosphere, the elegance, sporty look.

But being endemismo what it is, lets get it on.

Guerrilla Gardening Act IV.

The new theater of operations is a big concrete parking space, in San Carlos, an abandoned building. There is a 100 feet long 24" wide space
of soil pretending to be a bed, for a garden. I imagine they ran out of concrete, and left the bare ground for whatever reasons, maybe a weeds garden.

I have planted the following seeds: Pithelobium, Mahogany, Ipomoea, Cosmos sulpherous, Merremia quinquefolia, Clitoria ternatea, Pandanus and Maguey. The last two, are plants about 3" tall, planted two feet apart and will have to be removed eventually. They can grow twenty times that, in adequate space, but it would take ten years.

Today I went to check the surroundings with my one gallon water spray,
covering every one mentioned above. The advantage of this site versus the
one by the train station is that no person with a trimmer has been on the premises. Therefore, their chances for reaching adulthood are theoretically higher.

Finally, orchard wise news at home.. The Carica papaya is very healthy. It is about 12' tall and 8" diameter trunk, many flowers and three promising fruits for March, about 6" long... The grafted lemon is on its third crop, fragrant flowers, the oranges still taking their time...

One detail not mentioned before, Cavalinna maritima, that sand/salt lover vine, has a great fragrance....Discovered recently, and that is that...

LETS BLAME SOMEONE FOR THE MALADIES OF THE WORLD

LOOKING at the world, while thinking by myself, with my right/wrong parameters, I declare that only when women STOP getting
pregnant at random, will the world be able to sustain its population.

Yesterday I saw some people in INDIA, living near by huge coal underground fire in a region/territory not different from the one I just read about in PA, in the USA.

Imagine a fire lasting over a hundred years, and poor people living close by. Why the uninitiated reader may wonder? In the case of India...the women/children/men live from the income provided by selling available coal. It is picked up with bare hands and carried on balanced bunches
on the head to the market.

When one watches with a critical focus, what goes on in your country, or
ours, an evident repetitious situation comes clear...People screwing for
biological needs, entertainment, boredom, getting pregnant...and then crying about poverty and not having enough to feed their children. Or migrating where they are NOT welcome for a "better future for their children".

WOMEN have to stop being just like donkeys, particularly those from cultures in which submission is expected/commanded at all times. Particularly Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Why should children and women be the ones carrying the whole weight of an IRRATIONAL system of sharing responsibility in which men have the easy way out always?

I am tired of watching women, not only delivering children as rabbits, but, having to fetch wood, food, washing/doing the cooking...If men can not resist the urge of on warm inviting vertical smile/prairy...., if your
will is strong but the flesh is weak, let them, just do NOT GETpregnant...Or pay the price...

As with women under those burqas, be a slave, obedient, following the herd, and do not complaint about your destiny or that of your children. time to go...And remember, in France no burqas allowed from now on
anywhere...

SPAIN THE ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLIVE TREES

ONE, IF NOT the only pleasure of watching cable tv is the chance to watch what goes on in other countries. In endemismo, the environment, landscape management, nurseries, parks and garden designs issues. Even movies in exteriors should be judged by the amount of greenery in the plot.

In this case, EL ESCARABAJO VERDE, or the Green Beetle, on the web,
cultural.es, present documentaries written and filmed a wise, honest, non romantic staff. This is the most intense program I have watched in a ages. It is not the first time. I invite ALL visitors to the blog to watch it. It makes no difference if you do not understand the language, get an interpreter.

This time different regions of Spain were presented and discussed regarding the trend of uprooting OLIVE TREES over a century old for what? To plant them in some rich guy/gal garden. The trees are sold to
nurseries, then sold to pretentious jerks and jerkettes.

As you know, any space with trees becomes a habitat for everything else
flora/fauna. When you uproot the trees with a backhoe, no matter how
careful you are not to damage the trees, you destroy everything else,
soil and biodiversity, something not mentioned in the program.

But age is no limit. Some trees over five hundred years were mentioned
as being uprooted and sold, including some a thousand and over. It is
MEN tendency to make profits out of anything imaginable related to NATURE without any other consideration. Fortunately, in some regions of the mother country,
there are stiff laws, regulations and penalties to stop this madness.

The reason to justify the destruction of these impressive olive plantations is that they are not 'productive' or there is no cheap labor. However a five hundred year old in the documentary produced 600 kilos of olives, versus the 20 kilos average for younger specimens. The difference according to the senior owner is that is harder to pick the fruit, because
of the height of the tree...But that is not a big deal for him.

In the USA, the trend moons ago was with SAGUAROS, very similar
to what takes place in Spain now...The program ended like a hammer in the forehead stress...A former great in its natural form Olive Tree, transformed in some ridiculous BONSAI pruned just like a damned wedding cake in a small town plaza.