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Re: REQUEST: Neem tree info

z005114b@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us (Joan Bradley) writes:

> I am now the proud owner of a neem tree in a one-gallon pot. It was 
> a gift. How much water and fertilizer does it need? How big does it get? 
> I'm in South Florida. How do they fare in this area? I'd appreciate 
> learning about this before I plant it and would hope some of the 
> knowledgeable people "out there" could help.

A gift?  You what enlightened friends you have.  Neem is a fascinating 
plant with some pretty remarkable medical, insect-inhibiting and other
commercially useful properties.  It has been the subject of a lot of 
research in the last few decades. 

This summer I collected seeds in Ghana where it has become naturalized
as it has in much of the tropics.  It is very hardy -- ethnic East Indians
tell me it is almost weedy in its disposition, and indeed the USDA has 
some concerns over its potential to become the next _Schinus_ in Florida. 
(I say they need not have much concern for while it is agressive I have 
never seen it become a nuisance.)

I understand that there are people trying to develop strains that are 
frost tolerant, but as far as I know nothing significant has come of the 
efforts yet.  So, for now, assume that it will suffer badly if it gets 
hit by frost.  Indeed, it doesn't even like temperatures below 60F -- in 
our greenhouses they suffer badly during the winter months when our 
greenhouses drop to 50F nightly.  

Neem will grow in full or partial shade, needs heavy feeding (high N) and
doesn't mind copious water if it can get it.  I have the notion to promote 
neem as a house plant, since it seems to do very well in bright windows.  
Would require the occasional heavy pruning, but otherwise it requires little 
care.  And it has its own pest defense system...

There is a book out on neem put out by the National Research Council 
called _Neem: A Tree for Solving Global Problems_ (1992).  (We are planning
to list it in our next catalogue.  Sorry, Adam, I couldn't help myself, 
but at least I avoided mentioning the price.)

Conrad Richter 

RICHTERS HERBS                     | Info:                 info@richters.com
Goodwood, ON  L0C 1A0, Canada      | Catalog Requests:  catalog@richters.com
Tel +1-905-640-6677  Fax 640-6641  | Conrad Richter:     conrad@richters.com



I finally got it -- Rodale's Color Handbook of Garden Insects
by Anna Carr.  Rodale said it was out of print, the place in
California mentioned by Paul Harvey (I think it was him) had it
on back order but I found it at Arbico in Tucson!  Amazing 
practically right next door!  and it was only $17 (including S & H).

While it is by no means comprehensive and its a bit short on
natural controls it has 200+ pages of wonderful *color* pictures of the 
larvae and adult of many pests with short blurbs describing
the pest, its life cycle, host plants, feeding habits as well as 
natural insect predators, the size of the pest and a graphical picture 
showing where it might be found in the US.


From: MIKE_SANDS.parti@parti.INforum.ORG
Newsgroups: alt.sustainable.agriculture
Subject: GREEN MANURE INFORMATION
Date: 12 Jul 1993 14:47:21 -0400

The following publications may be of interest to field researchers and 
extensionists working cover crops and green manures in sustainable 
agriculture.  The publications were developed from research by the Soil 
Health team at the Rodale Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to 
improving natural resource management through regenerative agriculture.  
Much of this work has been supported by USAID and the USDA/SARE 
program.

People may also be interested in the Rodale Institute Research Center  Field 
Days scheduled for July 22 & 23 in Kutztown PA, USA  Anyone interested 
should contact Jane Fisher (215/683-1428) ASAP.

Methodologies for Screening Soil Improving Legumes   
	$24.95 (Developed World)
	$12.95(Developing World)

An Assessment of Current Activities on the Use of Legumes for Soil 
Improvement in World Cropping Systems         $4.00

Regenerating Soil Health in a Post-Modern World      $1.00

Northeast Cover Crop Fact Sheets	$6.00
(complete set)  Includes the 20 following Individual Sheets  (Hairy Vetch, 
Fava Beans, Crimson Clover, Red Clover, White Clover, Berseem Clover, 
Alsike Clover' Annual Sweetclovers, Biennial Sweetclovers, Field Peas, 
Cowpeas, Cereal Rye, Ryegrass, Oats, Buckwheat, Fescues, Brassicas, 
Sorghum/Sudangrass, Crownvetch, Summary) [Available August 15/93]

Prepaid Orders  (with your cheque payable to Rodale Institute) 
Ms. Karin Clifford, 611 Siegfriedale Rd., Kutztown, PA  19530  USA
Tel: 215/683-1421  Fax: 215/683-8548


"Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties," by Carol Deppe, published
by Little Brown, copyright 1993.

Great book, but the genetics/math gets a little hairy in places. I find
myself drawing picutues in the margins to illutrate to myself the Bb, BB,
etc. ratios, and I wish the author had done that for me.
Dave Daulton


Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Keeping seeds - a book
Several people have asked about keeping seeds of various
vegetables, and I thought they might be interested in this book
from the Seed Savers Exchange: (this is what it says on the order form)

Seed to Seed, by Suzanne Ashworth.  A
complete guide to saving seeds of 160
vegetables. Each family and species is
described in detail, including botan-
ical classification, pollination
methods, isolation requirements, har-
vest and storage.  Lists fources for
seedsaving supplies, and discusses how
to sell surplus seed.  An invaluable
handbook for those interested in main-
taining unique varieties and preserv-
ing our vegetable heritage.
More than 70 black and white photos.
Softcover, 222 pages. SS ..... $20.00

(Shipping and Handling is $4.00 to U.S.,
add $5.00 to Canada and Mexico,
add $15.00 otherwise. Iowa residents add 5% ($1.00) tax.)

Ordering information:
Mail orders to:   Seed Savers Exchange
                  3076 North Winn Road
                  Decorah, IA  52101

Phone and Fax:    (319) 382-5872
Phone 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CT
Fax 24 hours
Credit cards only over phone.


Back when I lived in NJ and had a real(tm) yard, I bought this
book called "The Backyard Vegetable Factory" by Duane Newcomb,
Rodale Press. Right after I got it I moved to a house with a
tiny yard and no sun so it's been hiding in my bookcases ever
since. Finally, I find myself with the chance to have a real
veggie garden again next year and I pulled out this book. Has
anyone tried the intensive veggie growing described in the book?
It's even more intensive than Square Foot Gardening.

From: martin.zurn@cen.jrc.it (Martin Zurn)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Summary: Kiwi Fruit Plants
Date: 17 Aug 1993 06:56:09 -0500

As a reference about kiwi plants the following article was suggested.

Hardy Kiwis
by Lee Reich
Horticulture, The magazine of American Gardening
Volume LXXI, number 7, Aug/Sept 1993, page 60+

The right kind of pruning seems to be the secret (or one of the secrets).
Generally, moderate pruning in the dormant period seems to be ok for
fruitful growth.

However, in my article I asked how to limit excessive growth. This might be
achieved via
a) Pruning in summer
b) Pruning of the roots

Newsgroups: bionet.plants
From: Richard.L.Boyce@dartmouth.edu (Richard L. Boyce)
Subject: Re: Plants and Algae
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1993 14:09:51 GMT

>         1.      Are algae plants ?
>         2.      Can plants (like vegetables and trees) take up ammonia or
>                 are they restricted to taking up nitrates ?
>         3.      If they can take up ammonia do they prefer ammonia or
>                 nitrates ?

Yes, algae are plants.  Most plants take up both ammonium and nitrate. 
I don't know about preferences in all plants, but coniferous trees seem
to "prefer" ammonium, perhaps because it is energetically less costly
to convert into a form usable by plants.  A good place to find more
information is:  Salisbury and Ross.  Plant Physiology.  Wadsworth,
Belmont, CA.  

Article 314 of alt.agriculture.misc:
From: claird@NeoSoft.com (Cameron Laird)
Subject: Re: corn

>i am looking for infos on origin of corn -books, articles etc..?

"origin of corn"--do you mean the phylogenetics of maize?
There's certainly plenty written on that.  Without knowing
more about where you intend to go with this, I still re-
commend

	Fussell, Betty
	1992	The Story of Corn.  Alfred A.
		Knopf, Jr., New York.  0-394-
		57805-8, 356 pages, $30.00

It's a marvelous book--that is, it concerns itself with
many of my favorite topics:  the economics of corn in the
USA; harvesting machines; Nikita Khrushchev; when to pick;
the erotic sublimations that seem to accompany *Zea mays*;
mesoamerican civilizations; what French cuisine does with
cornmeal; and metate styles--and does so with Fussell's
customary polish and rich Knopf production values.  There
are descriptions and photographs of Mangelsdorf, Beadle,
MacNeish, and Guzman, which should adequately answer your
question about origins.

Everyone should read *The Story of Corn*.  No, really;
Fussell's prose is the acme of *New York Times*-*New Yorker*
charm, and the story is, for my money, as important as any
in our culture.  The ten-page "Selected Bibliography" is a
pleasantly heterogeneous bonus.

Cameron Laird
claird@Neosoft.com (claird%Neosoft.com@uunet.uu.net)	+1 713 267 7966
claird@litwin.com (claird%litwin.com@uunet.uu.net)  	+1 713 996 8546


Date: Thu, 26 Aug 93 22:11:45 CDT
From: "David L. Watt" <WATT@vm1.nodak.edu>
Subject: good references on crop diversification

There is an excellent,well indexed Bibliography on Sustainable Agriculture

THE SOCIOECONOMICS OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE: An Annotated Bibliography
by Gary Goreham et al. 1992 Garland Publishing, Inc.  New York

Has about 50- entries on cropping, so it is broader than the title indicates.
It is a good book to encourage your library to get, if you do not need it
on your own reference shelf.

Date: Thu, 2 Sep 1993 10:56:52 PDT
From: EOS Project <andrew@HONUA.ARC.NASA.GOV>
Reply to: Agriculture Discussion <AGRIC-L@uga.cc.uga.edu>
Subject: New Biodiversity Book

Of Interest to the Environmental Community

PERSPECTIVES ON BIODIVERSITY:
CASE STUDIES IN GENETIC RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT


Edited by

Christopher S. Potter, Joel I. Cohen, and Dianne Janczewski

This new collection of case studies presents biodiversity and genetic resource conservation in a broad and unique context.  The book includes timely examples of both plant and animal conservation at scales from local to global.  All case studies are expre
ssly set against the background of development -- community, national or international, and the competing interests of corresponding stakeholders.  This volume brings together in one place the experiences of active field researchers in the area of genetic
 resource conservation and development in the search for common themes that might provide general lessons for students, policy makers, researchers and the conservation community at large.  Although dramatic examples of genetic resource depletion are prese
nted, the book clearly demonstrates that there are in situ management techniques that appear to be successful in meeting the needs of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

For more information, contact:
AAAS Press Books
P.O. Box 753
Dept. A85
Waldorf, MD  20604  USA
Tel. 301-654-5643
Fax: 301-843-0159


Table of Contents

Prologue
Biodiversity Studies: Science and Policy  P. R. Ehrlich and E. O. Wilson

Introduction
Conservation of  Biodiversity in Natural Habitats and the Concept of Genetic Potential   J. I. Cohen and C. S. Potter

Themes in Species and Genetic Resource Conservation
Conservation: Tactics for a Constant Crisis   M. E. Soule
An Evolutionary Basis for Conservation Strategies   T. L. Erwin
Balancing Species Preservation and Economic Considerations   H. J. Morowitz
Genetic Resource Conservation in Natural Habitats: Biological and Socioeconomic Dimensions  J. T. Williams

Case Studies of Biodiversity Conservation in Natural Habitats

Agroecosystems
Conserving Crops Genetic Resources in Latin America  through Framers' Participation   M. A. Altieri and C. Montecinos
Managing Diversity in Traditional Agroecosystems of Tropical Mexico  S. Gliessman
Conservation of Maize Crop Relatives in Guatemala   G. Wilkes

Fisheries and Wildlife
Conservation and Utilization of Genetic Resources in Capture and Culture Fisheries   J. S. Diana
Mangrove Ecosystem Biodiversity and Conservation in Ecuador   R. Twilley, A. Bodero, and D. Robadue
Primate Conservation and Ecotourism in Africa   W. Weber

Managed Forest Ecosystems
Ecologically-Sustainable Forest Management in the Peruvian Amazon  G. Hartshorn and W. Pariona A.
Managed Forest Gardens in West Kalimantan, Indonesia   C. Padoch and C. Peters
The Ancient Forests of the Pacific Northwest: A Case Study in Conservation and Economic Development.  D. S. Wilcove and J. T. Olson

Conservation and Regional Development
The Development of Training Programs for Conservation Research and Natural Resource Management  in Ecuador  D. A. Neill
Community and Governmental Experiences in Protecting Biodiversity in the Lowland Peruvian Amazon   M. Pinedo-Vasquez and C. Padoch
An Ecosystem Perspective on Threats to Biodiversity in Eastern Amazonia, Para State  C. Uhl, O. Bezerra, and A. Martini

Synthesis
The Potential of Biodiversity   C. S. Potter and J. I. Cohen

Index