Page 6 The INDEPENDENT, September 16, 2004 Can You Dig It? By Schann Nelson Did fall come early this year? It sure does look more like November outside than Sep- tember, though it’s still plenty warm. There- in lies the problem. Cool, moist conditions are ideal for most fungal pathogens, mean- ing we live in The Mold Capital of the World with our (hopefully infrequent) damp fall weather and lo-o-ong, wet springs. Gener- ally, gardeners must develop at least a few strategies for dealing with damp conditions. There is, of course, the annual building of the tomato coverings. I won’t talk about my blue tarp method again this year ‘cause I haven’t done a darn thing in my veggie garden and I don’t know if I’m going to get a chance to (Ah! The joys of home ownership when it’s time to paint the house!). Some folks build fairly elaborate structures to keep their tomatoes warm and dry. It can be tricky to keep plants warm enough without get- ting too hot. Remove lower leaves and ALL flowers, water at ground level, and consider spraying with neem oil or copper fun- gicide. Be aware that copper fungicide, while considered organic (meaning that it can be used by organic farmers), is highly toxic. Speaking of toxicity, I’d like to spend just a minute or two talk- ing about an insecticide that appears in many homes along with the beginning of school. Lindane is commonly prescribed for the treatment of head lice. Be aware that this is a Level Two insecti- cide. Toxicity is determined by the amount of chemical ingested that is needed to kill 50 percent of the animals (usually rats or rab- bits) used in experiments. Extrapolating from the experimental data, a 150-pound human would have to swallow only about 1/3 cup of Lindane for a lethal reaction. Obviously, the amount that a small child would have to swallow would be proportionally small- er. Lindane is in the same insecticide class as DDT and neem. Un- fortunately for head lice, it takes ten times as much product to be lethal when absorbed through the skin, and it is a very effective treatment. Use caution with this product, and make sure you com- plete the rest of the head lice removal regimen, paying special at- tention to picking nits (they won’t let your kids back in school until they’re GONE) and to laundering, freezing, or otherwise getting head lice off of and out of hiding places like the seats of your car. Remember, the bugs can, and do, arrive to visit almost every home at least once and, like all unwanted guests, are difficult, but not impossible, to get rid of. Now is the time of year to begin cleaning up. Sanitation is one of the most important factors in limiting the size of pathogen pop- ulations, whether they are insect, bacterial or fungal. Spading un- der, composting or destroying plant refuse eliminates many of the places that diseases and organisms can overwinter. Fallen leaves should be completely decomposed within a month or removed. Taking advantage of the weak point in the life cycle of a plant disease means that control is both easier and more effective. For instance, apple scab overwinters on fallen leaves and enters the following year’s crop in the spring where it can continue to repro- duce on the fruit causing unsightly and untasty lesions, and also set up housekeeping in the leaves to begin the following year’s cy- cle. Cleaning up these fallen leaves interrupts the cycle. During the Quilt Fair, Community Yard Sale, Salmon Festival, or even just because you deserve a treat, Invites you to come in and try our Daily Specials. Open Daily – 831 Bridge St. Vernonia 503-429-0214 6am - 6pm Mon-Fri, 6:30am - 4pm Sat, 8am - 3pm Sun There’s still time to plant multiplier onions, radishes, chard, fava beans and corn salad. It’s a great time of year to purchase dis- counted nursery stock and get new shrubs and trees. Try to record, for next year, where crops were grown in order to be sure to practice a good crop rotation. A four-year rotation plan would be as follows: Year 1; Leaf seed and fruit crops, Year 2; Legume crops, Year 3; Cabbage family crops Year 4; Root crops. This can be hard to accomplish in a small garden but, along with choosing disease resistant varieties and good sanitation, it will result in bet- ter garden health. Me? I’ll be out trying to get all of the trim painted before it gets too cold and too wet. I wish I had just seeded the entire garden with a summer cover crop so that I didn’t feel so guilty about not getting to it. Even my containers have moved out to the farm, both to get them off the porches and to add to the décor for my daugh- ter’s wedding next month. I’ve cut a struggling rhodie down to a six-inch stub, removed all of the foliage from the sword ferns, and cut the climbing rose back to the ground. The honeysuckle will have to be cut way back too. Only the climbing hydrangea and the clematis have escaped severe pruning. Extreme sanitation! Maybe I’ll be able to control the whiteflies and black spot next year! P.E.O. resumes fall schedule Following a summer hiatus, Chapter BS, P.E.O. will resume its twice monthly meetings un- der the leadership of President Carolyn Keasey, Vice Presi- dent Mary Tolonen and Secre- tary Audeen Wagner. The first session of the fall is scheduled for the evening of October 12, at the home of Darlene McLeod. P.E.O. is an international women’s organization, whose primary focus is the education of women. The group owns Cottey College, a woman’s col- lege in Nevada, Missouri, and also provides numerous schol- arships and loans to women who are interested in obtaining more education and advanced degrees. Each year, Chapter BS awards a scholarship to a graduating Vernonia High School woman. Holly Hillyer was the 2004 recipient. Local women who have re- ceived scholarships in recent years are Julie Budge, Nikki Gwin, Lisa Hardwick, Erin Da- vis, Christine Hein, Jaki King, Kim Morrison, Molly Skidmore, Kirsten Hyde, Kayla Hen- nessey, Jamie Stacklie, Debbie Taylor, Ashley Weller, Jessica Stacklie, Casey Weller, and Karen Roberts. Church Directory V ERNONIA C OMMUNITY C HURCH N EHALEM V ALLEY B IBLE C HURCH S EVENTH D AY A DVENTIST Grant Williams, Pastor 957 State Avenue Vernonia, 503 429-6790 Sunday Breakfast 9:00 a.m. Morning Worship 9:45 a.m. *B.L.A.S.T. w/Nursery 10:00 a.m. *Bible Learning and Scripture Training Wednesday Prayer Meeting 7:00 p.m. Gary Taylor, Pastor Grant & North Streets Vernonia, 503 429-5378 Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. Nursery available Wednesday Service 7:00 p.m. Kevin Reiner, Pastor, 543-2254 2nd Ave. and Nehalem St. Vernonia, 503 429-8301 Sabbath School 9:15 a.m. Morning Worship, 11:00 a.m. Prayer Meeting, Wed. 7:00 p.m. C HURCH OF J ESUS C HRIST OF L ATTER D AY S AINTS Jeff Cheney, Branch President 1350 E. Knott Street Vernonia, 503 429-7151 Sacrament Meeting, Sunday 10 a.m. Sunday School & Primary 11:20 a.m. Relief Society, Priesthood and Young Women, Sunday 12:10 p.m. F IRST B APTIST C HURCH John Cahill, Pastor 359 “A” Street Vernonia, 503 429-1161 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. Evening Worship Saturday, 6:00 p.m. S T . M ARY ' S C ATHOLIC C HURCH Pastoral Associate Juanita Dennis 960 Missouri Avenue Vernonia, 503 429-8841 Mass Schedule Sunday 12:00 Noon Religious Education Sunday 10:30 a.m. V ERNONIA C HRISTIAN C HURCH Sam Hough, Evangelist 410 North Street Vernonia, 503 429-6522 Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. Every Wednesday: Ladies' Bible Study 9:30 a.m. Ladies’ Worship 10:00 a.m. Children’s Choir 3:00 p.m. Family Bible Study 6:30 p.m. S T . A UGUSTINE (C ANTERBURY ) E PISCOPAL C HURCH 375 North St. (Vernonia Grange Hall) Vernonia, 503 795-2173 Sunday Services 10:00 a.m. V ERNONIA F OURSQUARE C HURCH 850 Madison Avenue Vernonia, 503 429-1103 Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m. Children’s Sunday School A SSEMBLY OF G OD Darwin Harvey, Pastor 662 Jefferson Vernonia, 503 429-4615 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. Evening Worship 6:00 p.m. Bible Study, Wednesday 7:00 p.m. Youth & Kids , Thursday 7:00 p.m.