If skinned properly the skins are pulled off and are like a tube of skin and fir on the inside. We used 1/2" plywood forms to pull the skins onto (fur on inside toward the plywood). We made several different sizes of plywood forms so that the hides were stretched very tight. They were then hung up to dry for about a week to 10 days at which time the fats were pealed off the skin carefully as not to tear the skin. Then we would sell them to a fur dealer who would give us $2 for pure white and for the different colored furs as little as $.50 each. That was good for the late 1950's to early 60's. During the summer I would keep them in large fenced in areas and the feed cost was nothing. We buried the fence 1' deep and 1' flat away for the fenced area like an "L" for a total of 2' under ground. We used several 4'x8' sheets of marine plywood and put these on top of cement blocks so the rabbits had a place the was shaded and gave them cover form weather and hawks and owls. There were many bushes and pines in there for them to nest and hide in also. Only one buck and 20 does were in each 3/4 acre pen. We usually culled the young every 30 days or so and pen raise them to butchering size-about 8-12 week depending on the breed. During the winter only the buck was left in the pens. There was enough food for 1 rabbit for the winter months. Sometimes we would give them so hay if we noticed that they were over browsing the shrubs due to deep snow. They were so much healthier this way. Ma would fry the rabbit that she dipped in her herbal blend of flour mix. After they were 1/2 way cooked she would transfer them to her famous 'Dutch Oven' over low heat and added a cup of cheap wine (MD, it was the brand Charlie Weaver used to push on TV) and of course the cook always saved herself a wee bit of wine to sip on while preparing the rest of the meal. VERY TASTEY-the rabbit I mean.

....as I was saying, my order from Savory includes the following: *Aphrodite F (adding new source to my Aphrodite holdings) *Color Festival F *Fried Green Tomatos F (an extra from a different source than what I have) *Grasshopper F *Royal Flush OS (replacing one which died of sou.blight 2013) *Royal Super F (2 of these, it is a streaker) *Sombrero OS F *Sparkling Burgundy OS *Tonoko Tachi (forgot I'd ordered it from another source, oops) *Yellow Emperor OS Heavy on the fragrant hosta, as you can tell. Did I mention that I ordered from NHHosta? One is hard to find fragrant, Garden Delight, and I got 2 just in case. The second hosta is not fragrant, but comes in a 2 gallon size: Sun Power. Then we've mentioned Glenbrook Plants before, but my order with Victoria Serafin consists of 2 White Triumphator F and 1 Moonlight Mirage OS/F .... they are totally new to me. White Triumphator has been on the Fragrant Flowered List since I discovered hosta, so I thought it was an old variety. Not so....it is just hot out of tissue culture I do believe, and grown on to a nice size, so in lieu of OS on this one, I'm taking it readily available. If you recall, the hot new offering by Victoria Serafin at this last FirstLook14 auction was I think Glen Fetish, a sport of White Triumphator. Something to look forward to, because Glen Fetish will be fragrant just like mama! Moonlight Mirage is out of Moonlight Sonata. My observations with Moonlight Sonata last year was it bloomed early, and it was very fragrant. It also had the first hosta scapes I noticed with assassin bug nymphs on the stems and bracts, but not the blossoms themselves. So the nymphs were not after the pollen, but probably after whatever insect visited the scapes. This year I will keep an eye out for other hosta which might host these nymphs, and see if it reveals any preference for highly fragrant hosta. So far, yes, there were 4 hosta I found these nymphs upon, all 4 were fragrant varieties. It is possible the nymphs were on other non-fragrant varieties too, and I was not paying close attention to their (earlier) blooming scapes. So this year, I check closely. It isn't as if the nymphs are insignificant...they are fairly large and bright orange and black. Incidentally, they have the reputation of being "good" since they eat the bad guys. Please report if you find them on any of YOUR hosta as the season wears on.

I believe in "MO BETTER." Like Jo, if one is good, the MO is BETTER. With plantaginea, I have 8. Sagae has 2 in one pot, I want to see a big plant quicker. Royal Standard, about 3, because I love it and it is fertile So Sweet 2 Frozen Margarita 2 Grape Fizz 2 Honeybells 2 Whirlwind 2 August Moon 2 Midas Touch 2 Invincible Spirit 2 Victory 2 planted in one pot Paradise Island 2 in one pot, looking gorgeous still Goodness, I could go on, but it is my policy to get the 2nd of its kind from a different source for several reasons....one being it is beautiful hosta....another being it is a way to check the growth habit which might be different if from a different tissue culture. I especially like to try for OS (originator stock) if available, and compare it to TC (tissue cultures). I have 2 Fortunei Hyacinthinas because they look so different. One is the light version, the other is apparently the darker version. As I discover the duplicate is the same as my original and it is healthy, I am sometimes planting them in the same pot--but that goes against my cautious nature, since if they are mixed I have no way of knowing with which plant a virus originates. Heck, I am only now beginning to merge hosta from various nurseries in the same row. Before, I had them isolated in "classrooms" which helped me identify each cultivar (because I knew what I purchased from them). As I discover some hosta (especially a fragrant one) produce large amounts of seedpods, I tend to get a duplicate of it.

We don't have Target yet and I'd like to get the closet done somewhat (so I can organize myself from the get go). Wally world and Fredmeyer both have the semi clear plastic bins for cheap, but they're not terribly tidy looking when all stacked up, and you really can't clearly see what is inside. I also have bins of cloths RM LOL DS had a gorgeous wardrobe because he never grew. I was a big ebay shopper and it's fll of Polo, Hilfiger, blah blah and his sailor suit collection almost riveled his sweater vest collection. I still hold on, hoping to have that baby to use them on. How's that going? I find out tomorrow if I'm pregnant (we're doing Clomid and a little assortment of timing and drugs). The pee test says no, but I'm told it's rather early for those so we do a blood test tomorrow. We'll see :) I'm sorry it's not happening yet for you...You're in my thoughts there!!! Now, off to sidelines LOL Oh an I do understand shipping because it's a fact of life her in Alaska, but almot 900 for twenty boxes is REDICULOUS! It's not that expensive to ship here.