Nieft / Secola wrote:

> Hmmm...I'm always a sucker for a wild theory, but what about the whole
> tomatoes which shivel in perfect formation

Kirt, did you not experiment for yourself?  Did I not suggest you go get, say, two
pieces of fruit, one high quality (16 or better Brix), and one low quality (12 or
less Brix), and set them on the windowsill?  You'll see your proof as time goes
by---you don't need some "claim" by me.  Just check it yourself and K N O W, not
"believe."

It's been years since I've done it because the results were always the same: high
Brix produce dehydrates and low Brix rots.  But do let me know if you get a
different outcome.

BTW, if you're still afraid to look through a refractometer, you can perform a
simple experiment, with similarly enlightening results, using grains.

First, take samples from various stores of a single type whole grain (perhaps
brown rice or wheat) until you get one that measures much higher in unit weight
than another.  I don't know what you, Kirt, measure in, but it can be either lbs
per cubic foot (or bushel) or grams per cc---or whatever.  Good, non-molding
grains range up to about 70 lbs/bushel.  Junk grains, almost certain to mold, run
in the 50's per bushel, or lower.

Second, put a cup of each in separate sealed jars and watch the decomposing, and,
also, lack of decomposing, as time goes on.  This is an old show-and-tell that
sellers of organic fertilizer use to show farmers the moldy effect that
high-nitrogen salt fertilizer gives to feed grains.  Yes, mold is a very serious
problem to stock feeders (and few home consumers are aware of the daily mold they
serve their family).


> BTW, are these wild theories what I can expect if I subscribe to Acres?
>

Not really.  ACRES is devoted to ECO-agriculture as in both ECOlogical and
ECOnomical.  It's written for hard-nosed farmers that understand chemical farming
is a "sunset operation."  Although they address things "organic," it's light years
beyond simplistic Rodale stuff.

Regards,
Rex Harrill