Page 14 RAIN February/March 1976 Weather and Seeds Grover Kiggins, who was my neighbor last year, 30 miles southeast of Portland, and who has lived in the same place since 1906, says that the first eight years he lived in Oregon he never saw snow. Last year we had a foot of it that stayed for over two weeks. My father, who has kept diaries for the last twenty years, and I had a discussion awhile back about how it used to be we did our first spring plowing sometimes as early as February. Last year many persons' first plowing was in April. So far this year in Portland we've had no snow to speak of, and there's a rather ominous lack of snowpack in the mountains, and the skunk cabbage are coming out (Jan. 20)-one of the first signs of spring. According to Winkless and Browing, "Temperatures are dropping, and a little means a lot. If the mean annual temperature drops one degree centigrade (or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) where you live, it's as if you moved 300 miles north, say from Boston to Quebec. In the last 25 years the mean annual temperature of North America seems to have dropped 1.5 degrees C. (that's 2.7 degrees F.)." "What does this mean to the thoughtful gardener who wants to know what to expect in the seasons to come? For one thing the growing season is shorter. For another, new bird species . are appearing in the Northeast. Salmon are also coming back to the Connecticut River and to certain streams in the Pacific Northwest. The authors feel that "nature has turned the climate back to what it was like before the fish appeared." Agriculturally speaking, the change in climate will almost inevitabl spell out a change in what we can grow in our gardens. During the past warm spell (of the last 20-30 years) tobacco emigrated from the Deep South to Ontario, Canada. But now, as the climate grows more rigorous, "we will have to compensate with good sense if we are to survive." (From Organic Gardening and Farming Jan. 1976 issue. A good, short summary of a longer piece that appeared in the Country journal on the effects of climate change.) One of the things, it would seem, to keep in mind is more careful purchase and care of the seeds we use, and perhaps education about local seed varieties. There are emerging new small agricultural industries dedicated to the propagation of seed varieties indigenous to an area. In the Pacific Northwest we recommend you get in touch with The Abundant Life Seed Company, P.O. Box 30018, Seattle, WA 98103, 206634-3057 (50<t). And the old standby, with that catalog extraordinaire, Nichols Herb and Rare Seeds, Nichols Garden Nursery, 1190 N. Pacific Hwy., Albany, OR 97321. Also, Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, ME 04910 (50<t catalog); J.L. Hudson Life Seeds, Box 30018, Redwodd City, CA 94064 (50<t); Wilson Seed Farms, Rt. 1, Box 7, Polk, NE 68654. Organic Gardening and Farming is compiling a list of small specialist seed ccmpanies in the U.S. and Canada. Write to OGF Readers Service, 33 E. Minor St., Emmaus, PA 18949, if you know of such or want more information. (Tell RAIN about them too.) S.J. DON'T BURN YOUR HOUSE! As a result of the energy shortage, many people are turning to coal- and woodburning stoves as alternative cooking and heating equipment. Unfortunately, very few people know how to select, install or operate solid fuel-burning equipment. Many people seem to be purchasing wood-burning appliances without considering the necessary steps in installing them. Such expediencies as running single wall smoke pipe through walls, ceilings, windows or roofs will never meet fire code and may result in a serious fire or cancellation of fire msurance. Minimum air space clearances need to be maintained around any free-standing stove or fireplace. Old photographs of building interiors indicate that wood and coal stoves were often found in the center of the room. This placement improved the heating efficiency and eliminated wall clearance problems. Minimum wall clearances vary with the type of stove and the source of the information. The National Fire Protection Association usually recommends the greatest distances. Type Parlor Cannon Ball Box Franklin Circulating Heater Cook Stoves w/lined fire boxes Stove Pipe * Firing Side Minimum Clearance in Inches for Free-Standing Stoves Above From Top Front 36" 36" 36" 18" 30" 18" 18" From Back 36" 18" 18" 18" From Sides 36" 18" 24"* 18" 18" Floor 18" or 4" w/ 24 guage sheet steel extending 12" on 3 sides, 18" ashdoor side 4" w/24 gauge sheet under stove 18" from fire box The stove pipe or smoke pipe also needs air space clearance as it travels to the chimney (at least 18"). The stove pipe should always travel with a slight incline towards the chimney. After the pipe has been assembled each joint should be sealed with furnace cement and secured by two sheet metal screws. Old existing chimneys are still the most common form of venting for wood stoves. The first step is to inspect the older chimney for loose mortar, loose bricks (at the top) and for obstructions lodged in the chimney. Small obstructions may be removed by tying a rope to a burlap bag containing an old tire chain. Usually running the bag up and down the chimney will dislodge most loose objects. Use of older chimney openings is usually preferable to chiseling out a new one. Care should be taken that combustibles such as studs, lath or wall paper are not in close proximity to the smoke pipe. Courtesy of Washington Stove Works, here is a list of remedies which may come in handy. Additional excellent information for problem installations can be obtained by writing the National Fire Protection Association, 740 Atlantic Ave., Boston, MA 02210. Ask for "Using
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