, Oh yes,.another solar greenhouse is being considered to interface with an gngollg community garden program in Fall River. Mike Hurley of CitizEns for Citizens, 264 Griffin St., Fall River, MA 02724, can tell you more. George Mokray 13 Suffolk St. Cambridge, MA OZt39 EAST COAST Dear Rainpeople: Honeysuckle-the oft-cursed, persistent cancer of trees-is the subject of my-work rec€ntly. While mulching trees in the orchard here, I started pulling down honeysuckle vines that ihoke-d tree-growth. As I pglled, I thought about the honeysuckle's purpose . . . obviously it has to be removed by human (or ,other vine-clinging hands) paws, so it probably has usefulness to humans. It does. I've made a basket and some bracelets. The next phase is to use the leaves for tea or curative purposes. I've discovered the Indians uied the roots and leaves for colds and sore throats. They also apparently "ate the bright red berries though they were both tough and tasteless" (Treasury of Arnlerican Indian Herbs), which has piqued my curiosity. We have some aged honeysuckle vines over an inch in diameter that are like balsa wood in texture. One can peel scales/strips of fibre from the woody vines and these strips resemble primitive paper/papyrus. t suspect there are many.more properties to honeysuckle, but, since RAIN came todayliterally and figuratively-I decided to enlist the aid of my west coast friends. Has anyone done any experimenting with honeysuckle? Does anyone have information, experience, inspiration concerning honeysuckle purpose in the living cycle? Are people interested in uses for this omni-present plant? Be well and happy. ' r Petey O'Neil t46OO Homecresr Rd., Silver Spring,' MD 20906 but the melt is significant. We've had some cold weather here in the sunny South. BesI estimate is a one in ten winter with lows and snows pushing towards 4}-year plus records. tt hasbeen hard bn critters living outside (wildlife and livestock). Lick of sufficient insulation and air infiltration still seem to be the biggest heat gobblers. Haven't been off the mountain due to bad roads for over two weeks to work (l'm winterizinghomes of elderly on Weatherization Program.) Noted some misiing info from greenhouse info. To wit: "A report on Solar Heated Greenhouse Projects," George 'Larke, Citizens for Energy ConservJtion and Solar Developmenr, Inc., p.O. Box +9t73, Los Angeles, CA gOO4g. George has put together a good bibliography in the report. Winter Flowers in Greenbouse and Sun Heated pir by Kathryn S. Taylor and Edith W. Gregg (tg4tan oldie but goodie reprinted in L969 by Charles Scribner's Sons, $4.95). This 2-81-page book, although mostly about flowers, is full of solid experience backed info by these *o*.rr. Organic Gardening and Farming, Septernber 1976 ($eenhouse issue), and March 1976, p. t52, "A Solar Greenhouse for All Seasons" by Steve Smyser. I consider Bill and Susan yanda's booklet the best construction info for the homesteader. We are trying to set up a similar project here in'coijunction with the Weatherization program. Better to build attached solar greenhouses than solar collectors if you-can't have both. Research here indicares rhar rhe Yanda g.h. with adbquate thermal storage may be thc cheapest route to go for'homesteade-rs. We shall see. Today's project was calculating heat loss ip our soon-to-begin,the-consiruc- ' tion-but-it's-gonna-talie-a-few-yearstime-and-money-available home. Best tool was "Heet Lbss Data and Calculations," Jan. 1972, Engineering Extra, 9 pp.,free from Johns-Manville, Division .Headquarters, Greenwood Plaza, Denver, CO 80217. Used this with wall, roof, floor drawings to figure out how much wood the critter wis going to eat. Recommendations at this point Feb/Mt 1977 RAIN Page 19 are storm windows and doors, 6" of insulation and reflective dead air space in ceiling and walls. Floor we are going to build is based on page 24 of " An Economical and Efficient Heating System for Homes, "' Production Res-earch Report No. 99, 1967 , USDA (available from Supt. of Documents), which just happens to be like Wendel Thomai'nodraft floor in Mother Eartb Nears No. 10. Love, Joel Davidson , Dutron, AR72T26 SOUTH DAKOTA Community Action in South Dakota We are operating a home weatherization program throughout the state whereby.low income homeowners may receive aid in the form of caulking, weather-stripping, insulation and possibly storm windows/doors. Over t+bO homes have been weatherized to dare, and fuel savings have averaged twenty percent. This program is funded by the Community Services Adminisrration and is operaring throughout the country. Northeast SD Community Action Frogram, Inc., Sisseton, has been fundqd to design and construct two 10KW wind electric units, several solar air and water heaters and a 2O0-square-foot solar greenhouse. The wind units will have 2o-foot diameter blades and produce dc power that will provide reiis. tance space heat and domestic hot water. (Contacr Gene Wie$and, Northeast SD Community Action program, [nc., P.O. Box D, Sisseton, SD 52262, for details.) - A 200-square-foot solar greenhouse has been built at the Parkview Care Center in Bryant, South Dakota, and s'hould be operational in a few monrhs. OZARKS Dear RAIN Gang, Got the latesiRAlN. The frceze broke here yesterday, and I cut another hple in the 12 inches of ice on our mountain top pond for the horses to drink. Snow still covers
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