Archive for March, 2010

Broccoli is a hardy, fairly quick-maturing crop which belongs to the Cabbage family.

Broccoli prefers coolness and moisture. In the regions of the country where summer arrives early, it will be most successful if planted as a fall crop. However, certain gardeners contend that it thrives best as a two-season crop for both spring and fall.

In the latter case, seeds are sown in late winter, one-half inch deep in flats and placed in a warm, sunny window or greenhouse. Seedlings can be set out early in spring, as soon as the garden soil can be worked. Later, when most danger of severe frost has passed, more seeds are sown directly in the garden. When stalks are three or four inches tall, thin the plants or transplant them so that they stand 18 to 24 inches apart in the row.

The transplanted broccoli can be harvested throughout the spring and early summer.

Broccoli that is direct-seeded may mature during a cool, early autumn morning. Thus, with a little planning, you can grow fresh-picked garden broccoli throughout growing season.

Broccoli is not a greedy feeder. It does best in a moderately rich soil, provided soil is well drained and easy to work, thrives in soils ranging from sand and clay peat. It is a thirsty vegetable, though, requires plenty of moisture.

The plant form of broccoli consists of thick main stalk, at the end of which develop central cluster of tiny, dark green flower buds.

Stem, buds and leaves are edible, but the leaves are less tender than the stem and buds and usually discarded.

Some watchfulness is necessary to see that the greenish heads are harvested well before the flower buds expand and dry out. After the head has been cut the side shoots will continue to form smaller heads and provide a steady and heavy harvest over a considerate period. All heads should be cut off in such a manner that a fairly long stub of stem mains on the plant.

After the central head of broccoli has been cut for food, a number of small lateral roots will develop in the axils of the remaining leaves. These shoots also produce flower bum which are edible. The welcome harvest of this important, easy-to-grow vegetable will last for several weeks. From four to six cuttings stems and buds may be expected from the stalk.

Click here to listen to the Bible Story on Faith

Jesus taught some more about how the last come first, and the first come last. So He told His disciples this story. “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who owned a vineyard. He went out early in the morning to hire men to work. They agreed to the usual wage for a day’s work. A few hours later, the owner saw some more men standing around with nothing to do. They, too, agreed to what the owner promised to pay. They went to work in the vineyard.

“The owner went out again at noon and in the afternoon, looking for more workers. They, too, were sent into the vineyard. As the end of the working day drew near, the land owner found a last group. ‘Why haven’t you done anything useful today?’

“They answered, ‘Because no one has given us a job.’

“The owner said, ‘You can work for me. Go into my vineyard and help with the harvest.’

“An hour later, the owner of the vineyard told his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay the last group first. ‘”First the owner paid the last group to be hired. He gave them a full day’s wage, even though they had only worked one hour! Then he paid those hired next to last, and so on, until he came to those who had worked all day. To every worker he gave the same amount of money.

“Those hired first complained, ‘We thought we would get more than them. Those last men only worked one hour. We sweated in the hot sun all day long.’

“The owner said, ‘Friends, I’m being fair. You were paid the wage we agreed on earlier. If I choose to give my money away to others who have worked less than you, that’s none of your business. There’s no reason for you to wish for more. I can do what I like with my money. Take what is yours and go on home.’ ”

Jesus looked up at the puzzled faces of His disciples. “In this way the last will be first, and the first last.”

All the men were given a day’s wage, enough money for all they needed. The workers hired last were just as willing to work all day as the others. In the same way, no matter how we come to Jesus, He will always forgive us. He wants to give all of us the same gift of life in His kingdom. God treats us all the same. It is our faith in God, not our working hard, which gets us into heaven.

Click here to listen to a Bible Story of Faith

God’s plan for Jesus at that time is that He should first try and teach the people of Israel. Later the good news of God’s love would be made known to everyone else in the world.

Many Jews chose not to believe Jesus. There were other people who did believe Jesus was the Son of God. One of them was a woman with avery sick little girl.

This woman went to the house where Jesus was staying. She knelt at His feet. She cried out, “Please help me! My daughter is very sick! Jesus did not say a word. He did this to find out how much she believed in Him.

In the same way, God sometimes does not answer our prayers right away. He does not say yes and He does not say no l. He says wait. And that is when our faith is built up and made stronger, just like muscles when we exercise.

Jesus remained silence because He know the woman was not a Jew. It was not yet time for Him to each and heal the non-Jews. It was hard for Jesus to turn away from the woman.

“Please, Lord! Please, make my little girl better!”

His disciples said, “Send her away. She’s making too much noise.”

“Right now I am only supposed to take care of the Jews,” Jesus told the woman. “It is not good to take bread from God’s children and throw it to the dogs.”

But she said, “Yes, Lord. Yet even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from the master’s table.”

When Jesus heard her answer, He felt His heart burn with love. “Woman, your faith is great. Because of this answer, your daughter is normal again. Go on home.”

The woman did as Jesus told her. Once home, she found her little girl asleep in bed. And she was all better!

Matthew 8:18, 23-25

Click here to listen to the Story of Jesus Asleep on the Boat

At the end of a day spent healing the sick, Jesus pointed to a nearby boat. He told His disciples, “Come with Me. We will cross to the other side.” It was His only chance of getting away from the crowds. Jesus was tired. He needed to rest.

At first the water was calm. A few of the disciples looked up at the sky. “This should be an easy boat ride,” one said.

“Don’t count on it. You know how this sea can turn wild. For now it does look calm,” said another. The disciples moved off to different parts of the boat.

It only seemed like a few moments later when they felt the boat nearly go over. They must be caught in the middle of a storm. All at once, they felt afraid.

One ran to grab hold of the rudder.  The wind kept changing. Several times men slipped. They were able to grab onto the side. This kept them from being swept overboard by the huge waves.

Waves broke over both sides of the boat at once. Men scurried back and forth. The skipper wrestled with the rudder. The boat tilted madly from one side to the other. The men felt helpless.

They looked at each other. “We have to get Jesus!” When they saw Him asleep on a cushion, they woke Jesus up.

“Teacher! The sea is wild. This is a terrible storm! We’ll never reach the other side in one piece. Save us!” Jesus looked from one troubled face to the other, then He got up. Jesus spread His arms wide. The wind blew hair into His face. His voice boomed, “Be still!”

As soon as Jesus called out, “Quiet! Be still!” the wind calmed. The water flattened. Peter ran to the edge of the deck. He looked overboard. He saw his reflection mirrored in the dark sea. He ran back to Jesus and fell on his knees in relief.

Jesus said, “Why don’t you have more faith? There’s no reason to be afraid when you’re with Me.” He walked to the other end of the boat. No one dared to speak out loud. An eerie silence hung over them all. They were astonished and afraid.

“What kind of man is this that we are following? Why, even the wind and the waves obey him.” Amazed, they kept asking each other this question.

Luke 7:36-50

Click here to listen to this Bible Love Story

A Pharisee named Simon invited Jesus for dinner one night. The Pharisees were religious leaders. Many of them did not like Jesus because He taught everyone about God’s love. While Jesus was eating with Simon, a woman came into the house. The guests said, “Look, there’s that very bad woman.”

The woman came over to Jesus. She knelt down.

“What is she doing?” Simon gasped.

Jesus said nothing. The woman was crying. Tears ran over her face and onto Jesus’ feet. Then she wiped His feet dry with her hair.

Still, Jesus said and did nothing. He waited for her to finish. But Simon,the Pharisee, thought to himself, “If

Jesus were really a prophet, He would know what kind of awful woman this is.

Then the woman reached into the folds of her dress. She took out a tiny bottle of very, very expensive perfume. It was the sort of perfume every Jewish woman held onto all her life, saving it for a special day. She poured the rich perfume over Jesus’ feet. This meant she thought of Him as her King. The room was filled with the lovely smell.

Simon became more and more upset. Jesus knew what he was thinking. “Simon,” He said, “I want to tell you a story.

“There once were two men. One owed a great deal of money to the money lender. The other owed a little bit of money. When neither could pay back what they owed, the money lender forgave them both. Now which will love him more?”

Simon said, “The one who owed him the most.”

“That’s right,” Jesus said. “Now look at this woman. When I came into your house, you did not give Me any water so I could clean My feet. She made them wet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

“You gave Me no kiss of greeting. She has kissed My feet constantly. Do you see? Her sins, which are many, have been forgiven because she had so much faith in Me. The person who is forgiven little, loves little.”

This is a centuries-old method of trees dwarfing developed by the Chinese, that is fast becoming a popular hobby in the Western world. In short, it permits you to grow in a flower bowl.

Bonsai isn’t a difficult art. What it requires even more than skill is patience, since fully mature specimen may take ten years longer to produce.

Some plants are especially well adapted to bonsai dwarfing. Among these are junipers, Japanese maple, cypress, Mugho pine, and cryptomeria. In general, evergreens need feeding, pruning and training, but deciduous varieties are sturdier and take shape faster. Deciduous kinds also show the change of seasons; their leaves turn color in the fall and artistically trained, their bare winter form is as lovely as when they are full leaved in the summer. (One caution: use small-leaved types because the foliage is not reduced in proportion to the trunk.)

In any case, whether you choose to grow a biblical cedar-of-Lebanon, a colorful fire thorn shrub or anything from an elm or pomegranate to a yew or even a giant sequoia (scale: 1 inch to 25 feet), the method is the same.

You can start with cuttings or by layering but experienced growers usually recommend seeds. You may be able to get very tiny seedlings from some nurseries, or dig them up while on a tramp through the woods. Sandy loam is best for starting seeds. Keep them outdoors if possible, sheltered from hot sun and wind.

Before potting, gently peel the dirt from the roots—the Chinese use chopsticks for this—and cut back the taproot about one-third with sharp scissors or pruning shears. Remove any old, dead parts of roots.

Do this operation quickly, in a cool room; a damp basement is excellent.

After transplanting, keep the plants inside, for several days, then gradually expose to outdoor conditions. Thereafter, any insects that push through the bottom of the pot should always be cut away. You can also start pruning the tops lightly at this time, to develop a pleasing shape.

After this, your evergreens will require an inside planting every three to five years, and flowering and fruiting-runts yearly. Spring is the best time for each transplanting. Use only a slightly crier pot each time; any container with drain holes is suitable.

Always make up a fresh soil mixture, and prune the roots fairly vigorously. Cut back the thick roots irregularly and thin out the smaller ones to encourage the forming of a dense system.

Most bonsai experts use strictly arpnic fertilizers. You will probably have to work out your own fertilizing program to fit the needs of your specific plants. Most Chinese and Japanese growers advise very dilute applications of liquid fish fertilizer monthly or perhaps more often, except when the plant is dormant. But others say feeding only three or four times a year is plenty. Excessive feeding will result in too vigorous growth, and you’ll have a pot-splitting giant instead of an elegant dwarf.

If a tree looks weak, a sprinkling of high-nitrogen dried blood will perk it up. For regular feedings, very weak manure tea is as good as fish fertilizer. Occasional light sprinklings of manure compost are also excellent. Just enough fertilizer to keep the tree looking healthy is all that is necessary.

Water only when the soil feels dry to the touch, and don’t overwater. The soil should never be either bone-dry or waterlogged. In dry, hot weather, you may have to water two or more times a day. (Some Oriental growers, incidentally, use extremely porous soil and water five or six times daily, on the theory that starving the plant by leaching out fertility elements makes for slower, more compact growth.) Syringe the foliage now and then to remove dust and soot.

Bonsai do best outdoors, although many people have had fine success raising them entirely on sunny windowsills. They need abundant light, with some protection from the hot afternoon sun. Exposure to the elements makes the strongest trees, so let them spend as much time outdoors as possible—they provide a beautiful focus of interest for a patio, balcony or walled garden. You can, however, bring them indoors for a few days at a time if you put them in a cool spot away from heat sources.

Click here to listen to the Story of Hannah

Long after Ruth’s son Obed was born, the people of Israel were still choosing to forget God. Most people did not even try to pray.

At this time there lived a man named Elkanah. Elkanah had two wives. One had children and the other had none. Elkanah’s wife who had no children was called Hannah. She had long black hair and dark eyes which lit up when she smiled. Elkanah loved Hannah very much.

The years went by, and Hannah still did not have any children. Elkanah loved Hannah even more than he loved his other wife. She was called Peninnah. Peninnah had given Elkanah many sons and daughters. She was not as gentle and good as Hannah.

Peninnah knew Elkanah loved Hannah more than her. This made Peninnah very jealous. Every chance she had, she teased Hannah and made fun of her. She often told Hannah she was a useless wife since she could not give Elkanah even one child.

Elkanah was one of the few people at that time who tried to follow the Lord. Once a year he took the whole family to Shiloh. There the ark containing the Ten Commandments was kept in a holy tent. A priest took care of the ark there.

Each year, after Elkanah finished worshiping God at Shiloh, he held a big party for his family. Hannah was there, together with Peninnah and all her children.

Every year at the feast in Shiloh, Elkanah gave Hannah twice as much meat as Peninnah. He felt so badly about Hannah not having any little children. He thought it was the least thing he could do. Elkanah hoped the extra meat might bring back Hannah’s special smile. He remembered that smile well, but hardly saw it at all anymore.

Genesis 40:1-23

Click here to listen to the Story of the Baker and the Cupbearer

Joseph stayed in the prison cell for many days. Then one morning two prisoners came to Joseph. They had a problem. “We had terrible dreams last night. Can you tell us what they mean?”

Joseph said, “I can’t help you, but my God can.”

The first man had been Pharaoh’s cup bearer. He said, “In my dream I saw a vine. On the vine were three branches. As soon as the branches had little flowers on them, the blossoms became grapes. Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand. I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and gave it to him.”

Joseph said a quiet prayer, asking God for help. Then he knew the answer. “This is what your dream means. The three branches are three days. In three days Pharaoh will say you are free. But, please,” Joseph added, “could you mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison?”

The second man had been Pharaoh’s chief baker. He said, “In my dream there were three baskets of pastries on my head. In the top basket were pastries for Pharaoh. Then birds landed on me. They ate the pastries which were meant for Pharaoh.”

Joseph took a deep breath. God had shown him what the dream meant. It was not nice. “The three baskets mean three days. In three days’ time Pharaoh will cut off your head and the birds will eat your dead body.”

Three days later, it happened exactly as Joseph had predicted.

Two long years went by. All that time Joseph heard nothing from Pharaoh’s cup bearer. He kept busy taking care of the other prisoners. He shared his food with them and scrubbed the cells. Day in and day out he saw the sunshine stream through the barred windows. He prayed that God might help him become free someday.

One morning in the palace, Pharaoh woke up yelling, “I’ve had such a bad dream! But it was so real, I’m sure it means something very important. “Pharaoh looked at his servants. “Don’t just stand there, find someone who knows what dreams mean!” he roared at them. The servants hopped away in fright.

All the wizards, magicians and wise men came. They listened as Pharaoh told them about his dreams. They looked at charts, drew pictures on their scrolls, then shook their heads. No, they did not know what the dreams could mean.

The royal cup bearer stood next to Pharaoh. He made sure Pharaoh’s cup stayed full of wine. It was not an easy thing to do when Pharaoh was so angry.

Suddenly, the cup bearer remembered a promise he had made. He felt terrible that he had forgotten Joseph for so long.

“Pharaoh,” the cup bearer said. “When I was in prison, I made a promise to a Hebrew slave. He told me what my dream meant. I was supposed to tell you about him.

This popular insect-resistant shrub, growing six to ten feet high, bears plenty of fine-tasting fruit and adds beauty to the home when used as an informal hedge.

Blueberry Soil

The cultivated blueberry is still close enough to its wild ancestors to be appreciative only of natural, organic fertilizers. They like humus and soft, woodsy soil so much that it is almost a question of growing them organically or not growing them at all.

In nature the blueberry plant displays its blossoms and tasty fruit in the seldom-frequented spots of forest and wilderness whose soil is covered with a rich blanket of decaying vegetation. It grows wild among the redwoods of California, on forest hillsides in New England and on the broad crests of the Appalachian ridges.

Soil should be of a pH from 5 to 5.6, which is quite acid. A liberal amount of peaty material is needed; a mulch of peat is fine. If additional acid is needed, use peat or compost made without lime to give the right acidity. The peat should be dug into the earth, and well intermixed with it.

Despite the need for moisture, blueberries require good drainage. Water should not stand on the surface. If you need to keep the water condition right, dig an open ditch or install tile drains. Cool, moist, acid conditions are needed in the soil for the best growth of roots to support the plants.

Blueberry Planting

Upon arrival of plants (rooted shrubs) for setting out, it is urgent that the roots be protected from drying. Cover them at once with soil or burlap—if unpacked. Do not expose the roots to the drying effects of sun or wind. Put the plants in a cool moist cellar or in the shade till set. Dig the hole large enough to receive roots without bending or cramping them. When the subsoil is very hard, break it up at the bottom of the hole, using a pick or crowbar if necessary. Set the plants slightly deeper than they stood in the nursery and spread all roots out naturally. Place good surface soil next to the roots and work it in with the hands. When the hole is half-filled, tamp the soil firmly. Fill the hole and tamp the soil harder. Leave loose soil on top or cover with mulch. Leave a saucer like depression at the top to catch water. If manure is used, it should be well rotted and worked into and mixed with the soil. Manure can be used on top for mulch. Never put fresh or un-rotted manure next to the roots. It may heat or dry out and hurt the roots.

Careful planting is important and should never be hastily done. In all cases, pack the soil firmly about the roots and use moist soil for the purpose. Young plants, usually eight to 15 inches high, should be planted in early spring or late fall. Space them about five feet apart, with the rows about seven feet apart. Ten- to 15-year-old bushes usually yield about 14 quarts of berries.

Blueberries are not self-pollinating, so more than one variety should be planted. Since each of the common varieties has slightly different characteristics, it is good home-garden practice to plant a selection of different types. They ripen at different times and vary slightly in flavor.

For good pollination, encourage and protect bees wherever possible.

Preferred varieties in the two chief areas of high bush blueberry production are as follows:

Michigan-Early: Earliblue; Midseason: Blue Ray, Bluecrop; Late: Jersey, Coville.

New Jersey-Early: Earliblue, Blue Ray, Ivanhoe; Midseason: Bluecrop, Berkeley; Late: Herbert, Darrow.

Some of the older varieties like Concord, Rancocas, Weymouth, and Stanley do well in the northern and middle Atlantic states, because they usually produce smaller berries than the varieties listed above.

Blueberry Pruning

In the wild, blueberry plans are pruned by the “burning over” process on the managed areas; the old stems are burnt out. But in the garden the pruning shears need to be used after four or five years from set. Varieties vary greatly in growing habits. Some of the more open and flat-topped ones like Cabot, Herbert and Pioneer need very little pruning. The upright and close-growing varieties (Weymouth, Rubel and Rancocas), on the other hand, need considerable opening to prevent them from becoming too thick and bushy. A little attention to the natural degree of openness will suggest what thinning-out to do—if any is needed. It is well to compare and contrast different modes of growth before starting the pruning.

There are two types of growth to cut out in pruning—the very slender stems which may not bear much, and the oldest and largest that have borne several years and may not bear much more, except at the tips. It is well to keep the clumps fairly open to avoid crowding and shading. More than one foot asunder for all stems is too open; less than four inches is too close.

Blueberry Planting Problems

It is important to suppress all weeds. This is best done by the liberal application of acid mulches each year—peat and oak leaves are better than sawdust or pine needles. Compost is helpful. Woodland soil is often suitable for the plants.

Insect damage to blueberries is confined primarily to the blueberry fruit fly, whose eggs hatch into maggots inside the ripening berry, and the cherry fruit worm, a small red worm whose damage is usually confined to large commercial plantings. Best control of the fruit is rotenone dust, 25 pounds to the acre. It is applied five times between June and the end of harvest. Shallow cultivation also helps by imposing larvae to predator ants and birds.

The most troublesome blueberry disease is mummy berry, which causes berries to rot and fall off. Control by collecting old mummies off the ground or turning them under when cultivating.

Mark 16:19-20

Click here to listen to the Story of the Ascension of Jesus Christ

Jesus appeared several times to His disciples after He rose from the dead. He worked miracles. He taught them to do all the things they had been learning about. A month after He died and rose again, Jesus left earth and went to heaven.

Jesus led His disciples outside of Jerusalem to Bethany. This was where His friends Lazarus, Martha and Mary lived. All His followers were around Him. He lifted His hands and blessed them. Then He told them to go straight back to Jerusalem. They should wait there for what the Father had promised.

Jesus said, “John baptized with water. You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be My witnesses here and even to the farthest corners of the earth.”

Then, an amazing thing happened.

Jesus was taken up to heaven! He rose higher and higher until He disappeared into a cloud. The disciples looked at each other. They had see none miracle after another. Now this had been the greatest of all! Jesus, crucified then risen, now taken up to heaven to be with His Father.

Jesus’ disciples stared at the sky. Then two men dressed in white came and stood beside them. “Men of Galilee, why are you looking into the sky? Jesus has gone from you into heaven. He will come back again in the same way He left.”

They went back to Jerusalem full of joy. They went straight to the temple and sang praises to God. Some wondered about this place Jesus had gone to, heaven. They remembered He had said, “Don’t worry. Believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms. Soon I will go and make them ready for you.” And that is why Jesus went back to heaven.