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The message
from Janet Baraclough contains these words: I planted a grape vine over a big pile of (mainly) chicken and bacon hock bones, and despite their being a couple of feet down, the local rats started a bone mine. Had you cleaned off all the meat, or left those gristly bits in the hocks, and how deep did they have to sink the mineshaft? Indeed, and made stock from them. -- Rusty Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
Nick Maclaren wrote: In article om, a.c. wrote: I've recently acquired insect eating plants. (1 Dionea muscipula--venus fly trap & 1 sarracena pururea---bog plant) There seems to be quite a lot of google entries concerning their water requirements, but what I'm looking for is more on the lines of just what can they eat and how much of it? I mean, what with the hot weather n all, we have to stuff the chicken leftovers into the freezer until bin day to prevent us from having a stinky dustbin. So, just how many such plants would I need to save freezer space (& save electricity, thereby aiding the enviornment) Like, how are they on chicken bones? Or the fat from a slice of ham? Just wondering. What you want to grow is the Greater Gromboolian Cow-Muncher. Only the very biggest ones can eat even a calf, and they take a century to grow to that size, so using a young one for the purpose you envisage should work. It is believed that the oldest and largest one in the UK is in the Home Office, and is used to threaten Home Secretaries who show signs of a liberal disposition. Well-behaved ones are allowed to feed it with dissidents on special occasions, of course. Regards, Nick Maclaren. Thankyou for that, though it may be a tad too much as I don't want to end up loosing the cat. I have already had to give assurances to my other half that the cat will remain unharmed even on contact with my 2 new plants. It wouldn't do to loose both job and pussy in the same week! Well, when I say loose job, I mean its "pluckkaart" 65 day duration had expired and even recent events do not leave me wanting to feed the Greater Gromboolian Cow-Muncher certain individuals who might well deserve such treatment. It's understandable to apply for a full time job only to be told that I can only have the season work because my Dutch is poorish and only a few people in the firm speak a little English, so best I join as a seanon worker and then we'll take about the full time post at the end of the 65 days, (which, in truth lasted considerably longer.). It's quite annoying to start and discover that though only a few speak a little English, the majority speak English remarkably well and even one of the managers speaks to the them in English. It was a further irritation to discover that the measly rate per hour ( approx. mim wage in UK)did not turn out to be after tax as was promised. It was more than a little annoying after the Loooong 65 days to discover there never was going to be a full time post available, ( though just such a post was advertised) because they were so inundated with full time contracts they terminated 3 of them.... this only 2 weeks after telling me directly that no contracts were available, but that should anyone leave I can have one immediately therafter. Lo and behold, it looks like they managed to retain me ... with a little creative accountancy... for a long 65 days which coincided to end remarkably well just with the onslaught of student workers that have now become available... and inspite of trying 6 or 7 job agencies it now looks like I'll have nowt to do till september. But what's really annoying is that the firm in question (who made a not so measly 650K profit last year)have acted knowing that if I cannot produce evidence of a full time job (contract) or wage slips through an Intirm job agency by the end of September, then I will be forced to leave the country and not allowed back. Nice people eh! Had they been a little more truthful I could have worked a real 65 days and be out in time to get further work before the student explosion. But as I say, even that wouldn't make me want to feed them to a plant. On the bright side, I now have more time to boil the 1 chicken a week as kay suggested. I did notice yesterday that the venus flytrap isn't all that keen on spiced cooked chicken and the flies it has been fed are still undigested a whole 3 days later. Oddly enough, now that I have these plants, I can't seem to find anymore flies. I had wondered if the might produce a scent or similar to attract even more flies. |
In article ,
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote: [ rats ] They dragged the bones out and carried them some distance. And they completely ignore my compost heap, which is squirming with worms. Odd. You're not in a soft-water area, are you? Come over with the BSA sometime. I used to knock pigeons over with my BSA Cadet Major. I am confusing myself again - I have a BSA shotgun! It is a Webley Mark III - still powerful (and, yes, I have measured its approximate muzzle velocity at c. 550 fps) - but the sping clangs like anything and it is no longer accurate at 30+ yards (my needed distance). Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
a.c. wrote:
[...] I did notice yesterday that the venus flytrap isn't all that keen on spiced cooked chicken and the flies it has been fed are still undigested a whole 3 days later. Oddly enough, now that I have these plants, I can't seem to find anymore flies. I had wondered if the might produce a scent or similar to attract even more flies. I've never grown them, and have only an amateur plant-spotter's knowledge of these plants, but aren't you under a misapprehension here? As I understand it, they "eat" very few insects, and can live well enough without them in cultivation. They, surely, can't make any impression on the fly population around one's house; and I'd guess that sticking little bits of spiced chicken into them might risk causing disease. (I'm always ready to become better informed, of course.) -- Mike. |
Mike Lyle wrote: a.c. wrote: [...] I did notice yesterday that the venus flytrap isn't all that keen on spiced cooked chicken and the flies it has been fed are still undigested a whole 3 days later. Oddly enough, now that I have these plants, I can't seem to find anymore flies. I had wondered if the might produce a scent or similar to attract even more flies. I've never grown them, and have only an amateur plant-spotter's knowledge of these plants, but aren't you under a misapprehension here? As I understand it, they "eat" very few insects, and can live well enough without them in cultivation. As I understand it, looking at previous info here via google, they digest insects to compliment their diet and may have evolved to do so due to insufficient soil nutrients, hence the need to avoid water with nitrates. They, surely, can't make any impression on the fly population around one's house; It might depend on how small that population is and how much fun it is to feed them with it. For me 1 or 2 flies buzzing around is 1 or 2 flies to many, especially if I go for a nap and wake up having been biten my a small fly which was in fact a mosquito. and I'd guess that sticking little bits of spiced chicken into them might risk causing disease. (I'm always ready to become better informed, of course.) The chicken was well cooked and therefore, presumably, reasonably sterile (disease). Close obsevation suggested it was not interested in it and so said chicken was removed. -- Mike. |
In article , Jaques d'Alltrades writes: | | Sounds like the piston is letting air by it. The pellet should have left | the barrel before the piston comes to rest - slowed on a cushion of | compressed air. That is possible but, from the muzzle velocity, I doubt it. My belief is that it is just too badly worn and the spring is loose in its container. The clang is a rattling noise rather than a muffled thud. Anyway, I shall see whether I am any more accurate with a new Gamo. | Here, (in my garden) I can't safely use any type of gun unless I fire | downwards from an upstairs window. And I don't want the house surrounded | by a swat squad... I can shoot against a wall, or with care down the garden (it is some 75 yards from the house to the end), but plan to shoot from an upstairs window. However, I do need to be able to hit at 25-35 yards for that. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
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