THE END OF FAITH: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason.
Sam Harris, 2004. PB, 348pp, 1 lb. $13.95
Faith—belief without evidence—lies at the heart of most religions. Harris examines the nature of religious belief, and details the role faith has played in the history of the major world religions. Packed with little-known facts of religious history which will help you put modern Christianity into perspective, and understand the true part it played in the development of Western Civilization. It will help you understand the rise of Islam and its role in the world today, and sheds some light on Buddhist thought. He shares his vision of a peaceful, prosperous future world, guided by reason. Whether you are religious or a non-believer, you will find this book informative and thought-provoking, and it will change the way you think about religion forever. The best book I've read all year!
TUBERS
ARISAEMA
—propinquum. Medium tubers, each: $12.00 - 8 left in stock as of April 17th.
Nice purple spathe with white or green stripes and netting at the top, with a long tail, early summer. Two trifoliate leaves. Himalayas, Kashmir to Tibet, to about 14,000 feet. Zone 5. It took our grower 12 years to build up his stock of this species to where he could offer them to us. Sure to sell out quickly.
SAUROMATUM (sar-o-MA-tum)
ARACEAE. Large tuberous perennials somewhat resembling Arisaema, with large curious flowers & odd leaves. Easily grown in rich loamy soil.
—Sauromatum guttatum venosum. (e,h) SAUR-10V. Seed Packet: $2.00
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LARGEST TUBERS: SOLD OUT
'VOODOO LILY'. Greenish yellow spathes with deep purple markings, 12 - 30" long. Large glossy green fan-like divided leaves. Reaches 4 - 6 feet with age. Indian Himalayas. Hardy to Zone 5. Odd. Germinates in 3 - 4 weeks, and up to 10 weeks.
VEGETABLE SEED
AMARANTH
—Amaranth Lotus Purple. (a!,g) VAMA-LP. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $6.00
Robust heavy yielder with thick red-purple heads full of purple-black seeds. To 6 - 8 feet tall. Leaves good for cooked greens or salads, seeds for grain.
BEET
—Beet McGregor's Favorite. (c,h) VBEE-MC. Packet: $3.00
Unusual Scottish heirloom grown for the abundant long narrow leaves, which are deep violet-red with a distinctive metallic sheen. More tender than other beet or chard greens, makes terrific baby salad greens. Organically grown.
CORN
—Corn Chires Baby. (d,h) VCOR-CB. Packet: $2.50
Slender little ears to only 3 - 4" long, with tiny orange-red kernels. The tender young ears are eaten whole, cob and all. Best picked within 5 days after the silk appears. Wonderful pickles, or added to stir-fry or soups. Freezes well.
POPCORN
—Popcorn Brown Sugar. (b,h) VCOR-BR. Packet: $2.00
1/4 lb: $5.00, lb: $15.00
Rich chocolate-brown kernels on slender 4" ears. Unique color for fall decorations. Makes up to 10 ears per plant. Fluffy white popcorn. Popular at farmer's markets and roadside stands.
CRESS
—Cress Variegated Landcress. (b,g) VCRE-VL. Packet: $3.00
Gram: $7.00, 5 grams: $18.00
Barbarea vulgaris variegata. Beautiful green leaves with golden splashes and stripes. The spicy flavor makes them nice in baby salad mixes, and they are very ornamental in the garden.
"What would Mr. Cox say? Well, he'd probably say being awake is dangerous and silly. He'd probably say we were crazy." —George Clayton Johnson.
CUCUMBER
—Cucumber Improved Long Green. (c,h) VCUC-IM. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 99% Tested: 3/08, Oz: $6.00
Introduced in 1842, this fine variety has been a favorite in home gardens for over 150 years. Medium-green 10" fruits with few seeds, crisp and flavorful. Dependable and high yielding, good for both pickles and slicing.
—Cucumber Miniature White. (c,h) VCUC-MW. Packet: $3.00
Unusual small creamy-white fruits, some flushed with yellow. Best picked under 3" long. No need to peel, tender and mild-flavored. Compact vines, usually under 3 feet tall. Very productive, a popular seller at farmer's markets and roadside stands.
—Cucumber White. (d,h) VCUC-WH. Packet: $2.00
Germination: 99% Tested: 1/08, Oz: $8.00
Introduced over 100 years ago, this has long been a favorite slicing cucumber for home gardeners. Medium-sized plump white fruits with black spines. Superb taste, crisp and tender. Excellent all-round eating quality.
EGGPLANT
—Eggplant Rosa Bianca. (c,h) VEGG-RB. Packet: $3.00
Plump round white fruits, blushed rosy-purple. Very meaty and mild tasting, this Italian heirloom is one of the best for all your eggplant recipes.
MELON
—Melon Cantaloup D'Alger. (c,h) VMEL-CA. Packet: $2.00
Handsome deeply-ribbed melons, marbled orange-gold and deep green. The intense, delicious scent can fill a room. Pale orange flesh, sweet and pleasant, a wonderful dessert melon on a hot day. An old French heirloom, originally grown in Algeria.
—Melon Quito. (b,h) VMEL-Q. Packet: $2.00
Small French melon with smooth bright yellow skin and tart pale flesh. Grown since the 1880s.
MUSTARD
—Mustard Pizzo. (b,h) VMUS-PZ. Packet: $2.00
10 grams: $10.00
European specialty type for baby salad greens. Light green leaves with serrated, rounded edges. Tender, mild spicy flavor, nice in salads or cooked.
—Mustard Red Frills. (b,h) VMUS-RF. Packet: $2.50
10 grams: $12.00
Striking dark red-purple deeply-cut fern-like leaves. Developed in Europe as a specialty baby salad green. Spicy flavor and bold color and shape, make this popular at farmer's markets.
OKRA
—Okra Red Burgundy. (c,h) VOKR-RB. Packet: $2.00
Beautiful 4 - 5 foot plants have deep wine-red pods and stems, green leaves, and large butter-yellow flowers. Tender 6 - 8" pods turn green when cooked. Nice enough for the flower-garden!
PEPPER
—Pepper Alma Paprika. (c,h) VPEP-AP. Packet: $3.00
Small round peppers with thick meaty flesh and sweet delicious flavor. Ripens from creamy white to red, very productive. One of the best for drying and powdering, also excellent fresh.
—Pepper Feher Ozone (d,h) VPEP-FO. Packet: $3.00
Thick tapered 4 - 5" fruits, extremely sweet and flavorful. Delicious fresh, and makes some of the finest paprika powder when dried. Ripens from creamy white to deep orange.
—Pepper Pimento L. (c,h) VPEP-PL. Packet: $2.00
10 grams: $7.00
Classic sweet pimento pepper, With very thick meaty flesh. Heart-shaped red fruits. Stands heat and humidity, good in the South. Excellent fresh, dried, canned, or pickled.
PUMPKIN
—Pumpkin Batwing. (d,h) VPUM-BT. Packet: $3.00
Round 3" pumpkins ripen from dark green to bright orange, changing from the top to bottom, giving a striking bicolor effect as they mature. Pick at various stages for different color effects. Semi-bush type. Most dramatic color change of all!
RADISH
—Radish Watermelon. (b,h) VRAD-WA. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $6.00
Large round white radishes blushed green outside, deep magenta-red inside. Slices look just like slices of a mini-watermelon! Crisp, spicy flavor, best picked at 1 - 2", though they can reach tennis-ball size. Our favorite radish.
SPECIALTY VEGETABLES
—Dill, Bouquet. (a!,h) VDLL-BQ. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $5.00 .
The most popular' variety, blooms early with large flower umbels and leaves for pickling. Highly aromatic and easily grown annual.
—Nasturtium Blue Pepe. (e,g) VNAS-BP. Packet: $2.00 OUT OF STOCK
Unique variety from Europe, bred for the specialty salad market. Small round leaves are a dusky blue-green, with purplish undersides. Spicy flavor makes them an attractive addition to salad mixes.
—Okahijiki. VOKH- OK. Packet: $3.00
Gram: $6.00, 5 grams: $16.00
Salsola komarovii iljin. A very unusual specialty salad green, with slender branches of spiky-looking tender fleshy leaves. Light green and crunchy, makes a unique addition to baby salad mixes. Also called 'Seaweed-on- Land'.
—Sorghum, Tepehuan Popping. (b,h) VSOR-TP. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $8.00
Plump white seeds popped by native peoples in México, just like popcorn. Slender productive plants. Delicious flavor and an unusual crop.
—Sorrel, Red-Veined. (b,g) VSRR-RV. Packet: $2.00
Gram: $6.00, 5 grams: $16.00
Rumex sanguineus var. sanguineus. Lovely bright green oval leaves with dark red veins. This European salad leaf has a fresh tart flavor and is a great addition to baby salad mixes.
SWISS CHARD
—Swiss Chard Arancia. (c,h) VSWI-AR. Packet: $2.00
10 grams: $8.00
Vivid orange stems and crumpled green leaves. European type bred as a colorful baby salad leaf. Crunchy and mild flavored, good picked young for salads, or let it mature for cooked greens.
—Swiss Chard Pink Lipstick. (b,h) VSWI-PL. Packet: $2.00
Oz: $5.00
Brilliant rose-pink stems and crumpled deep green leaves. Tender colorful young leaves good in baby salad mixes.
SQUASH, WINTER
—Squash Galeux d'Eysines. (e,h) VSQU-GX. Packet: $3.00
Also called 'Peanut Pumpkin' because of the rough corky pebbles that appear over the smooth, rosy-tan skin. Unusual handsome 10 - 20 pound fruits, best harvested before the pebbles completely cover the pumpkins. Thick, sweet, moist orange flesh, wonderful for baking, frying, or soups. A best seller at farmer's markets.
TOMATO
—Tomato Brown Berry. (c,h) VTOM-BB. Packet: $2.50
Appealing earthy-brown cherry tomatoes, juicy and sweet, with excellent flavor. Highly productive, indeterminate vines.
—Tomato Cherokee Purple. (c,h) VTOM-CP. Packet: $2.50
Unusual dusky rose-purple fruits with superb flavor, sweet and juicy, reaching 12 ounces. One of the top favorite heirlooms, very productive on rather short, indeterminate vines. Thanks to Kent Whealey and the SSE for this one—their original source said it was from the Cherokee people, over 100 years old.
—Tomato Garden Peach. (c,h) VTOM-GP. Packet: $2.50
Delicate round yellow-pink fruits like small peaches—even lightly fuzzy. Keeps well and the mild, distinctive flavor improves with storage. Vigorous and productive heirloom introduced in 1862.
—Tomato Jitomate Bulito. (d,h) VTOM-JB. Packet: $2.50
Large bright red plum tomatoes, to 4 ounces each, thick, meaty, and full-flavored. Popular in southern México for a wide variety of salsas, cooked and fresh. Dependable and prolific, produces abundantly in coastal areas with cool, foggy summers. Indeterminate.
—Tomato Purple Calabash. (d,h) VTOM-PC. Packet: $2.50
Our favorite heirloom tomato, with unusual rosy-purple ruffled fruits, blushed bronze or chocolate-brown when ripe. Intense flavor. Very prolific, drought-tolerant plants; the only tomato in our trials that produced abundantly under the severely hot and dry conditions we had in 1988. A very old type; the fruits resemble tomatoes pictured in 16th century herbals. Very productive. Indeterminate.
"Well, I must say that this is certainly the ugliest tomato I have ever seen in my life... On the other hand, there's the taste... the TASTE! Now I know where all of the flavor bred out of the commercial F-1 hybrids has fled to! These ugly little tomatoes are the tastiest I have ever encountered... they're wonderful raw (one friend says that they taste as if grown in wine). Fabulous simmered briefly with chopped vegetables and served on pasta, and would probably make the best tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes in the world." —D.P., California.
"These are FABULOUS—won 1st place in neighborhood in a blindfolded taste test against 4 other varieties! Strong and productive in our Texas heat." —N.D.M., Boerne, Texas, 2/97.
WATERMELON
—Watermelon Congo. (e,h) VWAT-CO. Packet: $2.50
Big oval 30 - 50 pound melons with sweet, firm, deep red flesh. Green rind with darker stripes, durable for shipping. Over 9% sugar content, disease resistant, and long bearing. Good in the South.
—Watermelon Desert King. (e,h) VWAT-DK. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $8.00
Round pale green melons with rich dark yellow flesh, sweet and tender. Lasts a month on the vine after ripening, with no loss in quality. Drought and sunburn resistant.
—Watermelon Mountain Hoosier. (e,h) VWAT-MH. Packet: $2.50
Oz: $8.00
One of the biggest, to 75 - 80 pounds under good conditions. Enormous oblong dark green melons with crimson flesh, crisp and sugary sweet-one of the best eating-quality giant watermelons. White seed. Introduced before 1937.