gabriola garden

Wednesday, May 30, 2007







































Poppies Galore, Clematis Growing and Blooming

In the last day or so there was a veritable poppy explosion. That single, solitary poppy bloom I wrote about last week has multiplied into ten large, orange-red poppies and another seven blood-red poppies. Both are the non-drug variety of Poppy (Papaver orientale), with the latter carrying the name “Beauty of Livermore.” The orangish-red Poppies with their huge, satiny flowers are known as “Allegro.”

We’re a little late planting the bulk of our vegetables, but we did go to our local garden shop to purchase the seedlings of a variety of Peppers, Cucumbers, Sorel, Kale, Zucchini, Lettuce, and some surprises. I’ll write more about our veggies next week. Sara advised me not to put them into the ground just yet, because the garden shop was out of slug bait.

“Those tender young shoots are an open invitation to slugs,” explained Sara. If you leave them there overnight, you’ll have nothing left in the morning and you might as well just throw the plant away.

The butchered Butterfly Bush called Border Beauty, which provided such wonderful blooms and fragrance last summer is still struggling to push forth some shoots from its woody appendages. I’ll never forgive myself for suggesting to Sara that she severely prune this plant. A more merciful pruning would have been preferable.

Instead, fragrance this year is being supplied by a wonderful bush covered with delicately scented blooms, called “Miss Kim Lilac” (Syringa patula). It’s a five foot bush, with dark green foliage, whose buds were deep purple before opening, but now that they’re fully open they’re sort of icy purple, almost whitish in the sunlight. This plant prefers full sun, and is particularly known for its honey suckle-like fragrance.

Also, Sara’s Pink Rose plant has issued forth its first bloom, with many more buds on the way. We don’t know the name of this Rose, since it was a gift from a friend who has since moved away and we lost touch. The Pink Rose has a very mellow but deep fragrance, sort of like heady Turkish perfume. It had an attack of Black Spot early on, but repeated sprayings of Scorpion Juice have knocked out that insidious fungus.

In addition, I made sure that it was watered generously with a mixture of Piranha, Tarantula, and Voodoo Juice, to strengthen its roots. The beneficial fungi, bacteria, and microbes in these great Advanced Nutrients products colonize a plant’s root system not only to strengthen it, but also to enable it to absorb nutrients more efficiently. On top of that, they also fight off harmful fungi, bacteria, and other microorganisms.

Sara’s five varieties of Clematis took off like gangbusters from the Iguana Juice Grow, as did most of the vegetation in her flower garden. Now that we’ve switched to Iguana Juice Bloom, one of the varieties of this “queen of the climbers” has opened several buds and it’s giving us a taste of what’s to come. The early bird in the bloom department is called “Nelly Moser” (Clematis x lanuginosa).

They say that a newly planted Clematis vine needs two years to get established. Also, it doesn’t like to be moved once settled into one place. So we did everything wrong with one Clematis (“Polish Spirit”—Clematis viticella). Initially, Sara planted it with a Poppy in a container, which was the wrong thing to do and neither plant seemed happy.

Then she separated them and planted the Clematis into one of her flowerbeds next to our courtyard. But of course in order to do so, she had to move it, and it didn’t like the move. Late last summer it did provide us with one or two blooms, but this year it is sporting many more buds and is trying to reach the sky!

Another thing about the various Clematis is that they like to be firmly attached to their support structure, whether that’s a trellis or the wooden wall of our courtyard. I suspect “Polish Spirit” finally feels at home, because of the way it’s climbed almost past the rafters of the courtyard.

The other Clematis varieties that Sara grows are “Etoile Violette,” “Montana,” and “Jackmani Superba.” I am still concerned about the Tulip Breaking Virus getting other plants sick, so I checked into the diseases that plague Clematis. The good news I found was that Clematis has not been proven to be susceptible to any viruses.

Fungi, however, do attack Clematis. If the plant is not securely attached to its support structure, the stems can be damaged through being battered by the wind. Damages stems mean wounds are created, which are an open invitation to a wide range of fungi to attack the Clematis plant.

Young plants are more prone to this kind of infestation, than older ones. Due to the fungal onslaught, the plant loses vitality and wilts. Clematis Wilt is the generic term used to describe this condition.

Clematis Wilt usually happens just about the time the buds are due to open. For this reason I’ve added an extra measure of Barricade to the watering mix, in order to allow the Potassium Silicate in this product to strengthen the cell walls of our Clematis varieties. Stronger cell walls mean less of a chance for a parasitic attack to succeed.

I also spray all five of Sara’s Clematis plants regularly with Scorpion Juice, as well as applying Scorpion Juice to the root zones, in order to impart an induced systemic immunity to many pests and pathogens, including the aforementioned fungi.

Now that Protector is back in circulation, I’m also using that product on our Clematis, in order to prevent Powdery Mildew from establishing a foothold. Protector contains Potassium Bicarbonate, which is highly effective in not only preventing the Powdery Mildew fungus from infecting our plants, but also in fighting off the infection once the fungus has attacked. It is non-toxic and does not leave a residue, as do fungicides.

One bit of good news is that the Etoile Violette Clematis is highly resistant to fungal infections. If a fungus should attack your Clematis plants, therapeutic pruning is called for. It is important to remove and destroy the affected stems. Cut off an additional one inch segment of the stem, since the fungus can hide in seemingly healthy tissue. Soon, new shoots will appear. At most, the blooming period will be delayed by this pruning process. Clematis Wilt will seldom kill the entire plant.

Other perennials starting to bloom in Sara’s flower garden are the yellow-orange Candelabra Primrose (Primula x bulleesiana) whose flowers are arranged in layers or tiers on tall, upright stems. This ornamental does not like summer drought—it is happiest in moist soil.

A lovely addition to any eclectic garden is the Woodfield Hybrid Lupine (Lupinus Woodfield Hybrids) whose cone shaped spires come in many different colors, including red, pink, purple, yellow, and white. These plants prefer deep, rich soil that’s slightly on the acidic side. They reach heights of three or four feet and this plant is harmful, if ingested.

Sara’s garden is becoming a truly magic place, thanks to our 100% organic plant nutrients, additives and root colonizers, provided by Advanced Nutrients.

posted by Tim at 12:08 PM | 1 comments

Wednesday, May 23, 2007






















Poppies Starting to Pop, Young Tomatoes Planted

While the young Bean seedlings are starting to climb up the bamboo poles, we are enjoying what promises to be a spectacular show of colorful blooms. The first of our Oriental Poppies (Papaver orientale) has burst forth with a bright red flower.

One of our Chinese neighbors came by the other day and noticed our poppy plants. “Ah, opium,” he said and inquired whether it was legal to grow it here. We hastened to inform him that Oriental Poppies are distinctly different from Opium Poppies (Papaver somniferum), although they look almost exactly the same.

I remember my mother telling me a long time ago that the women in her village in Hungary would rub a tiny bit of poppy seed paste on the gums of particularly restless babies in order to pacify them. Opium poppies must have grown in every garden then, as they still do in many North American gardens, even though it is technically illegal.

The seeds of the variety we grow are not edible. So when you buy a poppy seed bagel at your local deli, you are actually purchasing and consuming Opium poppy seeds. In large enough quantities, these seeds have a tranquillizing effect.

In a strange twist of the law, while it is illegal to grow Opium poppies, it is not illegal to sell or buy the seeds. My curiosity was aroused, so I checked on the web. I stumbled upon an importer in Vancouver that buys huge quantities of Opium poppy seeds from government-controlled plantations in Turkey and the Netherlands. Then they distribute them world-wide.

In addition to the red Oriental Poppies, Sara also planted a variety called “Princess Victoria Louise,” that promises us pale salmon-pink flowers, with black centers. Just like the red variety, it grows about 3 feet tall and blooms in May.

Poppies are herbaceous perennial plants, but they can also be propagated by seed. They are hardy from Zone 3 to 7. If you want the plant to flower again, you must deadhead the plant, which is done by cutting the spent flowers. Otherwise, this plant is self-seeding.

Poppies die down and are dormant in late summer. By then, they will be displaced by the fast growing Scarlet Runner Beans. These will climb and fill every bamboo pole of our annual bean house.

Opium poppies, also known as oilseed poppies, have been used for centuries in healing. Today, alkaloid drugs such as opium, codeine, and heroin are manufactured from this poppy.

With the Tulip Breaking Virus in mind, I checked the susceptibility of the Oriental poppy to diseases. I found that bacterial and viral infections of Poppy are rare. Fungal infections, however, tend to attack the leaves and the capsules of the plant.

Prominent among the fungi that threaten Poppies are Peronospora arborescens that causes Downy Mildew, Pleospora paperveraceae that precipitates Poppy Fire, and Entyloma fuscum, the primary cause of Leaf Smut.

To a lesser degree, Sclerotinia, Fusarium, and Oidium spp (Powdery Mildew) might endanger your Poppies. Be careful not to overwater and water early in the day to allow the plant to dry. These measures go a long way toward preventing fungal infections.

I noticedon the Advanced Nutrients website that an excellent product called Protector is back in circulation. It’s not a chemical fungicide, but it’s better and safer than dusting with sulphur in order to fight and prevent Powdery Mildew. This insidious fungus can be spotted by a sandy coating on your plants.

Left untreated, it can stunt growth, sap plant energy, and reduce yield. By using Protector at a standalone rate of 20 mL per Liter, the spread and growth of Powdery Mildew is inhibited. Do not use beyond the second week of bloom—the inhibiting factor in this product might also change the fragrance and color of your flowers.

Another essential ingredient in our watering tank is Barricade, which helps make the cell walls of Sara’s flowers and my vegetables almost impenetrable, where pests and pathogens are concerned. The Potassium Silicate in this product acts as a barrier to invaders, whether bacterial, viral, or fungal, as well as the sap sucking kind.

Poppy plants love full sun and a well-drained soil. While they prefer temperatures in the range of 21º C (70º F), our temperatures here on Gabriola have been dropping down to around 10º C (50º F) at night, and Sara’s Poppies don’t look any worse for wear.

Since the Poppies are starting to pop, it’s a signal for us to switch to Iguana Juice Bloom, from Iguana Juice Grow. Our 100% organic fertilizer is doing a tremendous job, and will now have to nourish not only the vegetative growth of our plants, but also the bloom stage of Sara’s flowers.

We’ll be doing two different mixes, one with Iguana Juice Bloom for Sara’s flower beds, and one with Iguana Juice Grow for the vegetables that I am in the process of planting. I already mentioned the Scarlet Runner Beans and some Beefsteak Tomatoes. In addition, I plan to grow Cucumbers, Squash, Zucchinis, Peppers, Lettuce, Spinach, and some Herbs. These will include Basil, Cilantro, Parsley, and Sage.

Other plants that are thriving in the same patch as the ill-fated Tulips are a Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii) called “Walker’s Low,” which prefers full sun to bloom late spring to fall. Grows to ten inches tall and loves a well-drained soil. Our cats love to chew on this plant, but not as much as they do on Catnip.

A Campanula called “Blue Bell” (Campanula persicifolia), which will start blooming in June, and hopefully continue to grace us with open blue bell flowers on strong stems until August.

As well as a Sweet William (Dianthus barbaratus) called “Cottage Garden,” a self-seeding biennial that produces a mix of different colored flowers, including white, salmon pink, and red. This dwarf plant grows about a foot high and spreads to about the same width.

Once the bloom cycle sets in we plan to spray with Colossal Bud Blast in order to maximize the size of Sara’s flowers. Plants can be fed important nutrients through the leaves, as well as through their roots.

Colossal Bud Blast has been engineered to deliver bloom enhancement to our plants through the absorbing mechanism of the foliage. It contains organic nutrients and hormones and plays a large role in making Sara’s flower garden the envy of the neighborhood.

posted by Tim at 6:12 PM | 0 comments

Wednesday, May 16, 2007































What Primulas Are Prone To and Bursting Peony Blooms

While there are still healthy tulips left in Sara’s garden, the legacy of the Tulip Breaking Virus is still very much with us. We dug up the infected bulbs and disposed of them, and Sara removed the Daylilies from the infected patch, because our research showed that they were highly susceptible to this virus.

Repeated spraying with Scorpion Juice got rid of the aphids, which was very important, since these bugs vector the virus in question. Sara and I are continuing our research into the other perennials in her garden, to see if any of them are particularly prone to get infected by the tulip virus.

Sara’s Bulles Primrose (Primula x Bullesiana) has just started to bloom, so we quickly found a website that lists all the diseases Primulas are prone to. Among the bacterial diseases, Primrose’s are susceptible to Crown Gall, Bacterial Soft Rot, and Pseudomonas Leaf Spot.

On the fungal front, Primroses might come down with Anthracnose, Botrytis Blight, Powdery Mildew, Phythium Root Rot, Rust, and Rhizoctonia Root and Crown Rot. The nematodes that threaten this lovely flower are Bulb and Stem Nematode, Foliar Nematode, and Lesion Nematode. And I almost forgot the Root-knot Nematode.

Nematodes, sometimes called grubs, are small worms that have the habit of invading the root zone of selected plants and curling up into a ball when unearthed by a trow. They do considerable damage to the plant. By colonizing the roots of all our flowers and vegetables with the microorganisms contained in Piranha, Tarantula, and Voodoo Juice, we help keep nematodes at bay.

The longest list of Primrose susceptibility consists of viral diseases. Sara’s Bulles Primrose is prone to fall prey to the Alfalfa Mosaic, Cucumber Mosaic, Impatient Necrotic Spot, Primula Mosaic, Primula Mottle, Tobacco Necrosis, Tomato Bushy Stunt, and Tomato Spotted Wilt viruses, but NOT, thank heavens, to the Tulip Breaking Virus.

Sara’s Primrose is a spring or early summer blooming perennial that grows two or two and a half feet tall and has layers of flower clusters going up its stem. Its flowers can be purple, yellow, pink, or red. This lovely addition to any garden should be planted twelve inches apart and it requires rich, moist or wet soil.

I’ve sung the praises of Advanced Nutrients Humic Acid and Fulvic Acid before, but whenever rich soil is mentioned I can’t help but to bring them up again. The word humic comes from humus, which is the rich, black, extremely fertile soil that our grandmothers grew all their vegetables in.

These two products are derived from a calcified organic substance known as “leonardite,” which is mined from deep within the earth, usually from the top of deep seated coal beds.

When used in conjunction with all the composted horse manure and kitchen compost that Sara mixes into her soil to create her flower beds, Grandma Enggy’s Humic and Fulvic Acids are responsible for the best environment any gardener can hope for.

Sara is also enthusiastic about our 100% organic fertilizer, Iguana Juice Grow. She points to the lush vegetation throughout her garden as proof of how magic this plant food really is.

Pretty soon we’re switching over to Iguana Juice Bloom. Sara’s Japanese Tree Peony is in full bloom, her Lovely Fairie and the other Roses are thriving. Her Monk’s Hood is shooting up almost to chest-height, and the Anemone is rising up above the garden canopy, where it will soon take its place as the centrepiece of a truly eclectic, English-type garden, albeit grown by a New Zealander.

Johnson’s Blue is a Geranium that started blooming this past week. The purple Perennial Pansy is adding its vibrant color and prolific blooms to the mix. Phlox divaricata carrying the name “Sweet Lilac” gives us fragrant flowers and unlike the other Phlox, it grows only about a foot tall.

Sara’s first Delphinium “Magic Fountain Crystal Mix,” has just started to bloom. Delphinium elatum is a perennial that usually blooms from June to September (I guess June came early to Gabriola this year). It grows about three feet tall and does not require a stake.

It prefers full sun to part shade, and a well-drained soil. Can be brought into the kitchen or living room as cut flowers. Blooms range from blue to lavender to full purple.

We have started to build our annual bean house and the beans are going into the ground this weekend. At present, they are germinating in glass jam jars. Sara has to open the lids of the jars several times a day to keep the seedling from getting moldy.

Some of our Roses have prolific buds on them already. Makes me thing about mixing Carbo Load Powder into our watering tank. Containing Arabinose, Dextrose, Glucose, Maltose, and Xylose, this phenomenal product loads up flowering plants with much needed carbohydrates, so they can build colossal buds and blooms.

The urge to reproduce is a primary urge in all living things. Flowering plants are no exception. Bud formation leads to flower formation, leads to seed formation. Presto, the next generation is assured of its existence. Plants feel this primary urge and know enough to stuff themselves with sugars in order to produce the most outstanding blooms, which eventually produce exemplary seeds. Such is the cycle of lie!

All this talk about susceptibilities and I’m mixing an extra portion of Barricade into our watering mix. The Potassium Silicate in this AN product strengthens the cell walls of all our plants and enables them to ward off pathogens and pests by denying them the nourishment contained in the cells.

Sara’s garden is always changing. It went through an early spring phase with the Crocuses, Daffodils, Hyacinths, and later, Tulips. Now it’s heading into a late spring, early summer pre-bloom stage during which some eager plants are already flowering, even though most of the garden is still going through its vegetative stage.

I planted the season’s first tomato seedlings today and the beans are due to be planted in a few days. Sara says that there are a couple of pumpkin plants starting to grow and cucumbers are soon to follow. This is a long weekend coming up in Canada—Victoria Day—which is usually the time to plant things in your garden.

posted by Tim at 8:08 PM

Wednesday, May 09, 2007






















Researching Susceptibility to the Virus

This past week Sara removed not only the infected Tulip bulbs, but also the Daylily plants that are known to be susceptible to Tulip Breaking Virus (TBV). We discovered the virus attack when we returned from a three-day visit to Hedgehog’s favorite log cabin on a very peaceful lake.

I took stock of all the flowers in the infected patch, to figure out their individual susceptibility to the virus. The patch contains Delphinium, Phlox, Anemone, Primrose, a Hybrid Tea Rose, English Daisy, Foxglove, Sweet William, Black-Eyed Susan, in addition to Daffodils, Hyacinths, Crocuses, assorted Tulips, and Forget-me-nots.

I remember Forget-me-nots very well from my childhood in Europe, where it grows by the roadside as a weed in most countries. I always loved the delicate, tiny blue flowers that made you think of your loved ones. Faces from my past come crowding back every time I look at Sara’s Forget-me-nots in our garden.

Forget-me-nots (Myosotis sylvatica) are biennial and prefer a shade garden where they are self-seeding. Sara planted them in the shade of our one and only blossom tree. But they will tolerate almost any light exposure and soil pH, as long as you provide them with adequate moisture.

Sara asked me to mix up another batch of our nutrient solution, since it hadn’t rained for three days and the garden looked thirsty. I started off with Iguana Juice Grow, even though many of the flowers in her garden are already flowering. However, the majority of her perennials are still undergoing their vegetative stage.

This fish-based 100% pure organic fertilizer has resulted in lush vegetative growth throughout our garden. Even the blooms of our Spring Bulbs benefited from the macro and micronutrients in this product. We still have neighbors and passers-by asking us what we feed our garden to make it so outstanding.

We also strengthen the roots of our plants with Piranha, Tarantula, and Voodoo Juice. I mix this threesome into our nutrient solution once every three weeks, to top up the beneficial fungi, bacteria, and microbes colonizing our roots through the use of these products.

Sensi Zym is another Advanced Nutrients product that we use to cleanse our root zones of debris. The over eighty enzymes contained in this product actually consume plant debris in the root area and convert them to easily absorbable nutrients, thus promoting plant growth.

Forget-me-nots are usually grown from seedlings when they are first introduced to your garden. If you want to start them from seed, you must start 8 to 10 weeks indoors, before moving them outdoors in early spring. Forget-me-nots prefer rich soil, with plenty of organic matter.

In order to please our flowers, we mix Grandma Enggy’s Humic Acid and Fulvic Acid into our nutrient solution. These two products are derived from a calcified layer of an organic substance called “leonardite,” that is mined from deep within the ground, usually located above coal beds.

By adding these two products we manage to create the rich, black, humus-filled environment that grew all those healthy vegetables in our grandmothers’ time. Of course all the horse-manure that Sara carts in, as well as our composted kitchen parings help as well, but Humic and Fulvic work miracles with soil (they can also be used in hydroponic gardens), causing plants to thrive as never before.

Forget-me-nots don’t mind being crowded together, but you should never allow them to dry out. Some sources suggest trimming spent blooms, in order to prevent reseeding and allow existing flowers to last longer. We prefer to leave the spent blooms so the plant can reseed. In this way, we have Forget-me-nots in Sara’s garden, year after year.

Also called Garden Forget-me-nots or Wood Forget-me-nots, Myosotis sylvatica is synonymous with Myosotis alpestris or Myosotis oblongata. It is susceptible to the Arabis mosaic nepovirus, Carnation ringspot dianthovirus, Cymbidium ringspot tombusvirus, Tobacco rattle tombavirus, Tobacco ringspot nepovirus, and the Tomato black ring nepovirus. However, it does not seem to be susceptible to the Tulip Breaking Virus, so we’re lucky.

Just in case, I am respraying the entire garden tomorrow morning with Scorpion Juice and have remembered to add Barricade in the proper amount for week 7 of vegetative growth. Next week I’ll be adding three-quarters Iguana Juice Grow and one quarter Iguana Juice Bloom in preparation for a switch over to the bloom cycle.

Some of the pathogens that Forget-me-nots are NOT susceptible to include Papaya ringspot potyvirus, Strawberry latent ringspot nepovirus, and the Carnation mottle carmovirus. They’re also immune to the Watermelon mosaic 1 potyvirus, the Sweet Potato mild mottle ipomovirus, and the Tobacco necrosis necrovirus.

After several hours of diligent research on the Internet my head is reeling, so I’ll leave reporting on the rest of this flower patch and their susceptibilities until next week.

posted by Tim at 8:54 PM | 0 comments

Wednesday, May 02, 2007





































Chlorotic Tulips Used to Fetch Outrageous Prices

We went away for three days and asked a neighbor to keep an eye on our garden. When we came home, our many, many tulips were flourishing, except for a red variety that Sara first planted over four years ago. Last year it had perfectly healthy blooms. Now they appeared streaked with white, irregular lines.

At the same time, Sara discovered a few aphids on one of our roses. After a few hours of research on the Internet, I came up with the answer. The aphids and the streaked tulips were interconnected. Our red tulips had been infected with Tulip Breaking Virus (TBV), also known as Tulip Mosaic Virus, the most common viral infection of tulips. This virus, along with many others, is vectored or transmitted by aphids.

“Broken” tulips at one time were considered rare and extremely valuable in parts of Europe. One bulb in the early seventeenth century sold for the price of a house. It’s hard to believe, but paintings of broken tulips by some of the Dutch Masters were cheaper to buy than the bulbs themselves.

Since the cause of the chlorotic streaking was unknown, in those days people believed that it was the result of planting the bulbs at an unsuitable depth, applying too much manure, using too rich or too poor soil, or inclement weather.

It’s only in the last eight decades that the virus infection has been recognized as the true cause. The variegated color scheme on the tulip petals is caused by an irregular distribution of anthocyanin. Today, the virus’ DNA has been mapped and it can easily be detected and identifies by serological and molecular techniques.

The best way to deal with this viral infestation is removing and destroying all the affected bulbs, before the aphids can spread the virus to any other vulnerable plants, such as lilies.

Sara has some daylilies growing in the same garden patch as our broken tulips, so she’s thinking of digging them up and putting them into pots so they can be safely removed from the vicinity of the infection. It’s a good idea not to plant tulips again in the same soil for at least a year.

As far as the aphids go, a thorough spraying of Scorpion Juice is warranted. This very effective Advanced Nutrients product has protected most of our plants by imparting an induced systemic resistance to most pathogens and pests throughout our garden.

However, the tulip bulbs in question were old and of a strain extremely susceptible to viral infections. Most of our tulips are doing just fine and are unaffected by the virus or the aphids. This is due largely to our regular spraying with Scorpion Juice.

We also mix Barricade into our watering tank. Barricade is a Potassium Silicate product that strengthens the cell walls of all our plants and makes it extremely hard for insects and pathogens to penetrate this line of defence.

Since we feed all our plants organically, we hesitate to use any chemical insect repellent. The most we ever do is perhaps a mild soap solution to wash away spider mites and their webs or to keep aphids at bay. There are safe soaps on the market that do not hurt plants.

My first thought when I saw the chlorosis on the tulips was iron deficiency, but since we feed our plants a fish based, 100% organic fertilizer, Iguana Juice Grow and Bloom, I was puzzled. Aren’t fish supposed to be high in iron? They I checked the ingredients and saw that it also had kelp extract in it, which definitely has a high iron content.

Another product that we mix into our watering solution is Sensi Cal Grow, which is replete with a whole array of micronutrients, including iron DPTA, iron EDDHA, and iron EDTA. So the idea of iron deficiency was soon ruled out by me.

Just think, if we lived in 1637 in Amsterdam we could sell one of our chlorotic bulbs and buy a house for the price of it! Even in those days this was considered folly, and cartoons of the period lampoon the excesses of the tulip market, which soon went bust because so many speculators tried to make a quick buck.

posted by Tim at 8:40 PM | 0 comments