And You Thought Jalapenos Were Spicy

By the Mother Earth News editors

BITS AND PIECES

Word Search

Cheryl McLeod, a MOTHER subscriber from Sumter, S.C., sent in the word-search game below. We were flattered that she took the time and we thought it was a great idea. The hidden words in the puzzle are arranged so they go up, down, forwards, backwards, and diagonally. If you get stumped, turn to page 95 for the answers.

Words from MOTHER:

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South Carolina Scorcher

Ouweeeeee! They've just come up with a new kind of cayenne pepper that's so hot it hurts. The Charleston Hot cayenne is 20 times hotter than a jalapeño-seems some folks are slaves to pain. Plant pathologist David Dukes of the Agricultural Research Service in South Carolina hit on this sizzling pepper purely by chance. He was trying to breed a strain of cayenne resistant to root knot, a disease that leaves plant roots gnarly and stunts growth. Thinking the pepper smelled a bit pungent, Dukes took a sample taste-and nearly seared his taste buds. We all know people who crave a good hit of Tabasco on their T-bone or burger, but why would anyone want a pepper this hot? Lots of reasons, says Dukes. Spice companies appreciate them because they get more heat mileage per pepper, gardeners like them because cayenne's "hot" chemical (cap sesin) keeps pests away, and of course pepper lovers love them because the hotter the better. Gardeners will also be happy to know that Charleston Hot cayennes not only provide more bang per pepper, but they yield a healthy amount of peppers per plant, too. Plus, each pepper grows approximately as long as a good-size string bean. They start out as half-inch pods and just keeping getting larger and hotter. Now don't run out rashly and devour one out of sheer curiosity. You could get hurt. As much he loves Charleston Hots straight up, Dukes warns the inexperienced that such painful pepper eating is simply not for amateurs. The safest way to enjoy a Charleston Hot, of course, is to watch someone else eat one. However, if you can't resist a challenge, start out with small doses in cooked dishes; chili's a good choice. Then, if you still can't take the heat, pick them early, split them open, and take out the seeds and placenta. That'll cool things down a little.

According to Dukes: If you can hack it, there's nothing like eating one raw. "You get a high from it," he says, "It's sorta like jogging. You get a feeling of well-being." As for the story behind the pepper's name, it's a simple one. "If you've ever been in Charleston in July, you know it's hot," Dukes says with a hearty chuckle. If you're ready to brave the heat, send a SASE for Charleston Hot seeds to Foundation Seeds Inc., 1162 Cherry Road, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 226340393. No requests before September.

Tiptoe While Helping The Hungry

Tulips-those egg-shaped flowers that have beautified our yards and inspired painters for years-aren't just waving in the breeze, looking gorgeous. These days they're helping to end world hunger. That doesn't mean you should spend your summer harvesting and freezing them. What you should do is buy an Ivory Floradale Tulip from Burpee Seeds-profits from the sale go directly to farming programs in struggling countries. The Cooperative of American Relief Everywhere, or CARE, a world-relief and development organization, runs the program and is working with Burpee on the Somalian hunger problem at the moment. Seeds for onions, tomatoes, watermelons, peppers, carrots, lettuce, beets, and cabbage are already on the way to Somalia, in time for the spring planting season. Described as an "attractive and hearty flower," the Ivory Floradale Tulip grows strong and comes back full force every spring. With most other tulips, only a few of the original number you planted will grow back, says Chela Kleiber of Burpee. Folks can order the flower from Burpee's catalog, which is due out in June. To order, call 800/283-5159.

Post It With Plastic

Four miles north of Churchville, Virginia, stands Roger Pitsenbarger's 40-acre picturesque farm, partially enclosed in milk cartons, plastic soda bottles, and cable television wires. It was Ralph Kirtland of Staunton, Virginia, who figured out a way to recycle the plastic discardables into fence posts-74 of them to be exact. Kirtland came up with the idea while working at Brass Ring Enterprises Inc., a company he operates with his father. Together they recycle scrap cable TV wire. Until recently the plastic had simply been thrown out-then Kirtland found out that dumping it in a landfill was costing his company $1,300 per month. So he came up with the creative idea of making plastic posts. Each one is six inches in diameter and black (due to the black wire). Although he can't tell us how he makes them yet (he's waiting for a patent), he promises to share his secrets with us as soon as he gets one. In the meantime, Pitsenbarger plans to replace the rest of his fence posts with the plastic. "I like them," he says. "They always look like they've been freshly painted."

Editor's Note: Send your interesting news items to "Bits and Pieces,"

MOTHER EARTH NEWS

, P. O. Box 129, Arden, NC 28794.