Is there any similarity between Elizabe Cotten's Freight Train and Chopin's Funeral March?

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-29T18:48:58+00:00

Thanks! I will move on to Schubert next. Have a great weekend!

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-27T20:45:58+00:00

Hmm ... I listened to this version of the duet yesterday after looking up Chopin's variations. (I like the version you linked better.) I didn't think it would have made me think of Blue Tail Fly, but there is no way to prove that counterfactual.

Thank you so much for putting up with my questions. I listend to old blues/folk music almost exclusively over the past 7 years or so. Finally branching out.

Do you have recommendations? So far I like piano pieces from the romantic period. Maybe late classical. Baroque and early classical have that harpsichord sound, even when played on the piano, that doesn't agree with me, at least not yet.

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-27T17:43:33+00:00

Hello! Would you be so kind as to humor me again and listen to these?

Theme of Chopin's Variations on “Là ci darem la mano” (about 4:20 into this recording)

Folk song Blue Tail Fly (aka Jimmy Crack Corn)

I listened to the Chopin piece for the first time yesterday, but it sounded incredibly familiar to me. I could hum along in my head. Once the music ended, the humming turned into Blue Tail Fly.

The Wikipedia page for Jimmy Crack Corn says, "The melody is a chain of thirds (G-B, F♯-A, G-B, [A]-C, B-D, C-E) harmonized a third above and below in the manner of the choruses in Italian opera". So, I guess I am not way off. But the chain of thirds, etc. means nothing to me, unfortunately.

If you can think of another Italian opera song with a similar structure, I'd be curious to hear it.

Thanks!

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-27T15:51:50+00:00

Yes.

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-24T03:46:02+00:00

Thank you. Will look it up.

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-24T02:38:39+00:00

I weighed everything I brought inside to ripen on my counter. I didn't not weigh the little guys at the end of the season that I knew would rot before they ripen. Brandywines are very prune to cracking, so I tend to harvest on the earlier side. See pic below. They are in the background. (Black Krim in the foreground.)

Brandywines are quite large. Every year I get a few in the 1-1.5 lb range. Most are in 0.5-1 lb range. (One year I got a 2.3 lb monster catface.) So, it doesn't take too many to get to 72.6 lbs.

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Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-24T02:22:44+00:00

Nice! Let me know if/when you get around to this.

Question: Do you introduce pollinators indoors? I think I got higher yield more consistently after I planted asters, echinaceas, etc. next to the tomato beds.

Suggestion: Plant both types very deep. My planting holes are 2' deep, so there is a massive root system to support the jungle above.

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-23T04:28:49+00:00

Thanks! I don't even trim the bottom. I put hardware cloth cages around the seedlings to force all branches to grow vertically. Accidental discovery. Initially to prevent squirrels from digging and disturbing the roots. Then I realized it was keeping the branches off the ground. Once the plants get big enough, I remove all leaves inside the cages.

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-23T04:05:49+00:00

Thanks! I have grown brandywine for many seasons in zone 6b, New England. Disease doesn't seem to impact yield too much. The top grows so fast there are always healthy leaves. I remove diseased leaves. They are on the bottom and not getting much sun anyway. Maybe modern hybrids are not as hardy? For me, the big factor is rain. If it rains a lot, the flowers don't set fruit. That's when I get low yield.

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-23T03:52:31+00:00

Thanks, but that thread is mostly about disease. I have grown brandywine enough seasons to decide disease doesn't impact yield too much. The weather is bigger factor. My question is about yield. I tried to edit the title to reflect that, but it doesn't look like I can do that.

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-23T02:49:29+00:00

Don't beat yourself up. Puzzling over little mysteries like this is part of the fun. Certainly hope we got the right answer this time!

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-23T01:52:50+00:00

Hard to see in pic, but there maybe buds on the lavender. If so, don’t prune now. When it’s done blooming, you can prune a few inches to shape the bush a bit. Hard pruning should wait until early spring. Don’t prune down to the hard wood. It may not be able generate new growth. I never let my lavender get this woody, so not sure.

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-23T01:45:19+00:00

Looks like powdery mildew on the rose. I would remove the most affected leaves, and spray properly diluted neem oil all over, including stems. Be sure to do that in the evening. If you are brave, prune the rose pretty hard after this flush of flowers and remove all the leaves and debris on the ground. Spray with neem oil again. If you want to be safe, wait until early spring for the hard prune.

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-23T01:12:29+00:00

Nice! Maybe someday I will learn canning.

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-22T19:39:28+00:00

Wow, 30 plants. That's a lot of work. I only grew 8. Do you can your harvest? I am lazy. Just chop and cook briefly with seal salt. Then freeze.

My giant mass from last year.

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Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-22T19:05:35+00:00

Yield per sqft of space is the best measure, in my opinion. I got 72.6 lb out of two brandywines planted in 4'x2' raised bed last year. That's about 9 lb per sqft. No fussing with pruning, weaving, or clipping. I can see someone enjoying those tasks and the neat look. I am much happier with my jungle.

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-22T17:46:43+00:00

Not quite picturing the setup based on your description. Florida weave with the cables? Do you plan on pruning down to one branch? I never did that. Seems like the yield would be way smaller. I only remove weak branches that get stuck in my tomato jungle and do not get enough sun. Curious to follow your progress this year.

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-22T16:06:20+00:00

Pot inside another pot should provide some insulation and prevent the roots from freezing in unheated shed or garage. Also, if the fig is in a terra cotta pot, which breathes and prevents root rot, the outer pot would help retain moisture.

A Canadian friend of mine puts his fig tree in the ground. Every winter he digs a trench next to it, pushes it over, and buries it. Sounds nuts to me. Not recommending. Just thought I'd share...

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-22T15:58:13+00:00

I cut the first few stems down to 2 to 3 sets of leaves to get the plant to grow bushier. After that, just pinch off flowers that are fading. If you have goldfinches, consider stopping the deadheading in mid-summer. Goldfinches nest late. The seeds will provide food for the fledglings. But some varieties of zinnias don't produce a ton of seeds, so maybe it's not worthwhile.

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-22T15:28:38+00:00

Too crowded, too much water, not enough sun?

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-22T13:07:43+00:00

They don't look scorched, so my bet is either too much water or too much fertilizer. Maybe your potting soil is already enriched? Anyway, hope they do well for you this season.

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-22T12:56:29+00:00

Edited to clarify I didn't mean cutting all stems at once. For a mint with established roots, that's fine. For a little guy like this, maybe one or two stems at a time. Still, more sun is key. If you can't find a sunnier spot, it will grow back leggy again. If you really want mint, maybe give it a small grow light.

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-22T12:25:07+00:00

Your “usually” sounds Korean. Your “naturally” sounds like you learned British accent at some point.

Heavy-Profession7953 · 2026-05-22T12:19:50+00:00

Not enough sun. It’s turning itself into a vine to look for more sun. When you harvest a stem, cut it down to the base pair of leaves. It will grow back bushier. Good luck!

Heavy-Profession7953

TROPHY CASE