1933 "all nine yards"

Stephen Goranson goranson at DUKE.EDU
Thu Jun 24 12:30:04 UTC 2010


Though I do not suppose this is directly related to "the whole nine yards" origin, and though Sam gave much of the relevant text, here, if any are stiinterested, is more from (a photocopy of)
Another gardener's bed-book :
a second crop of short and long pieces for those who garden by day and read by night /
Richardson Little Wright
1933
English Book Book xii, 13-336 p. 19 cm.
Philadelphia ; London : J.B. Lippincott company,  page 285. November 6 entry:

6. MECONOPSIS YARDAGE. Up to the moment of writing this paragraph my clippings from the horticultural press of America, England, France and Germany on the subject of Meconopsis, laid end to end, measure nine yards, five and two-thirds inches. This literature is almost as confusing as the opinion on Lupins. Horticulturally speaking, I have tried less than three and a half yards of the advice and can report progress only up to the seedling stage. At that point I confess defeat. By the time I have followed all nine yards of suggestions, I expect Meconopsus will be as common around this place as Calendulas or Crabgrass. Of several necessary conditions I am certain--that the seed should be reasonably fresh, that the soil in which it is sown should be mostly screened leaf mold on the acid side and sand, and [end of page 285]

Stephen Goranson
http://www.duke.edu/~goranson

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