# For those of you w/ a tough growing season/year



## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

I'm trying to find info. but based on local observations...I'd be willing to say that Maine has has a decent growing season....things like potatoes and broc. 
I know the cow farmers have had abundant hay and the corn for silage looks like it has made up for later planting.... regular rain and decent temps...last years corn crop was the biggest in 20yr for our neighbor but 2 yrs ago was his smallest....my sweet corn is excellent this year.

So keep your eye out for Maine produce

http://www.google.com/url?q=http://...MQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNFQeUk4bMurnXvO_1r6d6pbNqKzKA


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

I don't think the rain in July was as widespread in Aroostook as this report makes it sound...

My potatoes are SUPER.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

my garden is awful. I have lots and lots of tomatoes, that never turned red. My squash and zucchini rotted on the vine. 
The best thing growing right now is the pumpkins coming out of a compost heap.
my strawberries came in small and early, grapes withered on the vine (the bunches were looking so perfect). My friends are having similar problems, and it looks like the apples are doing nicely.


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

My own personal garden needs about another 3 weeks & plenty of hot temps followed by massive amounts of sunshine. My shade issue with neighbor's trees have hit critical mass no longer can I grow past it, mirrors or no mirrors.
I'm readjusting my focus to cold frames & my green house since once the leaves are gone in 6 weeks my backyard is as bright as day.

The past few days it's been mid Sept. weather instead of August and so far today feels and is starting to look like late Sept. Now sure what this means for the crops around my city as I haven't been out side city limits this Summer. No reason to until gleaning time comes (Western NY).


~~ pelenaka ~~
http://thirtyfivebyninety.blogspot.com/


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

Great garden here!!!! the tomaotes kinda sucked this year but they are doing ok now.


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## Rainy (Jan 21, 2010)

Cukes, and squash vines just burned up with the temps so awful.. Still have lots of green tomatoes that ripen one at a time..the vines look bad though..
We have a bumper crop of different types of peppers... and our four okra plants have just now started producing... weather issues took its toll this year... oh i am in central kansas


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## siletz (Oct 5, 2010)

We were cooler than average earlier in the season, so everything's a bit late here in Oregon this year. We've had a wonderful August, though.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

This growing season for my area was about like many others. Some things did very well and other things did very poorly. That's why I always advocate planting a variety of items ... if something doesn't do well then other things probably will.


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

As Siletz wrote...things are behind here in Oregon's Willamette Valley.
I planted Beans in May, yesterday I finally got to pick some for dinner, Zucchini is finally ready for harvest (May planting), Potatoes? We've decided to not plant them next year because they produced so little for the effort and water. Tomatoes are still green, picked our first Cucumbers last week. In the orchard things aren't looking good, when the Apples were in flower it was still too chilly for our Bees to be out and about, some trees don't have any fruit, others just a few.
It looks like we will be buying Apples, Peaches and Pears from EZ Orchards again this year.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I think this season has been much like every other gardening season I have experienced - in 5 states. There were some good points and some bad one. all in all, we're averaging a good harvest. Better from some things that others. I've come to expect it.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Very dry here. The ground is so powdery that I could "dig" potatoes by sticking my fingers in and scooping them out. We usually get close to a bushel of potatoes per row. We got half that off two rows and even less off the other rows. 

I got two pickings from the green beans before the heat and bugs got them. Beets have been planted 3 times but the heat and dry has burned them off before they got a good start. A lot of stuff just didn't come up due to being so dry. 

I usually harvest a gallon or more of dry pinto beans from one row planted on a couple cattle panels. This year ONE plant came up. Its growing and spreading all over the fence but no beans.

Sweet potatoes look good but a little wilted. It will be October before we dig them so *if *they don't die and *ifwe get good rains in September we should have a good harvest of sweet potatoes.*


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## lemonthyme7 (Jul 8, 2010)

Here in NW Pa we got some things in late but all in all things are looking pretty good. My tomatoes aren't ripe but that is my fault (not the weather's) for getting them in late. The corn that the farmers were worried about because they almost didn't get it in on time is now looking very good. Our apples trees are LOADED because we never got a frost after the first of May. The nut trees are also loaded with nuts - even the beech nuts. The squirrels should be happy this autumn. My cucumbers did blight but others have done well. I think we were pretty lucky here. We did have a time where it was almost too dry but we got rain just in time.


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## whiskeylivewire (May 27, 2009)

My apple gourds are doing wonderful...too bad you can't eat em! DS12 intends to dry them out and sell them for birdhouses so hopefully that will give him some money. 

Those things took up the WHOLE garden...two plants. Next year if we grow them I'm growing them on a fence!


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## TNHermit (Jul 14, 2005)

Worse garden i have had in 11 years i been here. had lots of tomatoes only cause I planted 200 plants. Don't know what caused it but except or beans almost nothing would germinate this year. Even after 4-5 tries ????


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

I sprout beans and corn before planting....just with paper towels and plastic dishes...


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## Ellie Mae (Jan 18, 2011)

this has been my worst season ever.
I have had gardens the majority of the past 30 yrs and is one of my few hobbies.

I doubled the garden with great anticipation this spring and got far less than I normally do in a "bad" year.
We did a check of the daily temps since mid May and have only had two days under 90+ and less rain than normal.

I literally cried as I pulled up 60+ broccoli plants that had bolted close to harvest time, big beautiful plants just forming heads, along with 100's of spinach plants, radishes, lettuces and cabbages...
the Roma tomatos that normally go like gangbusters are half the normal size even with regular watering and soaker hoses.
We do a combination of large raised beds and rows using cattle panels for the beans and climbers and have gotten a few decent batches of pole & butter beans, but nothing compared to what was planted.
Our temp is near 106 at the moment, high humidity and no end in sight!
not sure how well that bodes for planting a fall garden, am a bit discouraged at the moment after all that work, but the first "coolish" day am sure I will be right back out there, unless it's snowing, lol.


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

We are sprouting here to supplement garden produce for the table.
I did go on a canning binge last week and canned about 100 quarts of veggies from our garden, but that is only 1/3 the amount we usually put up.
Replanting empty beds with spinich, carrots, turnips and salad ingredients. Hoping we don't have to get in the canned goods till snow time.
Planted a small bed of austrailian peas. I don't think I'll get a crop of peas, but we will use for salads with our romain plants, I hope.
Garlic did the best this year. But I never thought I would have to think of garlic as a food group.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

Took this 3 days ago.


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## whiterock (Mar 26, 2003)

Cyng, you need some of my grasshoppers to get all that green stuff out of there so it can look like mine., LOL
Ed


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

Pelenaka and I are essentially in the same area. We had a lot of hot weather early in the season, but it has since cooled down. Everything seemed to be sort of stunted this year even with all of the watering we did. Now that we are getting regular rainfall, it is making a difference and our garden is really starting to do well.

We have lots of tomatoes that are just starting to turn red. The pepper plants were started in a greenhouse and are still only 10 inches tall. I have my doubts that they wil produce anything of value this year. The callaloo is 4 1/2 ft tall and the 2 year old collards are doing well, so hubby is pleased with that. Melons and white cucumbers are doing well. I haven't tried digging up any of the volunteer potatoes. Overall, it just seems like a sorry crop, compared to previous years. Tomatoes are probably the only things that will be canned from the garden. Everything else will be eaten fresh. Time to stock up on canned goods or visit the farmers market for produce to can.


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## TNHermit (Jul 14, 2005)

Just went out and thought I would pick dry beans. got to picking and the pods (all puff up) are there but they are empty!!. Be lucky to get my seed back. Dang!!!


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

Ed, maybe you need some of my chickens to help with the grasshopper bounty?


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## whiterock (Mar 26, 2003)

Growin some right now. The red headed grandson has been catchin hoppers and throwin em in the pen to train em to hunt hoppers. I'm envious of your garden, everything was eaten to the ground except for certain weeds and they are kept pruned down. I also noticed some wet ground in the furrows, can't afford to wet mine.
Ed


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## fetch33 (Jan 15, 2010)

It's been too hot for the green beans to produce. Onions are done and are rather small. Squash borers got the zuchinni and squash. Tomatoes suffered during the heat but are now growing again. Have some peppers that are getting ready to pick. Cabbage hasn't grown much in 2 months and has yet to form heads. Our grape vine has exploded though and we got about 15 bunches of grapes this year for the very first time in 7 years.


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## tab (Aug 20, 2002)

Between *****, deer, heat, dry, too much rain early, blight, been humid but no rain later, weeds, bugs and giving up, my garden is the worst it has ever been. Seeds did not germinate well here either. Got to a point of drought, rain went north and south several times, as in a mile or so. Now it is raining and cool. A good reason to have more than one year put by. Last year was not great either, good thing I am stubborn as am already thinking about the next one.


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

The garden did as expected... About half the stuff did well the other half... Not so much. That's why I plant for dry or wet conditions... You almost always get one or the other.

Potatoes suffered the wet conditions of spring. Then the rain went north or south of us for about 8 weeks. Now with the rain back they will make a harvest but only about half of what would be expected. Carrots, beets, and corn liked the weather. They all are doing or did well. The corn did so well it made ears on the suckers. Most plants had more than 3 ears. One had 5. The little plants that could..  I got a bushel of beets from a 30 foot row and 3/4 bushel of carrots from thinning a 30 foot row.
Green beans liked the weather before it rained again. We got 2 full bushels from about 90 ft of row. Probably about a half bushel more to pick yet. But they have stopped blooming.
Zucchini and yellow squash made tons... We ate a bunch and are selling a bunch.
Cucumbers even planted late are doing well and we have many jars of refrigerator pickles and a 6 gallon bucket fermenting. I will make a few more batches of dills and maybe have some to sell.

Tomatoes are still green but getting large finally. I always have to pick them green and store them. It gets too cold at night very early in fall.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

Ed, I water the trenches between the rows by pumping from my gray water pond. It doubles as duck pond so gets lots of fertilization. I cut the gray water lines away from the toilets and run everything except toilets into the pond.


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## Pouncer (Oct 28, 2006)

My garden produced, and is producing, about as well as I could expect considering the cool and damp conditions. It is much better than last year which was very cloudy and cool as well. 

The saying for here is: There are lean years, and there are bean years. Last year was definitely a lean year, lol, and this one slightly better. Stuff in the greenhouse is thriving as usual!


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## Leister Square (Feb 7, 2010)

Awesome idea Cyngbaled! I have to cover everything with shade cloth past about May any year. Still gets crispy even with lots of water. At least my tomatoes did well this year, but not for a long extended season like I'd prefer. My peppers are horrible. Tiny little things the size of big gum balls and they turn red so they're definitely not getting any bigger...


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## Cascade Failure (Jan 30, 2007)

mpillow said:


> I don't think the rain in July was as widespread in Aroostook as this report makes it sound...
> 
> My potatoes are SUPER.


My parents are in the County. Not a good year for them hay or garden wise.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

I just picked 6 red tomatoes...3 fat cukes...7 ears of sweet corn

Cyng...love the idea! have you seen the documentary about India how step wells were dug near tall trees then the irrigation was also a series of steps in sort of an l-shaped terracing/ponding to conserve water from monsoon season?....very interesting and applicable....
We sit on China Lake water table....the water on a dry year is 3-5ft below the surface...more than not its a puddle!


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

I direct seeded tomatoes on July 1, according to the TAMU schedule for my zone. Some quit, a bunch didn't come up at all, several are growing very slowly and one is growing gangbusters and has been from the time it came up. We've had triple digits nearly every day since it was planted in full sun. It is now big enough for suckers so I've snipped the first 3 off and have them rooting. It budded, but I snipped off the buds to give it a chance to grow a bit more. I won't snip the next batch of buds because I want to see if it will indeed set fruit in this heat. If not, I at least will have a nice big tomato plant once the heat abates some and at least 3 clones off it. (Not sure what variety since I forgot to write it on the collar, but I'll know when it fruits as it is either Carbon Black, Cour de Bui, or Reisentraube).


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## Leister Square (Feb 7, 2010)

I started tomato seeds indoors to plant out in Mid September. They will definitely need to be acclimated to the heat slowly. Last year I did that and we had an unusual freeze around Thanksgiving. I was out of town and hubbie didn't get them covered in time. Those tomatoes were about 3 feet high and *covered* in booms! So this year, we'll know better. Usually any freezes we get are around Christmas to just after new years so this was a surprise! I did have some volunteers in August last year but they were puny.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

My cowpeas are growing like mad and covered in blooms. Saw a small pod on one. I'll be eating squash in about a week or so.


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## CareysRN (Jul 6, 2018)

Cyngbaeld said:


> Ed, I water the trenches between the rows by pumping from my gray water pond. It doubles as duck pond so gets lots of fertilization. I cut the gray water lines away from the toilets and run everything except toilets into the pond.


I know this is an older post but I was considering using a gray water pond for duck pond also and was wondering how well it worked for you and if there were any problems.


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## montysky (Aug 21, 2006)

CareysRN said:


> I know this is an older post but I was considering using a gray water pond for duck pond also and was wondering how well it worked for you and if there were any problems.


CareysRN, welcome to the group. Cyngaeld has passed (rip) she is missed one of the good ones.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

We live north of 60 parallel and we have never had a failure in the garden. It is a very short season but we get perfect growing temperatures, just the right amount of rain and of course 20 to 24 hours of sunlight. We cannot keep up with the produce. Pick all the beans and three days later there are even more. The biggest farm near us is the Grain Farm and they also grow Yukon Gold Potatoes, cabbage, carrots and beets. The flavour is incredible and the I have never seen a cabbage that big that was not overblown in taste and texture.

Over the past decade the number of farms, allotments and personal gardens has grown incredibly along with many greenhouses. Even an apple orchard in Dawson City. Self reliance has sure been helped by the government agriculture department and agronomists. They have also been experimenting with heritage crops. I never knew that the original colour of a carrot was purple.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

It has been a crazy growing season here. Too hot too early and much to wet to get into the garden. I ended up planting without tilling which was difficult and the ground is like cement. Its now turned dry as well as hot so the top couple of inches of soil is powder over cement! Blight on tomatoes came early so it remains to be seen if I have a harvest. Sweet potatoes had to be planted twice but currently look good. Attacks by bugs and birds eliminated the need to pick raspberries. No potatoes got planted. Peppers look good, zucchini is starting to blight, okra looks good, chard and kale both are doing good. Beets and carrot seeds got washed around in early deluges but some are growing. Onions are small and good, but small onions don't keep and I don't need anymore dehydrated. All in all I'm very thankful for what I do have and even more thankful food is still available in the grocery store. I'd be in very sad condition if this were a "survival" garden.


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## lmrose (Sep 24, 2009)

Today it is raining! This is the third rain all year! It was so dry most of our varieties of potatoes were small except for the Yukon Queens which sized up. We are also having wire worms in the potatoes which hasn't happened in many years. The carrots have rust fly . Cucumbers and tomatoes are doing very well as is table beets, mangles; swiss chard and corn. The squash looks good and is almost ready to harvest . We replanted lettuce as slugs ate it off the first time. Rhubarb, Onions and garlic did good. We planted peanuts for the first time and a rabbit ate the tops off but since that is all he wanted we can live with him in the garden! All herbs did well. Really every year is similar as some things do well and others don't. We eat more of what is abundant and less of what didn't do well. We can't change the weather so have to adapt.


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## ticndig (Sep 7, 2014)

lmrose said:


> We planted peanuts for the first time and a rabbit ate the tops off


 If a rabbit ate the tops do you expect to get any peanuts ? the top of the plant bows over,goes back underground and thats where the peanuts form . I would remove the rabbit for sure.


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## 4tu (Jul 24, 2018)

peanut flavored rabbit sounds great !


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

Can we go back to location being listed under are names? Hate that we have to cluck on profile to know location.


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## lmrose (Sep 24, 2009)

ticndig said:


> If a rabbit ate the tops do you expect to get any peanuts ? the top of the plant bows over,goes back underground and thats where the peanuts form . I would remove the rabbit for sure.


Hi thanks for the information. We have never grown peanuts before. I guess we are getting soft as we get older. The rabbit doesn't bother anything else and seems to not be afraid of us so we are kind of getting attached to him/her! I have been looking for where he enters but haven't found the place yet. Have a nice day. Linda


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Forcast said:


> Can we go back to location being listed under are names? Hate that we have to cluck on profile to know location.


It's on the right side of the top line in each post, just under the join date. Not everyone chooses to fill it out.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

I'm in Northern Iowa - As soon as it was dry enough I had my garden tilled and planted it. Then it stopped raining which continues through today. We've had a few showers lately but the soil is still powder. To say this garden is dismal is probably giving it too much credit. Fortunately we missed the derecho that laid waste to the the central portion of the state.


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## lmrose (Sep 24, 2009)

Here in southwest Nova Scotia it has been a very dry year. One mild downpour in August and one in September. Even though we watered what we could our squash failed and are smaller like a average tomato. Tomatoes are not near as plentiful as last year. Potatoes average from the size of a golf ball to normal big depending on the variety. Broccoli, herbs, carrots, parsnips, garlic all did good. Onions almost blighted but recovered and doing well . Cabbage looks good. Corn was delicious and growing good until the raccoons got in it! Beets also did good. Most things got watered . We had a well dug this summer at the farm because we are getting too old to haul barrels of water from the lake with a cart and old lawn tractor. Our old well at the house trailer went dry today. Did the same last year September. We only had squash and tomatoes planted at the trailer which we won't do again. We are at the farm most of the time so the squash and tomatoes at the trailer property didn't get watered. Out of sight out of mind even if only a mile away. Next year all planting will be at the farm. The trailer is really just a winter home for a few months. Like always some crops do well and others don't. What ever grows is what we preserve for winter and early Spring.


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## Rodeo's Bud (Apr 10, 2020)

We usually only get a day or two of rain all summer. Even in a state that has a reputation for being rainy. This year we had maybe one sort of rainy day IIRC.

I put in a drip system in the raised beds. Hook hose up to house faucet, turn on.

I do it when I let the dog out in the morning, then turn off in 30 minutes or so before work.

It has made it so much easier, and the garden doesn't get forgotten for days on end like last year.

It also saves a ton of water. I used mainly adjustable drips at each plant, and separate valves at the end of each bed.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Our drought continues although we've had rain the last two days. Maybe 1½ to 2 inches. Not enough to break the drought but very very welcome! Temps on Sunday were 90º and today's *high *was in lower 50's. I had to turn the heat on last night.

I canned diced tomatoes last week and decided any further canning would be juice. I assume due to the drought the tomatoes were woody inside. Today I made juice and it turned out good. I use a Squeezo and I noticed a lot of "woody" pulp along with the seeds and skins so I think my decision to only do juice is right. The weather is supposed to warm up next week so maybe I'll get more ripe tomatoes. The plants are infected with clouds of white fly which I've never had before. Also, a muskrat has been stealing tomatoes and eating chunks out of others. The muskrat got all of my neighbor's tomatoes from his 4 plants. I chased it off and whacked it a few times as it went and haven't noticed it since.

When I shopped last week I was amazed at how fast and how much prices are rising. I'm thankful for my pantry and garden as it somewhat insulates me from the higher prices since I can choose not to buy to replace what I've used. Aldi seems to be holding the line on prices more than the other stores. I'm being more thoughtful and prayerful before I shop these days. I'm also browsing the thrift stores for clothing now that they've reopened. I don't need clothing, but feel it wise to stock up while its available.


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