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I saw an interesting and exotic-looking item called a dragon fruit at the grocery store.  What exactly is a dragon fruit? 

Dragon fruit, sometimes known as “pitaya,” is a common name for a fruit that grows on several species of tropical cactuses. Dragon fruits are often red, pink or fuchsia on the outside with white flesh on the inside with small, edible, black seeds.  It has a very striking appearance inside and out.  Some dragon fruits have yellow skin or red flesh.  The fruits have a mild, sweet taste and can be eaten fresh (without skin) or converted into various juices or teas. The fruits are grown commercially in Central and South America, South Asia and Australia.

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I want to plant some bulbs this fall for spring color, but I want something different – not just yellow daffodils or red tulips.  Any suggestions?

There are many less common bulbs that perform well in Georgia such as galanthus, camassia, muscari, ipheion, alliums, scilla, dichelostemma or triteleia.  But don’t write off daffodils and tulips.  They offer more variety than you may think.  How about green tulips such as ‘Deirdre’ or ‘Spring Green’ or tulips so dark they are a deep chocolate purple?  How about pink-cupped daffodils, white daffodils or hoop petticoat daffodils?  Spring-flowering bulbs are in garden centers now. You can also check out the many varieties of bulbs available from mail-order catalogs.  Many of these companies have websites so you don’t even have to wait to receive their catalog – just place your order online.  

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Is there going to be another oral rabies vaccine distribution this year to help prevent the spread of rabies by raccoons?

Yes.  The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services and other cooperating agencies will be distributing a vaccine that orally vaccinates wild raccoons against rabies. Since raccoons are a prime carrier of rabies, this program will help prevent the spread of the disease and protect humans, dogs, cats and wildlife.  A vaccine packet is placed inside a fishmeal block, which is very tasty to raccoons.  The baits are dropped from low-flying airplanes, or by local teams on foot or in vehicles. This year’s project will run October 10 – October 20.  This year’s target area in Georgia will be Catoosa County, a large portion of Chattooga, Dade, Walker and Whitfield counties and a small portion of Murray County. The vaccine will be distributed simultaneously in areas of Alabama and Tennessee as well.  The development of an effective barrier against rabies usually requires several years of annual bait distributions and increased monitoring and surveillance.  For more information call USDA Wildlife Services at 1-866-USDA-WS (1-866-487-3297) or the Georgia Division of Public Health at 706-295-6650.

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Can I eat mushrooms that sprout in my yard?

If you are not sure a mushroom is safe, don’t eat it.  Some common mushrooms are poisonous or even deadly.  Study, take classes, go on field trips with mycologists or mushroom experts and become a member of the Mushroom Club of Georgia www.gamushroomclub.org/index.html.  Mushrooms are fascinating, and foraging for them and cultivating them can be rewarding.  However, until you are sure of the identity of a mushroom, you should not eat it. 

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Q. Who should I contact about gas pumps that are shorting customers?

A. Concerns about gas quality or quantity should be reported to the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Fuel & Measures Office at 404-656-3605. Please have the pump number and the name and address of the station as well as the time of your purchase.  This will aid our inspectors in checking out the problem. You may also call 1-800-282-5852 and someone will transfer you to the Fuel & Measures Office.

If you have questions or problems with products or services regulated by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, you may contact the Office of Consumer Services, 19 Martin Luther King Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30334 or call 404-656-3645 (Metro Atlanta) or 1-800-282-5852 (state wide).