All of the major fruit jar research books out there are out of print. There has been some discussion about reprinting Dick Roller's "Standard Fruit Jar Reference." There is also the two part Creswick book entitled "The Fruit Jar Works" and two classic books from the 1970s namely "Bottle Makers and Their Marks" by Julian Harrison Toulouse, 1971 and "A Collector's Manual, Fruit Jars" by Julian Harrison Toulouse, 1969.

To learn more about the value of fruit jars I recommend the Red Book of Fruit Jars #9 by Doug Leybourne. You can order the book post paid for $35 from the author by writing him at P.O. Box 5417, N. Muskegon, MI 49445. You can also purchase the book on-line at www.fruitjars.com

The manufacture of fruit jars really didn't take off until after the civil war. Before the war, canning jars (many were actually large, heavy, bulky enamel lined cans) were expensive and difficult to use. Mason's patent was issued in 1858 but it wasn't until the Consolidated Fruit Jar Company began making jars after the war did the Mason jar really begin catching on.

A Guide to Historic Alexandria is the latest book on Alexandria's history, produced by the City of Alexandria 250th Anniversary Commission. This 144-page lavishly illustrated book is published by Time Life and written by nationally recognized historian and local resident William Seale. This lasting memento of Alexandria's 250th Anniversary can be ordered from The Lyceum Museum Shop for $12.95 by calling 703/838-4994 or by mail order.

In industrial facilities, radioactive substances are available that some people have used to expose old glass in an effort to change its color. Since the radiation in these substances can be especially potent, the change in color may be astonishingly deep. Usually these jars are either dark purple or kind of a sickly dark brown color depending on what chemical originally was used to clarify the glass.

About alternate history itself? There are a number of anthologies, but only one also includes non-fiction material about the genre, to wit an essay and a bibliography (by Gordon B. Chamberlain). It is: Waugh, Charles, G., & Martin H. Greenberg (eds), ALTERNATIVE HISTORIES: ELEVEN STORIES OF THE WORLD AS IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN (Garland 1986) Unhappily, the book was only published in hardback and can be difficult to find.

There are finally a number of good quality, properly developed ''hedgehog foods'' starting to appear on the market. While I have outlined these in the following section [6.3], I can see things soon reaching the point where using one of these foods will no longer be the 'best' thing to do, but the 'only' appropriate course of action. Unfortunately, they are not yet well established or widely available, enough, for me to take that position.

Collectors frequently refer to these numbers as "mold numbers." However, in some cases, this term oversimplifies what the numbers represented. Originally when jars were blown by hand, the number represented a specific glass blower and his team. At the end of the day the blower and his team would get paid for the amount of jars they produced as determined by the number of jars made with a given number on them. I.E.

Square jars were considered a design improvement because a homemaker could stack more jars together in less space thus allowing a family to put up more food in their small cellars or cupboards. Square Jars were made for the Smalley Fruit Jar Co. Boston, Mass in the late 1890s. Other square jars date from the 20s, 30s and later. The value of square shaped jars tends to be higher than round as it seems that fewer square jars were made.

When manufacturers produce glass, chemicals (clarifying agents) must be added to clarify the batch in order to turn it from its original color of aqua-blue or green to clear. Prior to the start of the First World War, manufacturers used Manganese Dioxide as their chemical agent of choice to clarify glass. When a jar or bottle turns purple from sunlight, manganese dioxide is the substance in the glass that reacts with sunlight to cause the color change.

You should make a list and then determine how much your jars are worth by consulting a reputable price guide. (Like the Red Book.) Once you know what you have and what it's worth, swap meets are always good places. If you have a booth or know of anyone that has a booth at an antique mall you could try that. You might even try selling them at a yard sale.

There have been new reproduction fruit jars from China turning up in antique malls for outrageous prices but they're worth about $6-$8 each. The regular old zinc lids don't fit right and the aluminum lids that come with them are new and shiny giving away the jar's recent manufacture. These reproductions are copies of the old Hero jars made in the 1880s. As a collector these new jars usually have a poor quality to their color and the glass has a slicker than usual feel.

The Consolidated Fruit Jar Company was in business at New Brunswick, New Jersey from 1871 to about 1908. In 1859, Mason sold five of his early patents, including the mason jar, to Lewis R. Boyd and Boyd's company - The Sheet Metal Screw Company. Boyd is most famous for patenting a white "milk-glass" insert for zinc screw lids to theoretically lessen the chances that food would come in contact with metal.

You can subscribe to the Fruit Jar News (formerly newsletter) by writing to: FJN Publishers Inc. 364 Gregory Avenue, West Orange, NJ 07052-3743. Subscription rate is $14 postpaid.

Yes, jars in amber, cornflower blue, olive green, etc. are worth more because fewer of them were made and they are in great demand by collectors. The amber jars were made that way as an attempt to keep fruit from turning brown. The amber glass kept out the harmful effect of light rays on the contents of the jar. However, the jars were less popular with homemakers because the contents were more difficult to see.

Well, the Ball, Kerr or Atlas jars tend to be fairly common. However, some jars can be worth more depending on the actual embossing. (Especially dealing with Ball jars.) Jars with unusually bright colors are worth more. These were generally made at the end of a run and contain sediments and chemicals that color the glass. Amber colored jars tend to be worth more than clear or aqua jars, but this is not a hard and fast rule either.

You can try the following Internet sources: http://www.homecanning.com/ http://www.weckcanning.com http://www.homecanningsupply.com/ Creswick, Alice: The Fruit Jar Works, Volumes I & II. Published by Douglas M. Leybourne, Jr. N. Muskegon, Mich., 1995. Leybourne, Doug: The Red Book of Fruit Jars Published by Douglas M. Leybourne, Jr. N. Muskegon, Mich., 1993, 2000. A Primer on Fruit Jars by David Hinson. Internet: http://www.av.qnet.com/~glassman/info/b&e/primer.htm

Though it is not specifically geared towards wind controller users, you might look for "The MIDI Companion: The Ins, Outs and Throughs" by Jeff Rona. Another is "Basic MIDI" by Paul White. There are others as well. A search on www.amazon.com will get you started. Also, click here for the Wind Controller Bibliography where you will find a listing of wind controller related articles from past years.

There are many good books published on the Enneagram written by authors representing several of the Enneagram personality types. Some books are light, easy reading, and deal primarily with the descriptions of the nine Enneagram personality types. Other books focus on the Enneagram and its teaching without the more recent personality overlays. Then there are books with more of a spiritual orientation which typically reflect the spiritual and/or religious orientation of the writer.

Librarians are specially trained to assist you with recreational reading choices. Call or stop by the Fiction or Youth Desk any time and our librarians will be happy to make suggestions. Also, see Reading & Listening Recommendations under Ask Us for a newsletter of new books and videos available at your library.