Foaming cleaners and microfiber cloths are usually the best method to handle sinks, toilets and bathtubs. (ADOBE STOCK IMAGE)
Here’s a quick and easy routine to get your bathroom clean fast
By Jolie K err
The Washington Post
TO JUDGE FROM TIKTOK, cleaning a bathroom calls for an eye-popping array of agents and tools. Purple foaming cleaner, pink pastes and white vinegar. Dish soap and baking soda. One bottle of all-purpose spray for the sink, another for the shower and another for the toilet. Electric scrub brushes with multiple attachments. Manual scrub brushes with extendable handles. Short-handled scrub brushes. Squeegees. Smiling sponges. Spin mops. Here in the real world, however, none of that is necessary. If you’re looking for a way to get your bathroom clean, fast, this routine is for you — it relies on just two multipurpose cleaning agents and a low-fi selection of tools that allow you to move swiftly and efficiently from task to task. A word on expectations: If your bathroom is in dire shape (think moldy grout, a toilet with heavy mineral deposit buildup or a bathtub the color of old butter), take care of those deep-cleaning tasks with specialty cleaning agents before instituting this routine, which presumes a baseline level of bathroom maintenance.
What you’ll need
• A disinfecting multisurface cleaner, such as Windex Multi-Surface Disinfectant, that can be used on glass, countertops, the toilet seat and tank, and floor.
• A foaming bathroom cleaner, such as Scrubbing Bubbles or Lysol Power Foam Bathroom Cleaner.
• 3-4 microfiber cloths.
• A toilet brush.
• A broom or vacuum.
• A microfiber mopping tool with an extendable handle that can be used on mirrors, shower walls and doors, and the floor.
• Rubber household gloves (optional but recommended).
How the routine works
Apply foaming bathroom cleaner
Spray the sink basin, toilet bowl and bathtub and/or shower enclosure with the foaming bathroom cleaner. This product will do most of the work of lifting soap scum and other buildup if you give it the needed time. So after applying it, turn your attention to other surfaces in the bathroom.
Note: Foaming cleaners are not safe to use on all surfaces; check the package instructions, and/or test products on an inconspicuous spot before using to prevent damage. Polish the mirror
Apply the multisurface cleaner to a clean microfiber cloth and polish the mirror and any other glass surfaces. For those with mobility issues or a short wingspan, use a long-handled microfiber tool to reach high spots. Wipe the countertop, faucet and sink basin
Use the same microfiber cloth to wipe the area around the sink and the faucet, reapplying the multisurface cleaner as needed. Wipe items that live on the countertop, as well, such as toothbrush holders and soap dispensers. Then rinse the cloth under running water and wipe the sink basin clean.
Microgardening means getting a surprisingly big harvest from a windowsill or balcony garden
By Jessica Damiano Associated Press
SHORT ON SPACE? CONSIDER microgardening. Although the term might conjure thoughts of minuscule garden gnomes and fairies, the reality is quite the opposite. You can get a surprisingly high yield from a small space, even a windowsill or balcony, if you plant it right.
One way to maximize your harvest is to grow plants that mature quickly, harvest them and then plant more.
Small greens on repeat
Microgreens — 2- to 3-inch seedlings of certain edible plants — are perfect candidates for such succession. They sprout quickly indoors in as little as a week, and are easy to grow. Just scatter seeds over light, sterile potting mix in a shallow, domed pan, then set it in a warm, sunny spot and keep the soil slightly moist.
Arugula, broccoli, cabbage, kale, mustards, mizuna and radish are among the fastest sprouters, but beets, chards and nasturtiums work, too, typically germinating in 10-14 days.
When the sprouts produce their second pair of leaves (which are their true leaves; the first pair are called cotyledons), use sharp scissors to clip them at the soil line and enjoy them in smoothies, salads, sandwiches or stirfries. Then plant more and start over, or, better yet, sow more seeds every few days to ensure a steady supply.
Good things come in small packages
Outdoors, the same small thinking can be applied to fruits, vegetables and herbs, which traditionally can take up a
large portion of a garden’s real estate. Basil, leaf lettuces and mint are among those that can do the most with the least. Comfortable in containers, they’ll also regrow to provide multiple harvests all season long.
You can even grow dwarf apple, fig and other fruit trees in 10- or 20-gallon planters, as well as in the ground.
Use the space you have
Your garden’s square footage might be limited, but you may be looking at it the wrong way. Instead of down and out, look up, and the sky’s the limit. Trellises, hanging baskets and wall planters will host flowers, herbs, berries, greens, and compact or dwarf varieties of traditionally larger plants like tomatoes, peppers and eggplants.
If you’re short on patio or balcony space, use multi-tiered stands to hold several pots in a single footprint.
And let your flower pots pull double duty. Plant strawberries and herbs around annuals, and let them spill over the container’s edge.
When planting flowers, think in layers: Use taller plants in the back, mid-height ones in the middle and ground-huggers in front.
The design strategy adds depth, even in a thin strip or a window box — and will provide the best bloom for your buck.
Pretty and practical
Seek out multi-tasking plants that provide beauty as well as food.
Crops like amaranth, chives, rainbow chard, red lettuces and sweet potatoes will add lovely ornamental value to beds, borders and containers before working a second shift on your dinner plate.
At left, indoor grown microgreens are harvested on Long Island, N.Y., on Jan. 29, 2024.
Cover photo: Chives in bloom appear in a raised garden bed on Long Island, N.Y., on May 24, 2022.
(PHOTOS BY JESSICA DAMIANO VIA AP)
GARDEN NOTES
HAMPDEN
Perennial plants wanted
The Hampden Garden Club is looking for perennial plant donations for its Memorial Day Plant Sale. If you are looking to thin out your perennials, garden members will come and dig the plants you want to donate. Contact Lil Fedora at 413-566-1137 to set up a dig day.
Hampden Garden Club events
The Hampden Garden Club will be hosting Jacqueline Clark, the owner/operator of Garden Designs by Jacqueline, LLC on Thursday, May 21, at 7 p.m. Clark has been gardening and lecturing for over 23 years and will be presenting her program “Gardening for Four Seasons.” Clark specializes in design and monthly maintenance of all types of landscaping. The program will be at a new meeting location at the Town Hall (formerly Thornton W. Burgess Middle School), 85 Wilbraham Road, Hampden, Room A7.
Guests are asked to use the library entrance. There is a $5 fee for nonmembers of the garden club. New members are welcome.
Membership fee for the year is $15 and includes admission to all programs.
The Hampden Garden Club’s Memorial Day Plant Sale will be held on Monday, May 25, at the Academy Hall on 616 Main St., from 8 a.m. to noon. There will be a wide variety of plants to purchase. Make sure to stop by and check out the raffle prize table and purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win.
GREENFIELD Seed Library
The Greenfield Public Library has officially launched its new Seed Library. Home gardeners are invited to visit the Seed Library, located on the second floor of the library at the information services desk,
to choose up to five packets of seeds for their gardens. A wide variety of vegetable seeds (arugula to zucchini), as well as herb and flower seeds (amaranth to zinnia) will be available.
Borrowing guidelines will be provided, and gardeners are
encouraged to return seeds after the harvest season ends. This program is free and open to everyone. For more information, contact Nancy Little at nancy. little@greenfield-ma.gov or call 413-772-1544.
AGAWAM Annual plant sale
The Agawam Garden Club is planning its annual plant sale for Saturday, May 30. This year’s event will be held at the historical Thomas Smith
House, 251 North West St., Feeding Hills and will run from 9 a.m. to noon. The sale will include many perennials and shrubs all from members gardens and all a bargain. Because the plants are all grown locally
in members’ gardens, they are well acclimated to the area. Proceeds from the sale go towards funding the club’s scholarship and providing educational programs for the year. Please check the club’s website for further information at agawamgardenclub. com.
SPRINGFIELD
Springfield Garden Club plant sale, scholarship fundraiser
The Springfield Garden Club will hold its annual plant sale on Saturday, May 30, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Monkey House in Forest Park. Free entry to the plant sale is available at the Trafton Road entrance to Forest Park, 200
Trafton Road.
A spring tradition and the club’s major scholarship fundraiser, this is not the kind of plant sale that focuses on reselling plants from wholesale growers. Except for a few donations from generous area garden centers, these plants are from members’ gardens or have been grown from seed specifically for the sale. This is a major fundraiser for their scholarship program and a lot of fun for club members and customers alike. There will be many experienced gardeners and master gardeners among here who can offer useful suggestions on which plants to buy or answers to some of your gardening questions.
The Springfield Garden Club awards an annual scholarship of at least $2,000 to a graduating high school senior, undergraduate or graduate college student majoring in a full-time plant science or environmental studies
Lee Reich | In the Garden
Many things can make fruit trees barren
APPLE, PEAR AND plum branches frothing in white blooms this spring foretold of bountiful crops of these fruits. Wrong. They foretold of the potential for bountiful crops. I’ve mentioned before the abundance of insect and disease pests that lurk here, ready for action, and the potential for late spring frosts. So I don’t get my hopes too, too high with these fruits, except for the pears, European and Asian, which are naturally pest-free here.
Lots of things can be blamed for a barren fruit tree, bringing disappointment no matter what the cause.
If the tree is young and not yet of flowering age, fruitlessness can be forgiven. Pears, for all their qualities, are typically slow to come into bearing. There’s many a slip ’twixt the cup and the lip. That plum tree bedecked in flowers is no guarantee of fruit to come.
program, such as horticulture, floriculture, landscape design, conservation, forestry, botany, agronomy, plant pathology, environmental control, land management or other allied fields. Using proceeds from past plant sales, the club has given out over $80,000 in scholarships to students in the last 30 plus years and we look forward to adding to that this year. For more information on the Springfield Garden Club events go to www.
springfieldgardenclubma. org or visit them on Facebook at https://www.facebook. com/SpringfieldMAGardenClub.
HOLYOKE Plant sale
The Holyoke Senior Center Garden Club will hold its second annual plant sale on Saturday, June 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Senior Center, 291 Pine St. Shoppers will find
a selection of sun or shade loving perennials, plus herbs and annuals that do well in our local gardens. Members will be available to answer questions about the plants they enjoy. The sale will be held rain or shine. Proceeds from the sale are used for projects that beautify and support the Senior Center’s gardens.
Send items for Garden Notes to pmastriano@repub.com two weeks prior to publication.
Cross-pollination may be needed. This means that the flowers need pollen from a different variety of the same type of fruit. No fruit will be borne by an isolated McIntosh apple tree, or two McIntosh apple trees planted near each other. On the other hand, neighboring McIntosh and Golden Delicious apple trees both will produce fruit. Most apples, pears, sweet cherries, Japanese plums and hybrid plums need cross-pollination. Peaches, apricots, tart cherries and European plums (dark-blue, oval plums) generally do not need cross-pollination, so even isolated trees can bear fruit. Some flowers have pollination shortcomings. Winesap, Mutsu and Jonagold are among the few apple varieties that are triploids so their pollens are effectively sterile; they can’t pollinate any other apple varieties.
Terry & Kim Kovel | Antiques & Collecting
Works of famed ceramic artist fetch high prices
KITARO SHIRAYAMADANI, also spelled Kataro, was born in Tokyo, Japan, and came to the United States as a young man. Already an accomplished porcelain painter, he initially worked for Fujiyama, an importer and decorator in Boston; then he accepted a job at the Rookwood Pottery Co. in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1887.
It was an opportune time for a Japanese ceramic artist to join an American pottery company. Japonisme was extremely fashionable in art and design, influenced by the recent opening of Japan to the West and exhibits of Japanese art at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. Ceramic exhibits at the Centennial had also inspired the American Art Pottery movement and the creation of Rookwood.
Like many artists who worked for the company, Shirayamadani created ceramics that fit with the Rookwood aesthetic and demonstrated his own unique talents. His work was displayed in a pottery show at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1897, and he contributed to the group of Rookwood ceramics that won a Gold Medal at the 1899 Exposition Universelle in Paris. He developed an electro-deposit technique to overlay metal on pottery, and his most famous (and most expensive) ceramics have silver or bronze deposits. Simpler pieces he made sell for high prices, too. A 14-inch-tall vase with magnolia flowers against a background of Rookwood’s standard glaze sold for $1,320 at Toomey & Co. Auctioneers.
Q.
I keep reading about vintage Pyrex that is worth a lot of money, and I am curious about my Pyrex mixing bowls. I have a set that I put together from old family pieces and thrift store finds. There are four bowls of different sizes. The largest is yellow, the second is green, the third is red, and the smallest is blue. They are all white on the inside. Are they worth anything?
A. You have the Pyrex Primary Colors mixing bowl set, which was introduced in the 1940s. It was the first opalware Pyrex produced. The interior was opal white, and the outside colors were fired on. The smallest bowl, the blue one, holds 1 pint, and the largest, the yellow bowl, 4 quarts. They were redesigned in 1950 with a different foot. There was also a Reverse Primary
Like many art and design companies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Rookwood Pottery drew inspiration from Japan. This standard glaze Rookwood vase was decorated by Kitaro Shirayamadani, an artist who immigrated from Japan. (TOOMEY & CO. AUCTIONEERS)
set released in the 1970s, where the largest bowl was green. The bowls were advertised as heat-resistant, so they could be used for food preparation, baking, serving, and storing. They were one of Pyrex’s most popular products and still are!
Even if you’re not a dedicated Pyrex collector, the set is a nostalgic item for many people, so the bowls are highly sought. Complete sets can sell for anywhere from about $50 to $300, depending on their condition. Individual bowls sell online, at shops or auctions, and through pattern-matching services for buyers who want to replace missing or broken bowls.
Q. My mother had an early Barbie doll when she was a child that is now in my collection. The doll is hard plastic with a blond ponytail and curly bangs. It must be from the late 1950s or early 1960s. Is there a way to tell if it is the original Barbie? Any packaging is long gone!
A. There are a few ways to date an early Barbie based on marks and slight changes in appearance. The very first Barbie doll, released in early 1959, can be recognized by holes in the soles of her feet that fit into pegs on a pedestal stand. The version made later in the
year, called “#2” by collectors, looks the same, except without the holes, and its pedestal did not have pegs. Both of these dolls have distinctive eyebrows shaped like an upside-down “V.”
The “#3” Barbie, released in 1960, had curved eyebrows and blue eyes. In about 1961, the maker’s mark on the doll changed slightly; instead of the trademark sign (“TM”), the word “Barbie” was followed by the registered trademark symbol. In 1962, the doll got a new style of curly bangs and wore a red one-piece swimsuit instead of the iconic black-and-white striped one. In 1965, the word “patented” was added to the mark.
TIP: Always fill a new vase with water and let it stand for 24 hours. Even commercial products can leak if not fired properly.
Kovels answers readers’ questions sent to the column. Send a letter with one question describing the size, material (glass, pottery) and what you know about the item. Include only two pictures: the object and a close-up of any marks or damage. Be sure your name and return address are included. By sending a question, you give full permission for use in any Kovel product.
CURRENT PRICES
Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary because of local economic conditions.
Silver flatware, sterling, Lily of the Valley, teaspoon, scalloped, raised flowers on handle, raised scrolls, marked, Whiting, 4 1/4 inches, $35. Furniture, umbrella stand, brass, flared top and base, hammered, medallion band, scalloped rim, three-footed, 17 inches, $125.
Candlestick, holder, Bohemian glass shade, cranberry, flared rim, etched flowers and leaves, band of spots, silver base, knop stem, stepped round foot, 16 1/2 inches, pair, $190.
Quilt, Amish, pieced, Trip Around the World, concentric diamonds, wide purple border, stitched flower vine, blue spotted back, 1940s, 78 x 80 inches, $165.
Coca-Cola, sign, flange, fishtail logo, Sign Of Good Taste, lined background, narrow green border, tin, painted, c. 1950, 15 1/2 x 19 inches, $275.
Stoneware, crock, oval, flared rim, applied handles, cobalt blue painted leafy branch, tapered base, Virginia, 3 gallon, 13 1/2 inches, $410. Limoges, punch bowl, pink roses, light blue panels, cream ground, roses on interior, stand, four paw feet, gilt trim, marked, D&C, France, 9 x 13 inches, $425.
Steuben, vase, trumpet shape, opaline, red pulled feathers, cobalt blue rim, fleur-de-lis mark, 7 x 9 inches, $975.
Furniture, mirror, pier, Louis XVI, giltwood, urn finial with flowers, leafy swags, carved leafy frame, beaded inner border, rosette medallions in corners, scroll brackets, 51 1/2 x 27 inches, $1,215.
Silver-Persian, vase, oval, repousse court scene, scrolling flower ground, animals, fluted band around shoulder, short neck, hallmarks, 8 1/2 inches, $2,210.
Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We do not guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. Questions that are answered will appear in Kovels Publications. Write to Kovels, The Republican, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th Street, 41st Floor, New York, NY 10019, or email us at collectorsgallery@kovels.com.
Average long-term mortgage rate in US eases to 6.36%
The first drop after two straight weekly increases
By A lex Veiga Associated Press
The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate edged lower after rising the previous two weeks.
The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell to 6.36% from 6.37% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday.
One year ago, the rate averaged 6.81%.
Borrowing costs on 15year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also eased this week. That average rate fell to 5.71% from 5.72% last week. A year ago, it was at 5.92%, Freddie Mac said.
Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation.
As recently as late February, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage had slipped just under 6% for the first time since late 2022. It’s hasn’t fallen below that threshold since.
Mortgage rates have been mostly trending higher since the war with Iran began. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has roiled energy markets, sending crude oil prices sharply higher — a key driver of inflation.
Expectations of higher oil prices have pushed up the yield on the U.S. 10year Treasury note, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.
The 10-year Treasury yield was at 4.44% in
midday trading Thursday on the bond market. The yield was at just 3.97% in late February, before the war broke out.
While average long-term mortgage rates remain lower than they were at this time last year, their recent increase has helped dampen sales so far this spring homebuying season.
“This is part of the reason why home sales have been stagnant so far in 2026, notching only marginal improvements over the 30-year low of the 2025 housing market,” said Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com.
Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes were essentially flat last month after declining from a year earlier in the first three months of the year, extending a nationwide housing slump that dates back to 2022 when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Despite lackluster sales, there are signs that some home shoppers are adapting to where mortgage rates are now.
Mortgage applications rose 1.7% last week from a week earlier, even as mortgage rates marched higher, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Applications for both purchase and mortgage refinancing loans are up from a year earlier.
Home shoppers who are undeterred by the mortgage rate volatility are likely to benefit from buyer-friendly trends in many markets, including more properties on the market than a year ago and data showing home listing prices have started falling in many metro areas, especially in the South and Midwest.
Deeds
AGAWAM
Anthony P. Leroux to Martha Berrouard, 44 Dogwood Lane, $280,000.
Christopher W. Marquis to Christopher W. Marquis and Sonia Marquis, 511 South West St., $100.
Cullin Moore to Jay Scherpa and Zachary John Scherpa, 24-26 Howard St., $340,000.
Giani S. DePalma and Samantha DePalma to Meagan Thibeault and Brandon Melbourne, 70 Reed St., $360,000.
Goodwill Realty LLC, to Andrew Kraus and Clare Lamontagne, 166 Brookfield Lane, $350,000.
Julie Ann Leclair to Blake Wallace Farnsworth, trustee, Emily Marie Crafts, trustee, and Marie Wallace Family Trust, trustee of, 238 Elm St., $340,000.
Louis Bonavita to Craig Conklin and Craig M. Conklin, 418 Meadow St., $265,000.
Michael Darmochwat to Elmira Afrailova and Akhmed Afrailov, 15B Castle Hills Road, Unit B, $315,000.
ML Saleh Holdings Inc., to Kristen M. Turcotte, Derek Michael Parentela and Derek Stevens, 86 Willowbrook Drive, $575,000.
Richard A. Dowling and Mary E. Dowling to Patrick W. O’Brien, 420 Main St., Unit 21, $167,000.
Sandra Fletcher, trustee, Elsa M. Rosenak Irrevocable Trust, trustee of, and Elsa M. Rosenak to Paul Breveleri and Kelly Breveleri, 24 Sequoia Drive, $300,000.
Steven J. Hurwitz, trustee, and Dorian S. Black Family Trust, trustee of, to Tony W. Nascembeni and Tina M. Nascembeni, 23 Zachary Lane, $600,000.
AMHERST
Jeffrey David Aliber and Alison Adams Ernst to Brenda Barlow, 75 Amity Place, $460,000.
Peter Victor Sienkewicz and Olive Barber to Zhimin Zhou, trustee, and Kaitlyn H. Xiong Family Living Trust, 252 West St., $248,000.
Michael Offner and Lonna Steinberg to Timothy John McKeon and Erica Kyzmir-McKeon, 56 Hop Brook Road, $1,160,000.
ASHFIELD
Raymond L. Donelson to BDLB Land Holdings LLC, Apple Valley Road, $20,000.
Ashfield Property LLC, to David Rives Williams and Inger Margareta Williams, 240 Beldingville Road, $1,050,000.
BELCHERTOWN
Lisa S. Jezisek, April L. Peetz and Lisa S. Jezisek, attorney-in-fact, to John G. Peetz Jr., 13 Pinebrook Drive, $160,000.
Maria C. Pereira, Maria Pereira McCullah and Leonor Pereira to Maria C. Pereira and Matthew Morin, 227 Bay Road, $100.
Proform Construction Inc., to Quang Trung Tran and Ngoc Phuong Hang Ta, 105 Franklin St., $640,000.
Bradford C. Erdmann and Renee J. Erdmann to Dennis Thomas, 206 Franklin St., $490,000.
Thomas D. Ablicki and Deborah A. Ablicki to Jennifer Ablicki, South Liberty Street, $100.
William C. Bakes to William C. Bakes and Claudia V. Bakes, 210 Michael Sears Road, $100.
Amy M. Lyman, trustee, and 9 Dana Hill Realty Trust to Kristy McEvoy, 9 Dana Hill, $550,000.
BRIMFIELD
Kevin Baker and Donna Nicole Baker to Amber Leigh Boucher, 284 Warren Road, $476,000.
Mary F. Mitchell to Samantha Cox, 15 Echo Road, $45,794.
Nicholas C. Truax to Latour Property Group LLC, 0 Five Bridge Road, $190,000.
BUCKLAND
Stacey Coleman, “aka” Stacey McGlone Coleman, trustee of the 107 River Street Nominee Trust, to Aidan Reynolds, 23 Charlemont Road, $205,000.
CHICOPEE
Acclaim Properties Inc., to Industriae Variae LLC, 157 Exchange St., $4,250,000.
Adam B. Centerbar, representative, and Bruce N. Centerbar, estate, to Christian John Stallman and Lindsay Reidy, 250 School House Road, $306,000.
Denise M. Desroches and Julie C. Gray to Phaedra A. Carco, 200 Lambert Terrace, Unit 46, $255,000.
Dominic Kirchner II, trustee, and Dorcas Realty Trust, trustee of, to Daniel Padilla, 23 Sterling St., $340,000.
Edwin R. Beato to Melvi Perez Lopez and Ulber Ortiz Mazariegos, 156 Farnsworth St., $380,000.
Fernando Alekzander Mattei and Fernando Mattei to Kelli A. Stockwell, 24 Billings St., $350,000. Ghaeth Alsamraay and Aiya Aladhamee to Corrina King, 85 Orchard St., $325,000.
Jeffrey Landry, representative, and Roger D. Landry, estate, to Da-
vid S. Prouty, 1078 Granby Road, $168,000.
Jennifer L. Grimaldi, representative, Justin T. Lavertue, representative, and Theresa Lavertue, estate, to Randy Lee Knoll, 156 Horseshoe Drive, $175,000.
Kayla M. O’Donnell and Ryan F. Neal to Faye Angers, 144 Horseshoe Drive, Unit 144, $231,000.
Laura L. Wilk to Jonathan James Belle-Isle and Madison Kayley Sniezak, 80 Colonial Circle, Unit B, $197,500.
Nicholas Brian Rice to Kimberly M. Welc, 107 Cochran St., $250,000.
North Harlow 2 LLC, to ZT Properties LLC, 156-162 East St., $815,000.
Richard A. Zagranski and Marlene T. Zagranski to Omar Loaiza, 46 Maplewood Ave., $575,000.
Richard B. O’Neil, trustee, Patrick O’Neil, trustee, Richard B. Oneil II, trustee, Conor W. O’Neil, trustee, and Richard B. O’Neil Revocable Trust, trustee of, to Patrick E. O’Neil, 400 Broadway St., $450,000.
Richard Hartnett and Debra Ann Hartnett to Selpan Holdings LLC, 199 Meadow St., $352,500.
Sharon Leblanc, Mark Hortie, Robert E. Hortie and Laura Bergeron to Mark Hortie and Mitchel Hortie, 227 Clarendon Ave., $265,000.
Shawn J. Ganem to Katherine Ortiz, 15 Cross St., $375,000.
Tammy J. Clark and Mark S. Brunell to Todd Brunell, 54 Mitchell Drive, $209,000.
Veronica L. Roy, Veronica L. Bernard, Veronica L. Jaszek and Michael Roy to Cameron Brodeur and Jayde Thomas, 543 Lafleur Drive, $275,000.
CUMMINGTON
Thomas J. Tear, Joanne M. Tear and Joanne M. Laberge to Thomas J. Tear and Greta Redzko, 489 Stage Road, $100.
Roderick D. Rose and Denise L. Correia to Russell L. Sears III, and David S. Sears, Luther-Shaw Road, $220,000.
Peter Scott Rider and Judith Cowell Meredith to Joseph T. Boulia and Talia N. Boulia, 237 Trouble St., $45,000.
DEERFIELD
Olszewski Thayer Realty LLC, to Allykev Thayer LLC, 3 Thayer St., $360,000.
EAST LONGMEADOW
Austin Shea and Thaisa Shea to James Donald Wheeler and Deborah Ann Wheeler, 118 Parker St., $465,000.
Deeds
Claudia J. Reed to Robert J. Roll and Devon E. Roll, 101 Hampden Road, $550,000.
Donald G. Richards, Robert R. Richards and Andrew P. Richards to Richard J. Corsi and Diane M. Corsi, 79 Porter Road, $370,000.
Happy Acres LLC, to Bedrock Financial LLC, trustee, and China Cat Realty Trust, trustee of, Happy Acres Lane, Lot 10, $175,000.
Happy Acres LLC, to Bedrock Financial LLC, trustee, and Cumberland Blues Realty Trust, trustee of, Farmer Circle, Lot 22, $175,000.
Happy Acres LLC, to Bedrock Financial LLC, trustee, and Morning Dew Realty Trust, trustee of, Happy Acres Lane, Lots 2-5, $690,000.
John M. Handzel to Faith E. Chichester-Nickolas and Michael James Nickolas, 10 White Ave., $640,000.
Melissa L. Curtis, trustee, Joseph A. Blais, trustee, Sandra L. Blais and Irrevocable Trust
Richard B. Blais & Sandra L. Blais Irrevocable Trust, trustee of, to Mohammad Tahmir, 14 Kronvall Lane, $620,000.
West Jam Man LLC, to 22 Fairhaven Drive LLC, 22 Fairhaven Drive, $365,000.
EASTHAMPTON
Georffrey Alan Kuter and Erika Jane Laquer to Geoffrey Alan Kuter, trustee, Erika Jane Laquer, trustee, and Kuter Laquer Family Trust, 12 Laurel Drive, $100.
Ferzet Hodzic and Bahra Hodzic to Charlotte Yee and Hannah Yee, 1 Plain St., $523,500.
Shelly J. Nichols to Joy Hermansen, 2 West Park Drive, $522,500.
GILL
David R. Staelens and Nancy A. Staelens to Abigail Tokarz and Jacob Tokarz, 246 Mountain Road, $475,000.
GRANBY
Frank DeCaro and Angela DeCaro to John A. Myslinski, 80R East St., $175,000.
Vania M. Guzman and Evelyn Velez to Santha S. Rathnam, 19 New Ludlow Road, $342,000.
Alfred A. Alschuler and Ericka L. Alschuler to Amber R. Price, 14 Granby Heights, $285,000.
GREENFIELD
Dominic Kirchner II, trustee of Amenadiel Realty Trust, to Megan M. Brooks and Scott A. Greaves, 77 Summer St., $297,000.
Melissa A. Davis and Paul B. Davis to Charles Hobby and Amelia Wilson, 20 Dunnell Road, $405,000.
Julie Rich to Olivia M. Ryan and Thomas M. Weinreich, 50 James St., $427,000.
Courtney Gagne to Christopher B. Carlson and Linda A. Carlson, 44 Princeton Terrace, Unit 44 Meadowview Manor Condominium, $175,000.
HADLEY
Roland C. Mandler to Patrick MacDonald, 121 Rocky Hill Road, $566,500.
Linda Moquin, Linda Plowucha and Gary Moquin to John B. Kelly and Mary Kelly, 133 Middle St., $550,000.
HAMPDEN
Nicholas C. Camerota Jr., to Christopher Hrycay and Kristen Hrycay, 0 Thresher Road, $105,000.
HATFIELD
Gary M. Kuchyt and Marie Ann Chmura to Amy V. Meo and Suzanne W. Carter, 149 Prospect St., $515,000.
HAWLEY
Hawley Preserve LLC, to J. Bradford Parker, Hunt Road, $190,000.
HEATH
Daniel Cote, personal representative of the Estate of Andre L. Cote, and Carmen M. Roman to Jeffrey Mercier and Jennifer West, 23 E. Brook Drive, $76,500.
HOLLAND
David A. Bell to Greenland Enterprises LLC, 36 Stafford Road, $515,000.
HOLYOKE
Alisyn C. Girard, Alisyn C. Renzulli and Matthew E. Girard to Gregory Zorko and Ashley Armitage, 337 Westfield Road, $336,000.
Barbara Vender and Barbara Vendor to Acles LLC, 449-451 High St., $90,000.
Brigitte A. Ostrander to William Joseph Sanderson IV, and Gina Marie Ugone Whalen, 128 Dartmouth St., $470,000.
John D. Burke, representative, Katherine W. Burke, estate, and Katherine Burke, estate, to Stephanie L. Friedman, 42 Lawler St., $290,000.
Mason Scott to Heather Tran, 60 Lower Westfield Road, $355,000.
Raymond L. Ortiz and Ana Suarez to Joel Rodriguez and Jaqueline Barajas, 400 Rock Valley Road, $350,000.
Toby Rubin, Howard E. Haberman, Barbara Vender and Barbara Vendor to Our Legacy LLC, High Street, Lot 28, $90,000.
Whiting Building LLC, to 58 Suffolk Holyoke LLC, 52-28 Suffolk St., $500,000.
LONGMEADOW
Alun R. Polga, trustee, and James P. Polga Trust, trustee of, to Miguelina Howell and Daniel M. Howell, 55 Dover Road, $700,000.
Donna V. Wheeler to Robert G. Kerlin and Megan S. Kerlin, 55 Fernleaf Ave., $655,000.
Jacob H. Odentz, representative, Robin Seth Odentz, estate, and Robin S. Odentz, estate, to Meenakshi Hastings, 208 Birch Road, $365,000.
June H. Okun and June Okun to Michael Achatz Jr., 124 Tecumseh Drive, $545,000.
Kathleen Milani to Olivia Clement, 170 Hopkins Place, $550,000.
Matthew P. MacDonnell to Noah Matthew Frigault and Stephanie G. Frigault, 83 Bliss Road, $410,000.
Nathan A. Duval, Jennifer R. Duval and Jennifer R. Skelley to Trevor Don Long and Aliza Rose Wolfe, 102 Greenacre Ave., $605,000.
Nathan Reynen and Anna Reynen to John E. Laughlin II, and Kelsey Laughlin, 95 South Park Ave., $625,000.
LUDLOW
Blanco Electric LLC, to Doublemark Properties LLC, 164 Rood St., $114,000.
Cecilia Nygren Decarolis, Cecilia V. Nygren, Kenneth Nygren, Kelly M. Nygren and Tyler Decarolis to Allison Cohen, 37 Waters Edge Drive, Unit 37, $295,000.
Don Aldo Savoia and Don A. Savoia to Shawna Sicotte and Charles Howell, 208 West St., $310,000.
Nakul Ravikumar and Prarthna Bhardwaj to Mark Barowsky and Loretta Barowsky, 517 Ideal Lane, Unit 401, $495,000.
Neftali Gonzalez and Otilla Gonzalez to James A. Barret and Ravonne Denise Cockfield Barret, 23 Karen Drive, $400,000.
MIDDLEFIELD
Extremely Clean 2 LLC, to Joann Ruszel-Margeson and January The Moon, 70 Town Hill Road, $280,000.
MONSON
Aaron P. Charette and Mia E. Charette to John Rahkonen and Trudy Rahkonen, 102 Bogan Road, $710,000.
Daniel O’Connell, Victoria O’Connell and Victoria L. O’Connell to Adam Fournier and Mariah Fournier, 11 Park Ave., $260,890.
M&F Vazquez Home Improvement LLC, to Empowernest Ventures LLC, 10 Robbins Road, $588,000.
Randy L. Conant and Linda A. Conant to Drake Smith and Kristen Rankin Smith, 9 East Hill Road, $400,000.
Scott Arnold, trustee, and Arnold Trust, trustee of, to Roseann T. Mesheau and Michael A. Mesheau, 7 Old Reed Road, Lot 6, $92,000.
NORTHAMPTON
Domenico Mastrangelo to Grace Ganssle, 33-35-37 Eastern Ave., $899,000.
Bradley P. Ferris to Andrew Golibersuch, 575 Bridge Road, $350,000.
Robert S. Frankel and Sheila C. Frankel to Robert S. Frankel, trustee, Robert S. Frankel Trust, Sheila C. Frankel, trustee, and Sheila C. Frankel Trust, 65 South St., $100.
Katharine Eshghi and Nima Rajabipour Eshghi to Patricia Schumm, 5 Pomeroy Terrace, $506,000.
Lawrence R. Tatro, trustee, Karen K. Tatro, trustee, and Lawrence R. Tatro & Karen K. Tatro Joint Revocable Trust to Craig George McNeil, 154 North St., $455,000.
Daniel F. Walus to Cristi Anna Jacques, 80 Damon Road, $215,000.
Anne West-Church and Ann M. Talarico to Chandra Hartman and Katrina Kelsey Hull, 36 Butler Place, $935,000.
Lisa Judkins, conservator, Hope Pulde and Hope L. Pulde to Daoxin Zhang, 23 Randolph Place, $259,900.
Rebecca R. Carey, commissioner, Karen Elefterakis and Amy Salvucci to Alexandra Sarigianides, trustee, and Alexandra Sarigianides Trust, 57 Columbus Ave., $500,000. Nu-Way Homes Inc., to Matthew P. Boyce and Meghan Reese, 37 Landy Ave., $875,000.
Tyler E. Boudreau to Michael Sugerman and Elizabeth Chilton, 13 Finn St., $599,000.
Jeannie McLane Jones, trustee, and Jeannie McLane Jones Family Trust to Tamara Wight and Gregory Wight, 32 Stilson Ave., $679,000.
Allison Violet Carey, trustee, and Allison Violet Carey Trust to Scott Lennart Peterson and Marianne Lise Perben, 30 Graves Ave., $470,000.
NORTHFIELD
Francis L. Froment and Gina M. Froment to James D. Wheeler Jr., and Lisa A. Wheeler, 9 Railroad Station Road, $450,000.
ORANGE
Lisa A. Whipps to Laurie L. Chiasson, 115 South Main St., $178,500.
PALMER
Ayman Amghar and Kacem Amghar to Ayman Kacem Amghar LLC, 1570-1572 North Main St., $100.
Diane Demarco, representative, Michelle Marie Demarco, estate, and Michelle M. Demarco, estate, to Koen Walder, 204 Bourne St., Unit G, $120,000.
Hanan E. Mohamed and Hanan E. Mohamad to Shannon Robertson and Zachary Trombley, 46 Kelley St., $337,500.
Kenneth R. Bousquet and Donna Bousquet to Chenevert Properties LLC, and Halifax Capital LLC, 264 Flynt St., $205,000.
Patricia Vacon and Louis Vacon to William Lapage, 3072 Main St., Unit 3072, $230,000.
Robert Baribeau and Sharon Cole Baribeau to Pah Properties LLC, 25 Norma St., $276,000.
Roxanne E. Calkins-Renfro, trustee, and 30 Geraldine Street Realty Trust, trustee of, to Zakery Otto, 30 Geraldine St., $219,000.
ROWE
Jaynos LLC, and Alexandra Reisman, “aka” Alexandra R. Reisman, to Kara Young, 112 Ford Hill Road, $440,000.
SHELBURNE
Wendy CR Catlin to Charles H. Cornish III, and Lisa A. Cornish, 30 Main St., $415,580.
Deeds
SOUTH HADLEY
Barbara A. Gaudette, trustee, Donald L. Gaudette, trustee, and G&K Family Nominee Trust to Ernest E. Craven and Moira B. Craven, 214 Alvord Place, $395,000.
Thomas Harrington, Linda Harrington, Thomas J. Harrington and Linda S. Harrington to Thomas Harrington, trustee, Linda Harrington, trustee, and TLH Living Trust, 4 Spring Meadows, $100.
Thomas J. Malek to Kathleen E. Ahamed-Broadhurst, 120 Camden St., $338,500.
Christopher Kleeberg and Reilly Kleeberg to Samhita Bhattarai, 56 Old Lyman Road, $603,000.
Charles Elfman to Paul Pao-Hua Lee, 127 Camden St., $575,000.
Adrianna Morelli to David L. Hackett, 150 Ferry St., $100.
Kathleen Goddard, trustee, Kathleen Corwin, trustee, Suzanne Corwin, trustee, and Ivan K. Corwin & Anita R. Corwin Irrevocable Trust to Maureen A. Johnson, 22 Alvord Place, $320,000.
SOUTHAMPTON
Alan B. St. Martin and Diane E. St. Martin to Matthew Y. Gavrilov and Marina M. Gavrilov, Pleasant Street, $135,000.
Jolanta H. Champagne to Kathleen Doyle Carter, 21 Old County Road, $675,000.
Vincent J. Neffinger and Doris A. Neffinger to Elise L. Starr, 76 High St., $740,000.
Richard F. Zapert, Roger P. Lipton, trustee, Dolores Ann Wolfe Revocable Trust, Marcia V. Placzek, personal representative, and Dolores Ann Wolfe, estate, to Gretchen B. Siegchrist and Benjamin Kurtzman, 11 Cook Road, $594,000.
SOUTHWICK
Brenda Odea, representative, and William A. Koivisto, estate, to Zachary Smith, 31 Pineywood Road, $300,000.
Bruce A. Hildreth and Noreen Delaney Hildreth to Rosalie Casale and Grace Margaret Casale, 30 Wynnfield Circle, $450,000.
January A. Magni and January A. Russell to Diane Gendron and Jon Gendron, 40 Berkshire Ave., $368,000.
SPRINGFIELD
Anwar Properties LLC, to Muhammad M. Taqi, 222-224 Orange St., $285,000.
April B. Robinson and Noel Robinson to Marisol Nunez, 189-191 Northampton Ave., $435,000.
Barbara Jean Gamblin, estate, Barbara J. Gamblin, estate, and Eric Lance Gamblin, representative, to Manchester Enterprises LLC, 78 Wollaston St., $250,000.
Barry Perella, representative, and Gloria M.
Mitchell, estate, to Hassle Free LLC, 520 Oak St., $145,000.
Carlos A. Otero to Hasina Mungin-Bey and Ryan Harrison, Moringside Drive, Lot 7, $401,000.
Carmen M. Aviles to Chayan Pauilino De La Rosa and Yunari Marte De Paulino, 145 Cambridge St., $250,000.
Cedar Investment Group LLC, to Lugy Wan and Ming Tsang, 49-53 Jefferson Ave., $539,000.
Federal National Mortgage Association and Fannie Mae to Sigecaps PLLC, 79 Jamestown Drive, Unit 79, $154,699.
Citibank, trustee, and New Residential Mortgage Loan Trust 2019-RPL3, trustee of, to Master Investment Group LLC, 118 Wait St., $171,500.
Corpulent Porpoise LLC, to PFGC LLC, 228 Belmont Ave., $100.
Debra A. Haskell, representative, Debra A. Haskel, representative, and Diane Patricia Roy, estate, to Joey Morales, 17 Stuyvesant St., $263,000.
Eddix O. Charleston and Andria Masiel De Mota-Trinidad to Roque Michael Perez and Robersy Maria Gomez, 708-710 Carew St., $415,000.
Edward C. Green Sr., to Emtay Inc., 83 Newhall St., $225,000.
Elizabeth Kelly, representative, and Geraldine Kelly, estate, to Feliciano Bonilla and Fatima Bonilla Reyes, 39 Westminster St., $139,000.
Ellen Boynton LLC, to JLJ Construction Inc., N/S Pendleton Avenue, $350,000.
Emtay Inc., to Katty Vargas, 148 Yale St., $307,000.
Fallah Razzak to Liza S. Parker and Phalba Plummer, 52 Herman St., $245,000.
Fumi Realty Inc., to Sergio King, 59 Piedmont St., $302,000.
Gary C. Richards and Trudiann Richards to Edwin Daniel Gomez Ramirez, 12-14 Noel St., $370,000.
Gemini Town Homes LLC, to Jessica Rivera, 66 Central St., Unit 404, $206,000.
Home Equity Assets Realty LLC, to Castle Headquarters Inc., S S Bay Street, $50,000.
Irma Rodriguez to Alexander Pineda, 32 Tracy Ave., $350,000.
James W. Fiore to Sheena L. Rinehart, 99 Edgemont St., $314,900.
Jose A. Munoz, Sylvia E. Rivera, Silvia E. Rivera and Jose A. Munoz Santiago to Joanne Wright-Labroad and Matthew Labroad, 116 Stockman St., $275,000.
Kathleen A. Booth to Amy Brousseau, 88 Senator St., $365,000.
Leandrea Lynn Monahan, Leandrea Lynn Mckinney and William Monahan to Tanya Ellis and Douglas Ellis, 55 Monticello Ave., $325,000.
Lisa C. Ladue to Elizana Sierra, 322 Holcomb Road, $341,000.
Lugy Wan and Ming Tsang to Yunzhi Lu Cotton, 215-217 Jasper St., $355,000.
Luis Veras and Flor I. Frias to Eridania Arias, 74 Cherry St., $360,000. Magaly Lopez-Ramos to Anoush N. Parris
and Peter R. Parris, 239 Gresham St., $435,000.
Marques Benton and Marques C. Benton to Kevin P. Bach, 25 Nassau Drive, $170,000.
Martha Berrouard to Gina Catellier, 20 Jamestown Drive, Unit B, $284,000.
Mary M. Chiecko and Darren P. Thomas to Nicolette L. Slezak, 55 Old Farm Road, $308,000.
Maureen A. Johnson to Luis Diaz Carrasco, 112 West Canton Circle, $331,000.
Michael M. Guerrero to Eridania Arias, 29 Leete St., $519,000.
Mooring NC IV LLC, to James Benjamin Koubek, 34 Sumner Ave., Unit PB2, $185,000.
Mooring NC IV LLC, to Mahmood Realty LLC, 34 Sumner Ave., Retail Unit, $260,000.
North Adams Realty LLC, to Joseph Sullivan, trustee, and Deuces Wild Realty Trust, trustee of, 435-441 White St., $775,000.
NRES LLC, to Yahina Caudillo and Carlos Manuel Rosa, 28 Bristol St., $310,000.
Onstar Properties AA LLC, to Eridania Arias, 202-204 Oakland St., $493,000.
Patrice M. Gresham and Patrice M. Harrell to Jorge Acevedo Betancourt, 57 Lyndale St., $265,000.
Plastoid LLC, to Eridania Arias, 124-126 Westford Circle, $344,900.
Qian Zhu Li to Antonio Eliezer Centeno, 270 Berkshire Ave., $230,000.
Rafael A. Reyes to Leo Mar Grant, 163 Marion St., $202,000.
Richard F. Williams and Andreina Urena to Arnesia Deberry, 854-856 Sumner Ave., $446,000.
Rosa Hernandez to Austin Michael Bushway, 235 Starling Road, $355,000.
Sareen Properties LLC, to Natividad Reyes and Rafael Reyes, 116 Carr St., $335,000.
Springfield City to Igor Topor and Mike Krasnov, NS Chester Street, $57,750.
Springfield City to Mike Krasnov, WS Bowles Street $35,700.
Springfield City to Mike Krasnov, WS Dorne Street, $61,950.
SR Homebuyers LLC, to Luis Ortiz, 126 Windemere St., $330,000.
Svyatoslav I. Zenchenko to Marc G. Nelson Dortilus, 85 Grand St., $290,000.
Tao Tran to Anthony M. Gillette, 750 Wilbraham Road, $475,000.
Venus Kourouvacilis, representative, and Arthur Kourouvacilis, estate, to Joseph Sullivan,
Trustee, and Deuces Wild Realty Trust, trustee of, 243 Shady Brook Lane, $160,000.
SUNDERLAND
Donald E. Wysocki to Jamie Rousseau and Steven R. Rousseau, trustees of the Rousseau Living Trust, 15 South Plain Road, $460,000.
H2 Asset Solutions Inc., to Cornerstone Homebuying LLC, 243 Amherst Road, $217,000.
WARE
James F. Sinnamon to Jane Kirton, Jean Sinnamon, James F. Sinnamon and Thomas L. Sinnamon, 207 Greenwich Road, $100.
Quang T. Huynh to Quang T. Huyhn, trustee, Ling Hong Chen, trustee, and Huynh Rental Living Trust, 34 Park St., $100.
WARWICK
Nathan W. Eigerman and Nina Eigerman to Kristin Neal, Flower Hill Road, $37,500.
Nathan W. Eigerman and Nina Eigerman to Matthew Fillion, Flower Hill Road, $40,000.
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Adnan Yildirim to Lockhouse Development LLC, 479 Cold Spring Ave., Unit 479, $157,500.
Domenico R. Rettura, trustee, and Rettura Family Trust, trustee of, to Eridania Arias, 146 Union St., $460,000.
Frank J. Capuano and Kathleen I. Capuano to Nolan Ulrich, 474 Cold Spring Ave., $170,600.
Haskell Holdings LLC, to Kader Balik, 20 East School St., $435,000.
James J. Rolandini Jr., to Brian P. St. Amand, 154-152 Front St., $43,000.
Jeffrey Correa to Abdullah Lafta, 28 Larone Ave., $172,000.
JoeJoe Properties LLC, to Amar Hasan, 132 Lincoln St., $390,000.
M&G Renovations LLC, to Aleksander Harrison, 81 Chestnut St., $340,000.
Mantoura Wadih Yammine and Badiha W. Yammine to Jidapa Govoni and Benjamin Govoni, 240 Morton St., $335,000.
Ryan E. Bennett, trustee, and Terry J. Bennett Revocable Indenture of Trust Of (TR OF) to Ann M. Garibian-Sheehan, 156 Canterbury Way, $452,000.
WESTFIELD
Anthony M. Afflitto to Allison Line and Kenneth Line, 76 Cardinal Lane, $575,900.
Denise Remillard, David Edward Bolio Sr., and Daniel Bolio Jr., to Olga Botnari and Dumitru Botnari, 5 Day Lily Lane, $630,000.
EPRO LLC, to Jennifer Ciepiela and Jeffrey Phelon, 34 Hawks Circle, $585,000.
Gerald L. Verardo and Carole J. Verardo to Pioneer Valley Baptist Church of Westfield Inc., 261 Ponders Hollow Road, $450,000.
Giberson Construction Inc., to Dat Q. Nguyen and Thuy Duong Thai, 212 Montgomery Road, $605,000.
Jennifer L. Ciepiela and Jeffrey T. Phelon to Matthew D. Lees, 12 Laro Road, $385,000.
Joyce D. Boguszewski, estate, and Glenn Liptak, representative, to Mykola Bondaruk and Valentyna Bondaruk, 105 Montgomery St., $360,000.
Maryellen Sullivan to Aleksandr Pozdnyakov and Anna Pozdnyakov, Glenwood Drive, Lot #8, $150,000.
Magness pear flowers don’t produce any pollen at all. In such cases, where cross-pollination is needed and one variety produces poor pollen or no pollen, three different varieties must grow near each other for all to fruit.
Some flowers are fastidious about their mates. Bartlett and Seckel pears, for instance, each produce viable pollen. But they can’t pollinate each other. Some incompatibilities also exist amongst varieties of sweet cherries and hybrid plums.
Fruit trees don’t all read and follow these rules. In California, Bartlett flowers don’t need any mate; the trees carry on all by themselves and set seedless fruits!
The blossoming period of trees that need to cross-pollinate must overlap. Usually this is not too much of a problem, unless, for instance, one were to plant a very early blossoming apple like Lodi with a late-season blossoming one like Macoun (and there were no other apple trees nearby).
Trees need to be within about a hundred feet of each other for effective cross-pollination. If cross-pollination is
Deeds
WESTHAMPTON
needed but lacking, all that’s needed is to plant another tree or graft one branch of a different variety onto the tree. An easier and quicker solution is to beg or steal some flowering branches from another tree (remember, it must be a different variety) and put their bases in a bucket of water beneath your tree.
Or get a neighbor to plant a suitable pollinator.
If a fruit tree blossoms yearly, but produces varying amounts of fruit each year, the problem could be poor honeybee activity. Pollination is effected mostly by honeybees, but they go on strike if the weather is too cold (below 50 degrees), too
Wayne D. Tangel and Virginia E. Vigneault to Stephen J. Gallant, 87 Southampton Road, $991,000.
Bathroom
CONTINUES FROM PAGE F2
Clean the toilet exterior and seat
Take a fresh microfiber cloth and wipe the toilet exterior, including the top of the tank and the area behind the seat, to remove dust, hair and other debris. Fold the cloth in half so that the side you used to dust is on the
Whately
rainy, or too windy (more than 15 mph). Such conditions rarely prevail throughout the entire blossoming period, so fruit trees may not produce enough fruit, but at least they produce some fruit.
Many species of wild bees also pollinate fruit trees. They actually transfer more pollen per bee than honeybees. They’re also not so finicky about working in cold, windy, or wet weather. Encourage these insects by maintaining some wild areas with a diversity and abundance of nonnative and noninvasive annual flowering plants (cosmos, buckwheat, and lacy phacelia, etc.) and native plants (hyssop, purple
226 State Road LLC, to VIP Realty Group LLC, 226 State Road, $700,000.
WILBRAHAM
AC Homebuilding LLC, to Melissa L. Curtis, trustee, Joseph A. Blais, trustee, and Richard P. Blais & Sandra L. Blais Family Irrevocable Trust, trustee of, Sandalwood
inside, and then apply the multisurface cleaner to the unused side. Working from the top down, wipe the top of the tank, the flusher, the front and side of the tank, the seat, the area between the seat and the bowl, the outer lip of the bowl, and finally the toilet’s skirt or base.
Brush and flush the toilet bowl
Use a toilet brush to scrub the interior of the bowl,
coneflower, bee balm, prairie clovers, blazing star, goldenrods, New England aster, etc.).
A possible recourse to poor pollination would be to hand-pollinate the blossoms with an artist’s brush. This is a commercial practice in intensive orchards in Japan. Also, since most insecticides are toxic to bees, it would be foolish (and illegal) to spray such chemicals on fruit trees in bloom.
Variable production from year to year, with no fruit some years, also can result if the blossoms or developing fruitlets freeze. The critical temperature depends on the type of tree and the stage of bloom, but generally speaking, start to worry as the mercury drops to the high twenties. Apricots bloom early in the spring and their blossoms often succumb to late spring frosts. A sheet or a blanket thrown over a small tree might keep flowers a few critical degrees warmer than the ambient air. You can tell if cold has damaged developing fruitlets if you sacrifice one and slice it in half. A blackened center indicates cold damage. OK, so you have good pollination and the weather has been cooperative, but there still are no fruits on your tree. Animals could be the culprits. Some insects cause small, developing
Drive, Unit 57, $584,757.
David Rivera and Angeles Rivera to Lisa Ladue, 2205 Boston Road, Apt Q160, $343,000.
James R. Dion to Donal Robertson Simpson and Karen Elizabeth Simpson, 104 High Pine Circle, $510,000.
John C. Berrett, trustee, and John C. Berrett Trust, trustee of, to Ellen S. Liebel, 8 High Pine Circle, $531,000.
paying particular attention to the area under the lip, where mold and mineral deposits tend to form. Flush the toilet.
Wipe out the tub/shower
Wet a fresh microfiber cloth and wipe the tub and/ or shower enclosure, using running water to help rinse away the foaming cleaner, soap-scum buildup and hair. The long-handled tool can make quick work of wiping shower walls and also can
fruits to drop. Plum curculio (her activity is not restricted only to plums) is one such insect whose tell-tale sign is a crescent-shaped scar on the fruit.
As fruits enlarge, they become appealing to furry and feathered animals. I know of an apricot tree that is stripped clean of its unripe fruits around Father’s Day every year by a squirrel hungry for the developing seeds. The evidence: ground littered with split open, green apricots.
For all these potential problems, remember that fruit trees have for eons been driven by the same goal as you and me: to produce ripe fruit. In anticipation of poor pollination, adverse weather, and insect predation, these trees usually set more fruit than they will have the energy to ripen. Come June, the trees seem to breathe a sigh of relief as they shed excess fruits. Don’t let the falling fruits of “June drop” scare you. You’ve got to grit your teeth and actually twist off excess fruits, enough to leave a few inches between apples, pears, peaches or nectarines. That channels the tree’s energy into the remaining fruits so that they grow larger and tastier. No need for this task with cherry, plum or apricot trees.
Monro Inc., to Mavis Tire Supply LLC, 1971 Boston Road, $800,000.
Ryan T. Carter to Stephanie Wenzel and Cameron Webber, 1072 Tinkham Road, $328,000.
Susan Straw and Robert Straw to James Dion, 2205 Boston Road, Unit D-34, $260,000.
Trijal & Aashi LLC, to Harshikaben K. Patel, 13 Dudley St., $50,000.
be used to wipe glass shower doors.
Use a fresh microfiber cloth or pad, and the multisurface cleaner, to polish glass shower doors.
Sweep or vacuum the floor, then damp mop
Use a broom or vacuum to pick up hair. (A lightweight stick or handheld vac is ideal for this job.) Then damp mop the floor using the multisurface cleaner and the
long-handled tool, working from the back of the space toward the door.
The final touches
Take out the trash and put a new liner in the garbage can.
Put out fresh towels, especially clean hand towels. Drop cleaning cloths, dirty towels and anything else that needs to be laundered in the hamper.
What a shock to find that frost the night before was severe enough to kill tomato plants. (LEE REICH PHOTO)
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