|
Some of these posts are very old and might contain outdated information. You may wish to search for newer posts instead.
|
pdxgal79
Stranger
Registered: 09/15/09
Posts: 205
Last seen: 7 years, 4 months
|
25 year old cubensis spores from "Homestead Book Company"?
#11660087 - 12/16/09 01:43 AM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
Ahem, so...
A close friend of mine and I were talking about shrooms tonight and she said many years ago she'd ordered a kit from High Times, but never got around to using it. She'd carried it around since August, 1985. She gifted it to me, still in it's original shipping box.
Sure enough, there's a spore print, still in a paper envelope within a sealed plastic bag, completely dry and protected from light all these years along with a variety of other supplies that appear to be 20 petri dishes, a red plastic bag of some sort of soil mixture, a ziplock bag of some light weight, fairly fine dark soil/mossy stuff(?), a glass jar with a metal lid with a needle and "T" shaped pin inside, white and black thread, and two glass vials of what appears to be birdseed.
Anyone care to guess what strain I have or whether it will still be viable after all this time? There are some typed instructions on a folded white sheet of paper and a red card that reads, "HOMESTEAD mushroom spores Psilocybe cubensis Probably the most widely used hallucinogenic mushroom in the United States. A large and potent specie [sic], found in southern U.S. and Mexico. Grows on compost or dung. Recommended as the first mushroom for the beginning cultivator. Each spore packet contains a guaranteed minimum of ten million spores from proven-fertile, genetically cloned strains, a petri dish, basic instructions, list of books and supplies, and order form. Distributed by: HOMESTEAD BOOK COMPANY Box 31608 Seattle, WA 98103 (206) 782-4532".
It's Postmarked Aug15'85, Boulder Colorado (sent from a P.O. Box)
Any additional information on this magic time capsule greatly appreciated...
Pictures!!!
Edited by pdxgal79 (12/16/09 11:09 AM)
|
ShroomProphet
Grateful Dead to The Core
Registered: 08/04/09
Posts: 286
Loc: out on front street USA
Last seen: 7 years, 8 months
|
Re: 15 year old cubensis spores from "Homestead Book Company"? [Re: pdxgal79]
#11660129 - 12/16/09 01:53 AM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
sounds cool man** Grow it on agar if you can,, you would have better chance getting it to take off, if you cant do it yourself maybe send it to someone who can and has time to do it. The Homestead strain huh,, you never know could be the bombdiggitybombdiggity
|
pdxgal79
Stranger
Registered: 09/15/09
Posts: 205
Last seen: 7 years, 4 months
|
Re: 15 year old cubensis spores from "Homestead Book Company"? [Re: ShroomProphet]
#11660135 - 12/16/09 01:55 AM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
ShroomProphet said: sounds cool man** Grow it on agar if you can,, you would have better chance getting it to take off, if you cant do it yourself maybe send it to someone who can and has time to do it. The Homestead strain huh,, you never know could be the bombdiggitybombdiggity
I was actually thinking about that; I'm a total noob and don't want to waste it/screw it up if it's some rare/old strain...
|
ShroomProphet
Grateful Dead to The Core
Registered: 08/04/09
Posts: 286
Loc: out on front street USA
Last seen: 7 years, 8 months
|
Re: 15 year old cubensis spores from "Homestead Book Company"? [Re: pdxgal79]
#11660156 - 12/16/09 02:00 AM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
Save it till you can do it. just keep it dark and cool and dry like you said. Give yourself some future work to look forward to doing.
|
99BOOMERMAN
The Professional
Registered: 06/21/09
Posts: 539
Loc: USA
|
Re: 15 year old cubensis spores from "Homestead Book Company"? [Re: ShroomProphet]
#11660224 - 12/16/09 02:30 AM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
I am not to familiar w/ what "vendor" strains were 25 yrs ago,but "GT" was one.
-------------------- Anything posted in this thread is just some well thought out bull-shit,which is completely for entertainment purposes only. AMU "Q&A's Thread" INGENIOUS MONO TUB LINER
Edited by 99BOOMERMAN (12/16/09 03:08 AM)
|
LoganSmith
Stranger
Registered: 09/10/09
Posts: 147
Last seen: 14 years, 2 months
|
Re: 15 year old cubensis spores from "Homestead Book Company"? [Re: pdxgal79]
#11660239 - 12/16/09 02:36 AM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
send em to a tc. get the strain back in action!
-------------------- "i tripped normal for the first 3 hours, started coming down, then opened my eyes and it was 3 hours later, pitch black outside, and i was outside of my body, looking at myself dead on the couch. this lasted until midnight "
|
LeopardMan
Constantly changing
Registered: 09/21/09
Posts: 5,467
Loc: A tree house
|
Re: 25 year old cubensis spores from "Homestead Book Company"? [Re: pdxgal79]
#11660261 - 12/16/09 02:47 AM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
-------------------- You have to die a few times before you can really live. -Charles Bukowski-
|
gornyhuy
A Myth Intrepidly Met
Registered: 08/04/09
Posts: 2,933
Loc: USA
Last seen: 2 years, 4 months
|
Re: 25 year old cubensis spores from "Homestead Book Company"? [Re: LeopardMan]
#11660627 - 12/16/09 07:11 AM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
I would bet money on it being viable. Only thing that might screw it is if that box got really really hot in storage.
How cool would it be if that turned out to be a 'long lost' strain!?!
You should get a TC with a reputation for this kind of work to make it happen and get it out to the community if its something special!!
|
Cloneufc
Master Exploder!
Registered: 11/15/07
Posts: 1,237
Loc: Las Vegas
Last seen: 7 months, 26 days
|
Re: 15 year old cubensis spores from "Homestead Book Company"? [Re: LoganSmith]
#11660772 - 12/16/09 07:58 AM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
LoganSmith said: send em to a tc. get the strain back in action!
Its already in action. The Homestead strain is Matias Romero.
|
pdxgal79
Stranger
Registered: 09/15/09
Posts: 205
Last seen: 7 years, 4 months
|
Re: 15 year old cubensis spores from "Homestead Book Company"? [Re: Cloneufc]
#11661321 - 12/16/09 10:32 AM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Cloneufc said:
Quote:
LoganSmith said: send em to a tc. get the strain back in action!
Its already in action. The Homestead strain is Matias Romero.
To my knowledge, according to the Strain Thread, PF got his print from HOMESTEAD in 1990; my kit predates that by 5 years. Is it possible I have something else?
|
Herbal_Elixer
Strangerest
Registered: 05/05/09
Posts: 1,841
Loc: Reykjavik
|
Re: 15 year old cubensis spores from "Homestead Book Company"? [Re: pdxgal79]
#11661351 - 12/16/09 10:39 AM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
I dont think I could have broke it open myself.. thats too cool to still have. GL
--------------------
|
Epilson Lyrae
Armed with hammers
Registered: 04/07/09
Posts: 5,561
Loc: Woody Creek
|
Re: 15 year old cubensis spores from "Homestead Book Company"? [Re: pdxgal79]
#11661363 - 12/16/09 10:43 AM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
Interesting thread. Seriously contemplate contacting Workman or another TC who might be interested in analyzing it for you. I doubt if you have discovered the holy grail but it would be interesting to know what it looked like under a microscope. You will hear most folks say that a cube is a cube but I think it might be something that would interest a collector or serious mycologist. Then again, it could turn out to be Tex or B+. Still, it's kind of cool.
-------------------- "Freedom is something that dies unless it's used." H.T. I've come to believe that the heart is the filter of the enlightened mind. Epilson Lyrae
|
pdxgal79
Stranger
Registered: 09/15/09
Posts: 205
Last seen: 7 years, 4 months
|
Re: 15 year old cubensis spores from "Homestead Book Company"? [Re: Epilson Lyrae]
#11661513 - 12/16/09 11:13 AM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
Updated with pics.
|
DanKnugget
Mysterious Traveller
Registered: 07/15/03
Posts: 1,074
Loc: On a boat
|
Re: 15 year old cubensis spores from "Homestead Book Company"? [Re: pdxgal79]
#11661681 - 12/16/09 11:48 AM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
-------------------- My 3 proverbs: 1. School is for people who don't know stuff. 2. Jobs are for losers. 3. Reading is for people with nothing better to do.
|
RogerRabbit
Bans for Pleasure
Registered: 03/26/03
Posts: 42,214
Loc: Seattle
Last seen: 1 year, 1 month
|
Re: 15 year old cubensis spores from "Homestead Book Company"? [Re: DanKnugget]
#11661727 - 12/16/09 11:55 AM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
Unfortunately, there's very little chance the print is still viable.
I suggest taking some clean scissors and cutting it into ten or twelve pieces, so you can work with some and keep the rest stored away for future tries.
Despite many claims to the contrary, prints over about 5 years old have a horrible record of still containing viable spores, especially if taken on paper. RR
-------------------- Download Let's Grow Mushrooms semper in excretia sumus solim profundum variat "I've never had a failed experiment. I've only discovered 10,000 methods which do not work." Thomas Edison
|
pdxgal79
Stranger
Registered: 09/15/09
Posts: 205
Last seen: 7 years, 4 months
|
Re: 15 year old cubensis spores from "Homestead Book Company"? [Re: RogerRabbit]
#11661884 - 12/16/09 12:21 PM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
RogerRabbit said: Unfortunately, there's very little chance the print is still viable.
I suggest taking some clean scissors and cutting it into ten or twelve pieces, so you can work with some and keep the rest stored away for future tries.
Despite many claims to the contrary, prints over about 5 years old have a horrible record of still containing viable spores, especially if taken on paper. RR
Bummer; I'm really hoping something can be done with them.
|
Epilson Lyrae
Armed with hammers
Registered: 04/07/09
Posts: 5,561
Loc: Woody Creek
|
Re: 15 year old cubensis spores from "Homestead Book Company"? [Re: pdxgal79]
#11663711 - 12/16/09 05:28 PM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
then try to send them to someone willing and knowledgeable enough to see what they look like under a microscope. And if you need a viable print, I'm sure you can get someone to share one with you. So long as they are legal for microscopy in the state you are in. Either way, you have what I would perceive to be a neat piece of Americana history. Like an antique in the making. so again, I say
-------------------- "Freedom is something that dies unless it's used." H.T. I've come to believe that the heart is the filter of the enlightened mind. Epilson Lyrae
|
myceleus_rex
seeker
Registered: 07/01/09
Posts: 1,581
Loc: alized
|
Re: 15 year old cubensis spores from "Homestead Book Company"? [Re: RogerRabbit]
#11663825 - 12/16/09 05:49 PM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
RogerRabbit said: Unfortunately, there's very little chance the print is still viable.
I suggest taking some clean scissors and cutting it into ten or twelve pieces, so you can work with some and keep the rest stored away for future tries.
Despite many claims to the contrary, prints over about 5 years old have a horrible record of still containing viable spores, especially if taken on paper. RR
Even so, hang onto it. Learn about agar in the next couple of years and when you've done some isolation try to grow a few plates. The thing has sat around for 24 years. A couple more won't hurt. At some point, do it as an experiment without counting on success. Sounds like a fun project to me. It looks like they didn't even provide a full print. That sucks, but work with what you've got.
|
pdxgal79
Stranger
Registered: 09/15/09
Posts: 205
Last seen: 7 years, 4 months
|
Re: 15 year old cubensis spores from "Homestead Book Company"? [Re: Epilson Lyrae]
#11663998 - 12/16/09 06:11 PM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
gngsteroflove said: then try to send them to someone willing and knowledgeable enough to see what they look like under a microscope.
And if you need a viable print, I'm sure you can get someone to share one with you. So long as they are legal for microscopy in the state you are in.
Either way, you have what I would perceive to be a neat piece of Americana history. Like an antique in the making. so again, I say
Thanks. It is kinda neat regardless, I felt like I was peeking inside a time capsule...and I liked the idea that there was a possibility of that print being revived, just in case it is something unusual or no longer around.
I don't have any spores yet, it would be spiffy if someone shared one with me but if not I'm sure I'll order a print or syringe eventually.
Thanks to everyone who's shared knowledge/advice!
|
Pajarito
Three Little Birds
Registered: 12/16/09
Posts: 190
Loc: Yuggoth
Last seen: 1 year, 1 month
|
Re: 15 year old cubensis spores from "Homestead Book Company"? [Re: pdxgal79]
#11664105 - 12/16/09 06:26 PM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
|
|
Woah, that is a blast from the past! I had this exact same kit back in the day. Good luck on those spores, I would definitely experiment in germinating them or send them to someone with experience.
I know I still have a few prints from the 1980's around here somewhere, stuck in book. If I ever find them, I will definitely give them a shot.
-------------------- AmScope T490 - OMAX 18MP USB3 camera - Toupview software - FP Series I "I suddenly became strangely inebriated." — Dr. Albert Hoffman "When you say the names of the plants, you say the names of the gods." — Dr. Timothy Plowman "No weak heart shall prosper." — Hon. Robert Nesta Marley
|
|