Merla - Thanks for your good compendium of brix information!! I bought my refractometer through ebay for about $50. In many ways it is a piece of crap, but you'd pay Mr. Pike about $125 for an equivalent refractometer and Brixman has assured me that mine is about as good as I need. (Just check ebay. There are a couple of guys who are retailing asian refractometers through the auction method. Do a search. They have multiple auctions going on.)
Just my two cents: I think you're in a pearls before swine situation. I know that I'd choke really badly if I had to 'prove' what I'm doing to the sort of people you have to 'prove' stuff to. I think you're enthusiasm for the tools offered through this list may not be enough for you to attain the results you want/need in the face of the adversity around you. I admire what you want to do and what you have been doing but I would really encourage you to learn these techniques in the privacy of your own garden and not in the face of politicians, bureaucrats and public roadways. Blessings on you, Merla. -Allans
