(Distributed December 2005) Most small, hand-carried lawn and garden tools such as string trimmers and chainsaws use 2-stroke engines, while larger machines such as lawn and garden tractors use 4-stroke engines. Lawn mowers are available with either type of engine.

(Distributed December 2005) Most families don’t plan to run up high balances on their credit cards during the holidays, it just happens. Nearly one-third of adults say they spent more than they planned – often $100 to $500 more.

(Distributed December 2005) Gardeners often want to save seeds from their favorite vegetable crops. Despite popular belief, it is not especially cheaper in the long run than buying fresh, clean seeds every year, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske.

(Distributed December 2005) Gardeners often wonder whether plowing or tilling should be done in the spring or the cold season, but LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Thomas Koske says working the soil in late fall or winter has several advantages over the traditional spring plowing and tillage.

(Distributed December 2005) As the end of the year approaches, LSU AgCenter family economics professor Dr. Jeanette Tucker encourages consumers to take advantage of some great tax breaks and let employers pick up the tab for expenses.

(Distributed December 2005) The holidays mark the season of shopping and eating as consumers rush to the mall to buy gifts. Malls are popular, not just for their merchandise, but for their many restaurants and snack stands.

(Distributed December 2005) Tomatoes are the quintessential garden vegetable whose fans can be as loyal and vocal as those who bleed purple and gold for the LSU Tigers. Very few gardeners don’t grow tomatoes.

(Distributed December 2005) An estimated 55 percent to 60 percent of Americans carry credit card balances. The average household with a credit card balance carries a revolving debt load of nearly $8,000. A recent study found that nearly half of those households with balances paid the minimum payment.

(Distributed December 2005) Fresh bean sprouts and other seed sprouts found in salads and sandwiches are easy to grow at home, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske. Unfortunately, they also are very perishable.

(Distributed December 2005) It seems obvious that a wider or faster mower will cover a lawn faster than a narrower or slower mower, but this is not always true. And seldom will the increase in cutting rate be proportional to the increase in width or speed, according to an engineer with the LSU AgCenter.