FMurtz wrote:

Chris J Dixon wrote:

My dad had a method of soil sterilisation, when he was mixing
potting compost:

He used a wooden box, probably an old packing case, inserted a
metal plate at each end and filled it with soil. The plates were
connected to the mains, via an ammeter. Then he added water
until the soil resistance lowered, and hence the ammeter reading
rose to the desired level. It was left to simmer for hours. I can
smell it now.

I have even found an old gardening book of his in which this
method is explained.

Do not try this at home! ;-)

Why? He did.

And we all survived. However, we live in different times and
there are those whose understanding of self-preservation could at
best be described as "compromised".

We have moved on from the era when you could light a coal fire
with a gas poker, connected by simply pushing a rubber tube over
an outlet pipe. A new bayonet fitting eventually replaced it.

Remember the Mammod steam engine with a neat little burner for
meths. I can still smell the distinctive aroma.

Electric heaters with very little protection for the elements.

It was once (may still be) possible to buy replacement coiled
elements for such radiant fires. You simply removed the failed
one, used a piece of string to measure the length and stretched
the new one to suit.

My dad told me that in his college days (1930s) they heated a
room by simply suspending such an element from the mantelpiece.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Plant amazing Acers.