On Fri, 31 Oct 2003 11:53:52 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:



John, I keep seeing wishy washy definitions of what is considered as being
"organic" by organic gardeners. None of them stand up to any detailed
scrutiny.

Talk to the Soil Assoc. people then - I'm sure they'll be only too
pleased to debate the issue on the scientific level you aspire
to....us lot are just 'umble gardeners.

Surely there are only beneficient and deleterious substances as far as
gardening is concerned. Keep on using the beneficient substances and cease
to use a substance as soon as it is proven to be sufficiently deleterious to
warrant such action.

Might be too late then....DDT, Creosote etc..

What on earth more could one in fact ask for?

No unpleasant surprises several years down the line, for one.

I'm perfectly happy to stick with my 'wishy washy' definition of
organic gardening - it renders the need for concern about the use of
this and that academic. If, in future years, I see a report on the
telly that says such-and-such a chemical is implicated in
such-and-such an illness I can just shrug my shoulders and get on with
my dinner.
If I don't see such a report then everyone's happy.

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk