On Fri, 31 Oct 2003 13:53:25 -0000, "Tumbleweed"
wrote:

"Stephen Howard" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 31 Oct 2003 11:53:52 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:

What on earth more could one in fact ask for?

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

You ask for the impossible. There are plenty of 'organic' thinsg that are
harmful.
Lettuce contains more carcinogenic chemicals than many artificial pesticides
(banned or otherwise), for example. What are you going to do if thats one of
your unpleasant surprises, that you've been happily muching on those for
years whilst avoiding spraying them with pesticides that are less toxic than
the lettuces!

For sure, I'm well aware that nature has its own arsenal of nasties -
but that's the whole point, it's nature. The biggest killer of all by
far is life itself. Got anything I can put on that?
And bunging yet more chemicals onto an already carcinogenic vegetable
does what, exactly?


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.

Why? Do you believe that organic substances cant be harmful?

See above...

Havent you seen
the reports of organic crops having higher levels of toxic fungi on them?

No, I haven't - unless you're referring to Ergot.
And how concerned should I be? Exposure in moderate doses to toxic
substances doesn't always mean a quick and painful death - quite the
reverse in some cases. As the saying goes, you'll eat a peck of dust
before you die.

Seen the reports on sufactants used with glyphosphate being a problem?

Yep, it's one reason I don't use them ( ground elder excepted this
year, natch )

Thats
detergents to you. Ever sprayed your aphids with a solution of washing up
liquid, or poured the old washing up liquid on the garden?

Nope.

WHo knows what
unpleasant surprises may be waiting for you down the line.

Which is perhaps the best reason I've yet seen not to compound the
problem by adding yet more chemicals or otherwise monkeying about with
nature.

Regards,



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