On Sat, 1 Nov 2003 09:01:21 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"Stephen Howard" wrote in message
.. .


Perhaps you should drop them an email and ask them to answer your
specific question, I'm sure they'll be only too pleased to oblige.

I have done so. They did not tell me anything I did not know before. Their
reply did not include a scientific definition of the term "organic
gardening".

Why not offer to write one for them?


If, however, you tossed a plastic bottle on the fire, you'd render the
ashes unsuitable for organic use. This is because the coal ashes would
be contaminated with the residues of the burnt plastic ( complete
conversion requires a high temperature, controlled burn ).

It might and it might not.

That doesn't sound very scientific.

Assuming you could supply that, the emissions of the gas produced
would mean that in order to attain your pile of ash you would still
have unnecessarily contaminated the atmosphere.

That is not disputed.

Good, so even a scant understanding of the principles of organic
gardening would tell you that the ash could no longer be considered
suitable for use in that context.

Maybe that's why the concept of organic gardening seems to evade you -
it's more than picking packets off a shelf, you have to think a bit
further down the line.

I know reasonably well how to conduct an organic gardening programme. I
know that I have to follow the rules as laid down by the Soil Association.
What I don't know is how to deal with a problem not alrady coped with by the
pronouncements of the Soil Association, since they do not give a suitable
definition to guide me. Do I have to run to the guru each time I have a
problem? What if the guru is less than perfect one some sbtle point? Ifa
definition had existed, I might have solved such a problem for myself (if I
were an organic gardener).

That's the nature of a philosophy - not everything in life can be
summarised by a scientific principle.

Regards,



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