The Winter 2007-2008 issue of Organic Gardening (a ghost of what it
used to be, unfortunately) has a blurb titled "Soil Makes You Happy":

Quote
Proof that dirty fingers lead to clean minds.
Findings: A common soil bacterium, Mycobacterium vaccae, is an
effective vaccine for leprosy. Researches began to evaluate its value
in treating asthma, tuberculosis, and cancer. When cancer patients
treated with M. vaccae reported feeling inexplicably happier,
neuroscientist Christopher Lowry, PhD., of the U.K.'s University of
Bristol injected mice with the bacterium, then examined their brains.
The mice's immune systems were stimulated, causing brain cells to
release serotonin, a mood-altering, pleasure-inducing hormone. Our
Advice: Dig in! Be happy!
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

Ann

Most text books treat soil as if it is dead. Defined as silt, loam and clay
and rocks. Where have you seen it defined as having an enormous amount of
living organisms? I only know of one source. Its great that you pointed
out that soil is alive as well as daed. A duality of living and dead both.
Just as wood is alive and dead.


--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.

"Ann" wrote in message
...
The Winter 2007-2008 issue of Organic Gardening (a ghost of what it
used to be, unfortunately) has a blurb titled "Soil Makes You Happy":

Quote
Proof that dirty fingers lead to clean minds.
Findings: A common soil bacterium, Mycobacterium vaccae, is an
effective vaccine for leprosy. Researches began to evaluate its value
in treating asthma, tuberculosis, and cancer. When cancer patients
treated with M. vaccae reported feeling inexplicably happier,
neuroscientist Christopher Lowry, PhD., of the U.K.'s University of
Bristol injected mice with the bacterium, then examined their brains.
The mice's immune systems were stimulated, causing brain cells to
release serotonin, a mood-altering, pleasure-inducing hormone. Our
Advice: Dig in! Be happy!
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

In article ,
"symplastless" wrote:

Most text books treat soil as if it is dead. Defined as silt, loam and clay
and rocks. Where have you seen it defined as having an enormous amount of
living organisms? I only know of one source. Its great that you pointed
out that soil is alive as well as daed. A duality of living and dead both.
Just as wood is alive and dead.

It is flowering,
The cut duckweed at the roadside,
In the evening rain.
- Buson (1716-1784)
--

Billy

Bush & Cheney, Behind Bars

"symplastless" expounded:

Most text books treat soil as if it is dead. Defined as silt, loam and clay
and rocks. Where have you seen it defined as having an enormous amount of
living organisms? I only know of one source. Its great that you pointed
out that soil is alive as well as daed. A duality of living and dead both.
Just as wood is alive and dead.

You must read the wrong books, I've never, ever read that soil is
dead! Try Teaming with Microbes, to start, or any good book on
composting, etc. .
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

Webster online
1: firm land : earth2 a: the upper layer of earth that may be dug or plowed
and in which plants grow b: the superficial unconsolidated and usually
weathered part of the mantle of a planet and especially of the earth3:
country, land our native soil4: the agricultural life or calling5: a
medium in which something takes hold and develops

Nothing about living organisms. BTW, soil is dead and alive both. A
duality just as trees are alive and dead both. We have no word for a
substance that is both living and dead - wood, soil.


--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.



"Ann" wrote in message
...
"symplastless" expounded:

Most text books treat soil as if it is dead. Defined as silt, loam and
clay
and rocks. Where have you seen it defined as having an enormous amount of
living organisms? I only know of one source. Its great that you pointed
out that soil is alive as well as daed. A duality of living and dead
both.
Just as wood is alive and dead.

You must read the wrong books, I've never, ever read that soil is
dead! Try Teaming with Microbes, to start, or any good book on
composting, etc. .
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

In article ,
"symplastless" wrote:

Webster online
1: firm land : earth2 a: the upper layer of earth that may be dug or plowed
and in which plants grow b: the superficial unconsolidated and usually
weathered part of the mantle of a planet and especially of the earth3:
country, land our native soil4: the agricultural life or calling5: a
medium in which something takes hold and develops

Nothing about living organisms. BTW, soil is dead and alive both. A
duality just as trees are alive and dead both. We have no word for a
substance that is both living and dead - wood, soil.


--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.



"Ann" wrote in message
...
"symplastless" expounded:

Most text books treat soil as if it is dead. Defined as silt, loam and
clay
and rocks. Where have you seen it defined as having an enormous amount of
living organisms? I only know of one source. Its great that you pointed
out that soil is alive as well as daed. A duality of living and dead
both.
Just as wood is alive and dead.

You must read the wrong books, I've never, ever read that soil is
dead! Try Teaming with Microbes, to start, or any good book on
composting, etc. .
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

John, I know that you are just responding to an attack. Don't fall into
the same hole as Clinton when he used the dictionary to define sex
(legally I agreed with him on this but condemn him for his stance on
East Timore and Bosnia). Following the same logic we are just a couple
of dollars worth of inanimate chemicals, whose form, matrix if you will,
conjures up the phenomenon of life. As much as it grieves me to agree
with the Bush supporting witch from Massachusetts, read "Teaming with
Microbes". Some of it is a little lame but by and large it is a good
book. This news group isn't rec.hydroponics. Gardening implies fecund
soil, that can nurture phototrophic creatures. Life begets life.

Peace
--

Billy

Bush & Cheney, Behind Bars

Billy expounded:

John, I know that you are just responding to an attack.

WTF are you talking about? I am not attacking anyone. But, as usual,
you are. Troll.

Don't fall into
the same hole as Clinton when he used the dictionary to define sex
(legally I agreed with him on this but condemn him for his stance on
East Timore and Bosnia). Following the same logic we are just a couple
of dollars worth of inanimate chemicals, whose form, matrix if you will,
conjures up the phenomenon of life.

Obsessed troll.


As much as it grieves me to agree
with the Bush supporting witch from Massachusetts,

You are so off the mark it isn't funny, but that's your agenda isn't
it, troll?

read "Teaming with
Microbes". Some of it is a little lame but by and large it is a good
book. This news group isn't rec.hydroponics. Gardening implies fecund
soil, that can nurture phototrophic creatures. Life begets life.

Which is all I was saying to him in the first place, without the
vitriolic attacks and political bullshit. Really, troll, people can
and do thing of things other than what you think of.

What a sad little man you are.
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

[Following the same logic we are just a couple
of dollars worth of inanimate chemicals, whose form, matrix if you will,
conjures up the phenomenon of life. ]

By weight we are made up of 98% of the same chemicals as trees. What makes
us different is the way the chemicals are connected.
(carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus)
Life is a journey powered by the sun. We are made up of chemicals borrowed
from the earth. In death, those chemicals are returned. The theme of life
appears to be buildup and breakdown.

--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.

"symplastless" expounded:

Webster online
1: firm land : earth2 a: the upper layer of earth that may be dug or plowed
and in which plants grow b: the superficial unconsolidated and usually
weathered part of the mantle of a planet and especially of the earth3:
country, land our native soil4: the agricultural life or calling5: a
medium in which something takes hold and develops

Nothing about living organisms. BTW, soil is dead and alive both. A
duality just as trees are alive and dead both. We have no word for a
substance that is both living and dead - wood, soil.

John, nothing is as cut and dry as you seem to see it. Soil is a
community consisting of what you've definied above and the organisms
that live in it. Without the organisms that live within the soil
nothing will grow. I don't care what a piece of paper says; nailing
down a dry definition isn't going to help our plants grow. Feed your
soil with organic matter and your plants will grow (my definition of
plants: anything that photosynthesizes, so that includes your beloved
trees). )
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

"Ann" wrote in message
...
Feed your
soil with organic matter and your plants will grow (my definition of
plants: anything that photosynthesizes, so that includes your beloved
trees). )

What about the ghost flower?

Soil is a substance made up of sands, silts, clays, decaying organic matter,
air, water and an enormous number of living organisms. Is it alive or dead?
Yes, is the answer. We have no word for a substance that is both living and
dead - wood, soil.

I think people who call beautiful soil dirt need help.

--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.

"symplastless" wrote in message
. ..
Webster online
1: firm land : earth2 a: the upper layer of earth that may be dug or
plowed and in which plants grow b: the superficial unconsolidated and
usually weathered part of the mantle of a planet and especially of the
earth3: country, land our native soil4: the agricultural life or
calling5: a medium in which something takes hold and develops

Nothing about living organisms. BTW, soil is dead and alive both. A
duality just as trees are alive and dead both. We have no word for a
substance that is both living and dead - wood, soil.



Beware of so-called tree experts who think Webster was a gardener.

Beware of so-called tree experts who think Webster was a gardener.


LOL

John