"The Devil's Advocate" wrote in message ...
I think Neil Jones email was altered before it was posted to make it sound
more scientific

Cerumen wrote:
"Rusty Hinge" wrote in message
...
Yet the story has spread. It has appeared in at least two
_Government_
press releases and as even been copied by the BBC.

But who believes Government press releases, especially about weeds
of mass destruction?

Or even about the mass destruction of weeds? Anyway somebody leaves a
horse run free and it breaks into my land and eats the ragwort or
indeed nibbles on the Yew, foxgloves, belladonna or any other toxic
plants and trees they get what they deserve?

I doubt if anybody's actually considering the effect on stray
livestock: all good fun, but we shouldn't let the wisecracks distract
us from the issue. The issue is how far we let these plants spread to
land where they may be less welcome than, perhaps, on our own.

Keeping the population of ragwort within bounds seems reasonable to
me: yew, foxglove, etc aren't distributed by the wind, and are
conspicuously not typical grassland plants; no ragwort is, as far as I
know, an endangered species -- somebody mentioned how common they are
on some roadside verges, for example; so if you live close to grazing
land it's elementary good neighbourliness to pull it up when you find
it on your patch. That way it's more likely to be the farmer's fault
than yours if she has a problem later on: one less thing to worry
about.

It was suggested that the ragworts didn't colonise well-stocked
grassland, but I'm afraid they do, round here at any rate. How else do
they appear in lawns?

The cinnabar moth won't be preserved by half a dozen plants in some
gardener's back hedge anyhow.

Mike.

The message
from "Tom Warner" contains these words:

Well I for one will not be removing it from the (very small) area of my
garden where it grows.
Its a native plant and supports a lot of native species.
If you keep livestock then get rid of it by all means, but I don't see why
the average garden should pose any risk to you.
If you are worried about it seeding over your land then look no further than
the embankment of your nearest motorway!

It's a problem here in places, and where, I ask you, is the nearest
motorway to South Norfolk?

--
Rusty http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm
horrid·squeak snailything zetnet·co·uk exchange d.p. with p to
reply.

The message
from "Cerumen" contains these words:

But who believes Government press releases, especially about weeds of
mass destruction?

Or even about the mass destruction of weeds? Anyway somebody leaves a
horse run free and it breaks into my land and eats the ragwort or indeed
nibbles on the Yew, foxgloves, belladonna or any other toxic plants and
trees they get what they deserve?

And becomes a Cork case?

--
Rusty http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm
horrid·squeak snailything zetnet·co·uk exchange d.p. with p to
reply.

"martin" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 19 Aug 2003 21:36:58 +0100, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:


When cats manage to get into my garden I simply pick up a stone and raise
my
arm. I've never hit one yet. They move too fast.

In truth I've never even thrown one because they see the intention in my
face. Not daft, cats ...

My problem with cats is that the hens don't like them, by the way, not
that
I have a personal hostility. Never had a problem with horses though.
Don't
see any in Chapeltown unless they're attached to a cart.

in your garden? :-)

The carts can't get through the gate, that's why we don't hav a problem with
horses.

Mary
--
Martin

"Franz Heymann" wrote in message
...

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
t...

[snip]

In truth I've never even thrown one because they see the intention in my
face. Not daft, cats ...

That's right. As soon as your back is turned, they're back again.

No they're not. I'd know if they were because of the hens' alarm calls.

Mary

On Tue, 19 Aug 2003 20:43:15 +0100, Rusty Hinge
wrote:

The message
from "Tom Warner" contains these words:

Well I for one will not be removing it from the (very small) area of my
garden where it grows.
Its a native plant and supports a lot of native species.
If you keep livestock then get rid of it by all means, but I don't see why
the average garden should pose any risk to you.
If you are worried about it seeding over your land then look no further than
the embankment of your nearest motorway!

It's a problem here in places, and where, I ask you, is the nearest
motorway to South Norfolk?

A44 in Zuid Holland?
--
Martin

The message
from billy_bunter contains these words:

spluttered almost incoherently...:

(... and please snip when you add a one line comment in response to a
multi-line post)

I will post how and where I like, thank you very much.

Not on my screen, you won't.

Janet.

On Tue, 19 Aug 2003 21:36:58 +0100, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:


When cats manage to get into my garden I simply pick up a stone and raise my
arm. I've never hit one yet. They move too fast.

In truth I've never even thrown one because they see the intention in my
face. Not daft, cats ...

My problem with cats is that the hens don't like them, by the way, not that
I have a personal hostility. Never had a problem with horses though. Don't
see any in Chapeltown unless they're attached to a cart.

in your garden? :-)
--
Martin

On Tue, 19 Aug 2003 20:46:59 +0100, Rusty Hinge
wrote:

The message
from billy_bunter contains these words:

I will post how and where I like, thank you very much.

Be ready to take the flak then.

It's inconsiderate, lazy, annoying and if the window is filled with
quoted text and no comment/reply, many of us just delete the whole post
unread.

It's maybe better to ignore and not argue with him.
--
Martin