In article , shazzbat shazzbat@spamle
ssness.fsnet.co.uk writes
Just one flaw in your reasoning. You will never win the battle of the
dandelions, or the slugs/snails

.. . . . the age old problem (( This is an extract from a book by
Jeffery Farnol, written in 1933 or thereabouts -

.. . . . . . to the vigorous nurture of such right succulent edibles as
peas, beans, parsnips, onions, carrots, potatoes and what he termed
'sallet raffle'.
The coxswain gardened, fair or foul, spade, fork, rake and hoe,
like a true seaman, A.B., that is to say - with a will and cheerily-o!
and in despite of the piratical depredations of such slimy and stealthy
foes as slugs, snails, wire-worms, grubs and the like foes, against whom
he waged desperate and unceasing warfare with soot, with salt and any or
every lethal weapon as came readiest to hand, more especially a certain
stick armed with a long, sharp spike that he dubbed his 'belaying pin'.
Such earnest, nay indeed such passionate gardener was the
coxswain that on moonless nights, when all save trouble and wickedness
slept, he was wont to steal forth armed with dark lantern and the
belaying pin and thus cut out, capture or destroy these creeping foes at
their fiendly work by what he described as 'the Element of Surprise.'
But even this afternoon a slug more reckless than his fellows
and venturing abroad scornful of danger, was espied by the ever-watchful
coxswain, who instantly bore down to bring this audacious foe to close
action; in other words, Benjamin Piper, A.B., was stalking this
destroyer with elaborate caution, his feet were soundless, his one eye
gleamed, the spade gripped in knotted hands was lifted slowly for
exterminating stroke when . . . . . . . . .


Oh, I do love the way Jeffery Farnol describes things ))))))))
I think slugs and snails have *ever* been a problem to the hoticulturist
and always will be (((((


--
Jane Ransom in Lancaster.
I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg
but if you need to email me for any other reason, put ransoms
at jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see