In article ,
(Bob Hobden) wrote:

is that the disease, Tomato Blight, is brought by rain
and as we haven't had any for weeks (only two wet days this summer!)
we haven't bothered spraying yet this year

Ah! This is my first year and I thought the lack of blight was beginners
luck ...

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com

In article ,
(Franz Heymann) wrote:

There is no constituent in Bordeaux mixture which is organic. Its two
components, copper sulphate and calcium hydroxide, are both quite
strictly *inorganic*.

Similarly, don't use an inorganic mental hoe to deal with weeds, use a
nice organic herbicide like 2,4 D :-)

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com

"Steve Harris" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Franz Heymann) wrote:

There is no constituent in Bordeaux mixture which is organic. Its two
components, copper sulphate and calcium hydroxide, are both quite
strictly *inorganic*.

Similarly, don't use an inorganic mental hoe to deal with weeds, use a
nice organic herbicide like 2,4 D :-)

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com

"Steve Harris" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Franz Heymann) wrote:

There is no constituent in Bordeaux mixture which is organic. Its two
components, copper sulphate and calcium hydroxide, are both quite
strictly *inorganic*.

Similarly, don't use an inorganic mental hoe to deal with weeds, use a
nice organic herbicide like 2,4 D :-)

The proliferation of weeds in my garden must be due to the use of a mental
hoe rather than a metal hoe. {:-)

Franz

"Franz Heymann" wrote in message ...
"Steve Harris" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Franz Heymann) wrote:

There is no constituent in Bordeaux mixture which is organic. Its two
components, copper sulphate and calcium hydroxide, are both quite
strictly *inorganic*.

Similarly, don't use an inorganic mental hoe to deal with weeds, use a
nice organic herbicide like 2,4 D :-)

The proliferation of weeds in my garden must be due to the use of a mental
hoe rather than a metal hoe. {:-)

I've got a mental hoe like that, and I use it an awful lot, like my
mental secateurs and mental lawnmower.

We lumpen-peasants do actually know that Bordeaux mixture is not of
biological origin, just as we know that water is a chemical compound.
But it's perfectly understandable and entirely forgivable if people
use "organic" to mean "approved for use on organically-grown crops".

What exactly is the purpose of these objections? If it's the promotion
of good precise written English, then I'm with you all the way. If, on
the other hand, it's an attempt to disprove the theoretical basis of
organic crop-production, then (a) it doesn't, and (b) why do you want
to do that?

Mike.

"Franz Heymann" wrote in message ...
"Steve Harris" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Franz Heymann) wrote:

There is no constituent in Bordeaux mixture which is organic. Its two
components, copper sulphate and calcium hydroxide, are both quite
strictly *inorganic*.

Similarly, don't use an inorganic mental hoe to deal with weeds, use a
nice organic herbicide like 2,4 D :-)

The proliferation of weeds in my garden must be due to the use of a mental
hoe rather than a metal hoe. {:-)

I've got a mental hoe like that, and I use it an awful lot, like my
mental secateurs and mental lawnmower.

We lumpen-peasants do actually know that Bordeaux mixture is not of
biological origin, just as we know that water is a chemical compound.
But it's perfectly understandable and entirely forgivable if people
use "organic" to mean "approved for use on organically-grown crops".

What exactly is the purpose of these objections? If it's the promotion
of good precise written English, then I'm with you all the way. If, on
the other hand, it's an attempt to disprove the theoretical basis of
organic crop-production, then (a) it doesn't, and (b) why do you want
to do that?

Mike.

In article , Franz Heymann
writes

"Steve Harris" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Franz Heymann) wrote:

There is no constituent in Bordeaux mixture which is organic. Its two
components, copper sulphate and calcium hydroxide, are both quite
strictly *inorganic*.

Similarly, don't use an inorganic mental hoe to deal with weeds, use a
nice organic herbicide like 2,4 D :-)

The proliferation of weeds in my garden must be due to the use of a mental
hoe rather than a metal hoe. {:-)

You're not using the right mental hoe, then. A really efficient one
would leave you with wild flowers, not weeds ;-)

--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

In article , Franz Heymann
writes

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
.. .
I have just picked my first tomatoes for 5 years, having lost all to
blight for the last 4 years.
This year for the first time I have used Bordeaux Mixture which is
suggested as the nearest organic control.

There is no constituent in Bordeaux mixture which is organic. Its two
components, copper sulphate and calcium hydroxide, are both quite strictly
*inorganic*.

In the chemical sense that is absolutely true. In the gardening sense,
BM may well be as organic as rainwater ;-) Wouldn't it be nice if
different subjects didn't use the same words to mean different things?
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

In article , martin
writes
On Wed, 13 Aug 2003 19:18:10 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:

Unless my memory is letting me down, the anhydrous copper sulphate is
hygroscopic and absorbs its water of crystallisation from moisture in the
air, thus re-acquiring its colour.

Ah the joys of O level chemistry :-)

hey - if Franz has been gardening for 70 years, it may even be the joys
of School cert chemistry!
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
In article , martin
writes
On Wed, 13 Aug 2003 19:18:10 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:

Unless my memory is letting me down, the anhydrous copper sulphate is
hygroscopic and absorbs its water of crystallisation from moisture in
the
air, thus re-acquiring its colour.

Ah the joys of O level chemistry :-)

hey - if Franz has been gardening for 70 years, it may even be the joys
of School cert chemistry!

Yes, except that it was not school cert., but matric.
I was educated in South Africa. I got so sick and tired of yet another
course in South African history that in my last two years at school I opted
for taking Agriculture, which was one of the subjects in which I
matriculated. Hence the abiding interest in gardening.
I did garden from the age of 10. I had a vegetable plot at home, in which I
grew carrots, beetroot, beans and onions, which I disposed of in the weekly
auction market in the village where I lived. It was in fact my sole source
of pocket money.

Franz

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
om...
"Franz Heymann" wrote in message
...
"Steve Harris" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Franz Heymann) wrote:

There is no constituent in Bordeaux mixture which is organic. Its
two
components, copper sulphate and calcium hydroxide, are both quite
strictly *inorganic*.

Similarly, don't use an inorganic mental hoe to deal with weeds, use a
nice organic herbicide like 2,4 D :-)

The proliferation of weeds in my garden must be due to the use of a
mental
hoe rather than a metal hoe. {:-)

I've got a mental hoe like that, and I use it an awful lot, like my
mental secateurs and mental lawnmower.

We lumpen-peasants do actually know that Bordeaux mixture is not of
biological origin, just as we know that water is a chemical compound.
But it's perfectly understandable and entirely forgivable if people
use "organic" to mean "approved for use on organically-grown crops".

What exactly is the purpose of these objections? If it's the promotion
of good precise written English, then I'm with you all the way. If, on
the other hand, it's an attempt to disprove the theoretical basis of
organic crop-production, then (a) it doesn't, and (b) why do you want
to do that?

What I mainly object to is the amount of bullshit and unsubstantiated
folklore which is part and parcel of organic crop production.

Franz

"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
In article , Franz Heymann
writes

"Steve Harris" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Franz Heymann) wrote:

There is no constituent in Bordeaux mixture which is organic. Its
two
components, copper sulphate and calcium hydroxide, are both quite
strictly *inorganic*.

Similarly, don't use an inorganic mental hoe to deal with weeds, use a
nice organic herbicide like 2,4 D :-)

The proliferation of weeds in my garden must be due to the use of a
mental
hoe rather than a metal hoe. {:-)

You're not using the right mental hoe, then. A really efficient one
would leave you with wild flowers, not weeds ;-)

Like everything else about me, my mental powers are regrettably on the wane.

Franz

"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
In article , Franz Heymann
writes

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
.. .
I have just picked my first tomatoes for 5 years, having lost all to
blight for the last 4 years.
This year for the first time I have used Bordeaux Mixture which is
suggested as the nearest organic control.

There is no constituent in Bordeaux mixture which is organic. Its two
components, copper sulphate and calcium hydroxide, are both quite
strictly
*inorganic*.

In the chemical sense that is absolutely true. In the gardening sense,
BM may well be as organic as rainwater ;-) Wouldn't it be nice if
different subjects didn't use the same words to mean different things?

Agreed.

Franz

"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
In article , martin
writes
On Wed, 13 Aug 2003 19:18:10 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:

Unless my memory is letting me down, the anhydrous copper sulphate is
hygroscopic and absorbs its water of crystallisation from moisture in
the
air, thus re-acquiring its colour.

Ah the joys of O level chemistry :-)

hey - if Franz has been gardening for 70 years, it may even be the joys
of School cert chemistry!

Yes, except that it was not school cert., but matric.
I was educated in South Africa. I got so sick and tired of yet another
course in South African history that in my last two years at school I opted
for taking Agriculture, which was one of the subjects in which I
matriculated. Hence the abiding interest in gardening.
I did garden from the age of 10. I had a vegetable plot at home, in which I
grew carrots, beetroot, beans and onions, which I disposed of in the weekly
auction market in the village where I lived. It was in fact my sole source
of pocket money.

Franz

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
om...
"Franz Heymann" wrote in message
...
"Steve Harris" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Franz Heymann) wrote:

There is no constituent in Bordeaux mixture which is organic. Its
two
components, copper sulphate and calcium hydroxide, are both quite
strictly *inorganic*.

Similarly, don't use an inorganic mental hoe to deal with weeds, use a
nice organic herbicide like 2,4 D :-)

The proliferation of weeds in my garden must be due to the use of a
mental
hoe rather than a metal hoe. {:-)

I've got a mental hoe like that, and I use it an awful lot, like my
mental secateurs and mental lawnmower.

We lumpen-peasants do actually know that Bordeaux mixture is not of
biological origin, just as we know that water is a chemical compound.
But it's perfectly understandable and entirely forgivable if people
use "organic" to mean "approved for use on organically-grown crops".

What exactly is the purpose of these objections? If it's the promotion
of good precise written English, then I'm with you all the way. If, on
the other hand, it's an attempt to disprove the theoretical basis of
organic crop-production, then (a) it doesn't, and (b) why do you want
to do that?

What I mainly object to is the amount of bullshit and unsubstantiated
folklore which is part and parcel of organic crop production.

Franz