Do you need a break from economic news?

Ma has JUST the thing....

Last night's topics for the Master Gardener class were:

--Integrated Pest Management
--Pesticides and Pesticide Safety
--Weed Science

Now wait....stick with me :-)

Besides discovering that it is nearly impossible to get through 3 subjects in one evening without going 30 minutes over, I learned some interesting bits of information:

First, you can tell it'll go long when the third chapter isn't started until 10 minutes before the 3-hour session is supposed to end.

Second, our local resource speaker told of a guy at the edge of town who had been advised he couldn't have an electric fence in his back yard (no houses around) to keep away the multitudinous deer. This in fact reminded me of an article read earlier in the day, which I chose not to bring up (due to the first point).

A man in Worcestershire, England has been told to take down the waist-high barb-wire fence around his garden, on grounds of health and safety...."in case intruders scratch themselves."

Mr Malcolm said he had been robbed three times since June, along with around 16 of the 50 allotment keepers on the site.

'About £300 worth of tools were taken, including everything from a stainless steel border spade and pitchforks to screwdrivers and hammers,' he added. 'The thieves cut through steel locks on the shed, or broke in through the windows. I caught one lad of about 16 red-handed.

'He dropped the bag of tools and fled, but although the police took a description and finger prints, I heard nothing. Another time yobs broke in and completely trashed my potato and vegetable patches.

Here's what a local policeman said,

'These [thefts] have mainly been from sheds and our advice to allotment holders is not to leave anything of value there.'

Mr Malcolm's plight comes just weeks after Bristol council angered allotment holders by urging them not to lock their sheds in case burglars damaged them breaking in.

But back to the Master Gardening class...

Third, concerning pesticides, the term 'safe' is not one which we are encouraged to use with the word 'pesticides.' That's probably why they put it in the title of that particular chapter.

Fourth, the subject of 'Weed Science' begins with several answers to the question, "What is a weed?" My favorite answer:

A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered

- Emerson

Gotta love it! And speaking of literary stuffs, BBC News has an interesting article entitled, "Fifty of Your Favorite Words."

Now, I know most people won't wish to read through all fifty, so Ma will simply post one on occasion for the enlightenment of all, including myself. I'd only heard of about 5 on this list.

Today's fun word, including explanation by it's contributor...

2. Poodle-faker - a young man too much given to taking tea with ladies.
Jane, Pembroke

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