1} - Friday,

July 27, 1990 - North Shore News

‘ LIFESTYLES

aire Raat LS a eS ina n

Don’t sin against Mother Nature
USE PESTICIDES ONLY AS A LAST RESORT

PLEASE CHOOSE which
of the following you feel is
the most probable:

A) The pulp and paper com-
panies of Howe Sound are more
concerned with the health of the
environment than the wealth of
their shareholders,

B) Pesticide companies are
troubled by the indiscriminate use
of their products by an
unknowledgeable public.

C) Cows can fly.

If you choose C as I did, then
the following tale will fuel your
fire ... as it did mine.

If you can recall, last Saturday
night’s weather was lovely. } was
sitting on my back deck with a
number of dinner guests when the
snow started falling. Well, more
of a snow job, really.

I overheard two friends discuss-
ing a recently viewed PBS special
in which an agricultural ‘expert’
discussed the virtues of the use of
pesticides. It seems this gentleman
was trying to propose that limiting
the use of pesticides could be
responsible for an increase in toxic
and carcinogenic compounds in
the environment.

It runs something like this:
Most plants can and do produce
their own organic pesticides in
order to protect themselves from
insects and/or diseases. Many of
these organic chemicals are even
more dangerous to humans than
the pesticides produced by us.

This is all true enough, but
when this pro-pesticide individual
suggests that the use of pesticides
will reduce the plant's need to
produce its own defences because
we are supplying them for it, he
loses me.

Furthermore, it was suggested

that organically grown, unsprayed
food could ultimately be more

dangerous because these plants
would have larger amounts of
these naturally produced organic
compounds.

Let’s see if I understand him
correctly. 1 regularly spray my
perfectly healthy plants with some
form of Ultra Death 20. In turn,
this will deter them from produc-
ing their own, even more toxic
soup which is even more likely to
kill me.

NOW THAT I HAVE YOUR

UNDIVIDED

ATTENTION,

LET’S TALK DIRTY,
CARPETS & UPHOLSTERY!

we supply the following:

~ cleaning solution

(pay only for solution used)

~ carpet protectors

plus easy to follow user-friendly instructions

v high-powered, efficient equipment
DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR!

“Advantages to using our superior equipment

No soap residue -

a ‘Machine fills. dutomatically.

100 sq.ft. of 3M Scotchguard
with this ad!

Be PLAIN & oe

Makes about as much sense as
taking out the umbrella to guard
against a herd of flying cows.
Speaking of which, those of you
lucky enough to find any articles
written by this individual might
want to use them as a potential
hutriiional supplement in the
garden.

If what comes out of a bull can

over the

garden gate

Geoff Tobiasson

grow bigger tomatoes, this article
should be able to produce some
real prize winners.

Have you noticed the increascd
sightings in the number of eagles
lately? Plants did not produce the
chemicals which nearly eliminated
birds of prey from the face of the
planet, man did.

Eagles, hawks and falcons were
pulled back from the brink of ex-
tinction only when we banned the

COLORED,
HOLLAND

PATIO SLABS.

OVER 60 STYLES
OF CONCRETE
PLANTERS
Soe

‘= FROM
3 2525. 95 é
CT oe

* CEDAR GARDEN
“FURNITURE

use of DDT, Chlordane, and
other such compounds. Who
knows what incremental damage is
being done to our enviranment by
the indiscriminate use of
pesticides.

| wonder who might be funding
this advocate of chemical warfare.
The Church Lady might point her
finger at Satan but I think the
culprit is more likely to be hiding
in the halls of the petrochemical
industry.

Who are you about to trust;
Mother Nature and her plants, or
the boys in the pesticide industry
and the [uy next door?

Mother Nature carefully con-
trols the amount of potentially
harmful chemical each plant might
produce. The guy next door
reasons that if a little poison is
capable of doing a little good, a
lot must be even better.

{am not an extremist. | am not
suggesting that we ban all
pesticides. If the truth be known,
I just used a little weed killer on
my front lawn. (Forgive me,
Mother, for I have sinned.)

My advice has always been the
same: If you have a severe prob-
lem which can be treated in no
other way, the correct use of the
correct pesticide may be forgiven.
Only after reading the label and
assuring yourself that you under-

INTERLOCKING CONCRETE PAVERS FOR DRIVEWAYS AND PATIOS

Stand its
hazards.

U stress the ‘may be forgiven.’
The use of chemicals is a crime
against nature. It is just a matter
of degree. Use a little; get a ticket.
Use a lot; poison yours and mine.

Recommend the use of chemi-
cals as a maintenance dose; poison
a planet.

On the lighter side, the Third
Annual Tour of the North Shore’s
Award Winning Gardens takes
place this Sunday. This year’s
winners as well as a few from
previous years will be open for in-
spection.

Get some ideas and inspiration.
Owners, landscape architects, a
professional horticulturalist, and
Master Gardeners will be on hand
to answer questions, share some
expertise and indulge in a little
garden gossip.

The tour is self-guided with the
aid of the map that is provided
with each ticket. The $10 tickets
are available at Eaton’s Park
Royal Ticket Office, Sussex Realty
offices, and The Avant Gardener,
1448 Marine Dr., West Van-
couver.

use and potential

In deference to the owners, no
pets or children are allowed in the
gardens. And leave your spade at
home.

OVER 20
STYLES
OF WOOD

Vvy,
Show *y
A $9.95
TINS

TREATED LANDSCAPE TIES
* SPLIT GRANITE STONE