Ooooold Sunset

Discussion in 'Conversations Forum' started by Barbara Lloyd, Mar 14, 2009.

  1. Barbara Lloyd

    Barbara Lloyd Well-Known Member

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    Location:
    Anacortes, Washington, USA
    Just a bit of thought on an otherwise nasty day....
    Cleaned out a bookcase that had not been touched since we moved here six yrs ago.
    Mainly I found most of my Grandmothers old Gardening books. One I found rather interesting. It is "Sunset Flower book", Lane Publishing Co. Circa 1947, first edition.
    All pics are pen and ink drawings - if there are any.

    Most plant info is probably still pertinent, such as planting times. Seasonal to-do list, propagating, pruning, general characteristics of plants, and so on, but the pest controls (I assume) are mostly forbidden now. The list contains such names as Nicotine oils, Rotenone, Double Action (pyrethrum & rotenone),Derris resins, Petroleum oils, Ethylene glycol oleic ester, Pine-tar acids, Ethylene dichloride, Copper, and DDT, Lead arsenate dust, & the toungue twister Paradichlorobenzene. Some of this stuff may be fine, but it sounds lethal.

    I don't even pretend to know what some of this stuff is but it all sounds horrid. And to think it's been put into out soils and has spread to heaven knows where. Times and tides do change, and we have made some progress by getting some of this stuff off the market!!!
     
  2. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

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    Location:
    Lancashire , England
    Just what methods they used to believe in like slug pellets,

    It would be something that could have washed off. Remeber war brought food scarsities (rationing) so any deterent was ideal if it was'nt poisonous. Today we use Derris dust on allotments which the EC has said ok to till at least September this year. Only farmers etc after that date.

    There are pesticides with pyrethrum in it and we used to use certain products containing that which used to be freely available. It does look a pretty grim product not only for the enviroment but humans, and also pets too. I doubt the EC would allow now.

    http://www.safe2use.com/poisons-pesticides/pesticides/pyrethrum/pyrethrum-about.htm

    By the way, the pyrethrum daisy is a nice daisy *wink

    I used to love watching the 'Victorian Garden' on tele!
     
  3. Barbara Lloyd

    Barbara Lloyd Well-Known Member

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    Location:
    Anacortes, Washington, USA
    Katilina,
    We also had what we called "Victory Gardens" here in the states. Being a pre baby boomer and raised in a depression affected family we always had large vegie gardens. Cow or chicken, manure was what we used because that's what we had. I remember many hours hoeing and weeding the garden, but I also remember heading to the garden with a salt shaker and a paring knife and enjoying the fruits of our labors.
    barb
     
  4. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

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    Location:
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    Love the victorian gardens, recipes,

    I don't remeber the war years only watch or read about them. I do know somewhere in the back of my sub concious how my mum and dad found it hard with six kiddies to feed, dad working 7 nights, and then saturday am straight from a night shift go to car cleaning for a doctor. Dad always had a good garden - back and front and one to the side. I remember too how I would come from school and see mum with her bottie in the air weeding whilst dad dug for victory.

    We would take flowers to the church or the school from the garden on a regular basis. Years later when we had an allotment (husband and I) we too went picking everyday, sometimes before the morning dew dried. Caulies, sprouts, cabbage, and carrots...breathes deep...hahahaah you could smell the earth as you harvested.

    Nice talking Vicvtorian with you Barb.
     

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