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  • From: Nancy Szerlag <szerlag@earthlink.net>
  • To: gardenwriters-on-gardening <gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc: Nancy Szerlag <szerlag@earthlink.net>
  • Subject: Re: [gwl-g] Jerry Baker trivia
  • Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2007 10:22:30 -0400

Regarding Jerry Baker. A bit of trivia about his rise to fame. I hate to admit it, but Mr. Baker got his start in Detroit. He had a day job as an under cover cop.
Baker had the gift of gab and his stick was old time home remedies for the garden garnered from his Grandma Putt who was part native American. When Baker's first book came out he was interviewed by JP McCarthy a radio personality who owned the morning drive time slot on WJR, the largest radio station in Michigan. Baker soon became a regular and the rest is history. For years Baker had a Saturday radio show that was syndicated nationally. We used to call him Mr. Dursban, because no mater what the problem, he recommended dousing it - the lawn, garden, tree or shrub with this toxic chemical. I almost had a heart attack when I heard him tell a listener it was okay to exceed the recommended amount of product because by law the safety levels were far higher than those printed on the labels. Sad to say PBS picked him up to do his stick and sell books as fund raisers for their annual fund raising drives. He filmed his last one, about 10 years ago here in Detroit and invited master gardener groups to sit in as the audience. I refused to go, but, sad to say he had a full house.

I was already heavy into organic gardening at the time but I listened to Baker to learn what not to do.

Nancy Szerlag



On Jun 29, 2007, at 6:40 AM, Doug Green wrote:

To echo Jeff - this is why I really like this list - there's a wealth of
info here.

I've not noticed any difference in the effectiveness of the products but
then again, I don't have major slug problems (touch wood). But to be
recommended by Jerry Baker - and to have me doing it - that's almost
enough to make me cringe and swear off the stuff all by itself. :-))

Looks like I have some reading to do next week. Thanks for the info
sharing folks!

Doug

On Thu, 2007-28-06 at 22:02 -0700, N Sterman wrote:
From my long ago research, there are two types of DE.

One type is used as a filter material for swimming pools and the
other is sold as an insecticide. The swimming pool type has been
treated so that the edges are no longer sharp and the product is
useless against slugs and snails. The ag type is supposedly
effective but personally, I've never found it to make much difference.
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Nancy Szerlag
Columnist for Detroit News
szerlag@earthlink.net
Check blog at www.gardeneryardener.blogspot.com






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