North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Robert C. Mullins" <mullins@gaelicmysts.com>]

Stephen,

I am with you on this point about specificity.  Particularly with regard 
to plants and plant species.  I would wish that the Latin nomenclature 
would somehow be used more often, even though I understand the taxonomic 
nightmare to some degree.


I believe I must point out that coffee beans after being roasted should 
contain some carbon wouldn't they?  ;)

Just thought I would share.

Robert C. Mullins M.S. IT
GaelicMysts Farms and Permaculture, Owner
Clarksville, Ar
Zone 8a
http://wildcraft.gaelicmysts.com


> Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2008 11:05:48 -0700
> From: "Stephen Sadler" <Docshiva@Docshiva.org>
> Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Blueberries in Paradise: Farmer tweaks soil to
>         successfully
> To: "'North American Fruit Explorers'" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Message-ID: <009501c8f725$e3c3f4e0$ab4bdea0$@org>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> That was pretty cool, and I'm happy for the farmer and for blueberry lovers
> in Utah.
>
>  
>
> As a biochemist, though, I've been getting a bit annoyed at some reporting
> I've seen lately.  Here, "removing the calcium and magnesium - referred to
> as carbonates."  Wouldn't it seem sensible to someone who's taken high
> school chemistry that carbonates should contain, I don't know, some carbon?
> And that calcium and magnesium per se would not, and exist in forms other
> than calcite and magnesite?  I understand in this specific case he was
> removing Calcium and Magnesium carbonates, but the inference that,
> therefore, Ca and Mg are "referred to as carbonates" I'm sure was
> universally accepted as blindly as it was assumed and reported.  I think the
> public hears sciencey or mathy talk and goes, "oh, I don't understand those
> things, but I learned something now - carbonate means calcium or magnesium.
> So, let's see, milk is a good source of healthy carbonates;" or the brain
> just shuts off altogether when it hears about somethingates.  
>
>  
>
> Yes.  I see I'm testy.  Will stop complaining now and drink my coffee.  I
> take it black, no creamer, so no carbonates for me this morning..-- 
>
>