North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[david.maxwell@dal.ca]

If you read the material from McGill, and the enthusiastic endorsements from 
Michael 
Phillips, (nay, more than enthusiastic - ecstatic paeons of praise...) you 
will find that ramial 
wood chips (but only the chips from branches up to about 2" in diameter) are 
essential to 
build a healthy "fungus dominated" soil, (as opposed to "bacerial dominated", 
which is much 
less desirable).  So, not only are they not harmful, they are highly 
beneficial.  I am in the 
process of spreading ramial wood chips on top of mixed mulch and compost at 
present. 

(David Maxwell in still-frozen zone 5b Nova Scotia.  (That's in Canada, for 
our American 
cousins who aren't sure.  If nothing else, it does reinforce the vague notion 
harboured by 
many that we live in igloos, amongst polar bears.  But spring is coming...  
Traditionally we 
consider the last frost day the Queen's Birthday, May 24.))