permaculture

[YankeePerm@aol.com]

In a message dated 3/26/97 9:48:36 AM, askpv@ozemail.com.au (April
Sampson-Kelly) wrote:

>I didn't mention it cause I thought we were looking at simple low cost
solutions.
>Wiapuna In NZ have fought hard for their international copyright on this
technology
>so I advise you to seek them,
,,<<

Technology cannot be copyrighted.  It can only be patented.  Lots of people
in Florida use boiling water to kill fire ants and weeds.  We also use
ammonia for both.  Oviously, this is spot treatment not broacscale for
invasive grasses.

The natural way to kill solonaceous grasses is to fence the area to pigs.
 They will eat all the stolons.  In permaculture, we use the least technology
to do the job, no.  

In the states, we can rent, or presumably buy, propane steam generators which
would serve the function that April describes.  We also have, in blueberry
country, motorized flame throwers that weed by burning off surface
vegetation.  Blueberries get off on this and it keeps them producing.  I'm
describing the procumbant, lowbush groundcover type blueberry, of course,
though highbush varieties recover quickly from burning, quicker than most
competition also.  However this eats a lot of organic matter and the areas
where this is practiced are degraded.  Since blueberries are much more
tolerant of degraded soil than of competition, it works for them but at the
expense of the soil.  

Pigs are less intense energy sources, and get some of their energy from the
rhizomes they are to destroy. They are also self-replicating and can be eaten
when they have finished withthe job.  They have many other potential
functions ina  permaculture design Other approaches need to improve on pigs
in these regards or they are not the minimum change (energy) for the most
benefit, one of our over-riding criteria.    Such approaches might include
teaming up pigs with other animals.  They will not eat chickens that they
have know from piglethood, for example, though they will eat strange chickens
even in the presence of their piglethood poultry friends.  I imagine a food
shortage could void that generalization but mistreating animals, as with
inadequate feed and forage, is not part of permaculture either.  So it isn't
an issue.

I'm sure that a tactical nuclear weapon will also erradicate stolonaceous
grasses.  Lets just get back to permaculture, guys.

For Mother Earth, Dan Hemenway, Yankee Permaculture Publications (since
1982), Elfin Permaculture workshops, lectures, Permaculture Design Courses,
consulting and permaculture designs (since 1981). Next  correspondence
permaculture training by email starts in Aug., '97. Internships available.
Copyright, 1997, Dan & Cynthia Hemenway, P.O. Box 2052, Ocala FL 34478 USA
 YankeePerm@aol.com  

We don't have time to rush.