permaculture

[Toby Hemenway <hemenway@jeffnet.org>]

>Anyone familiar with the book "Bread From Stones"?

I've got a copy of this quirky little book; there's some fascinating stuff
in it. It's basically a paean to rock dust (Dudley, search under that or
"remineralization" or "remineralize the earth" for more sites). It also
fights the "chemical-ag" prescriptions of Hensel's contemporary Justus von
Liebig, the guy who, through some very narrow-minded experiments, concluded
that NPK was enough for plant growth, and got the whole chemical ag ball
rolling.

One interesting note: Hensel compares soils high in calcium with those high
in potassium. Calcium  grows organisms that are heavy, strong, and thick.
Potassium yields suppleness, flexibility, and lightness. The English
imported hay from potassium-rich Hungary, which created light, fast horses
that were the best for racing. The French horses, raised on calcium-rich
soil, were heavy and big-boned, good for draft animals but not for polo or
the track. Flax and linen from granite soil rich in K is more supple and
soft than that from Ca-rich soil. Hensel ties this to human nutrition.

There's good information in the Hensel book, but it's fairly diffuse and
the whole book is a bit odd.

Toby