Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cwjcc!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!unmvax!nmtsun!john
From: john@nmtsun.nmt.edu (John Shipman)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: pesticides & birds
Summary: Good books on natural agriculture
Message-ID: <2027@nmtsun.nmt.edu>
Date: 26 Feb 89 20:36:38 GMT
References: <11752@ihlpa.ATT.COM>
Organization: Zoological Data Processing
Lines: 36

Apropos the pesticide postings, I strongly recommend the book
``The One-Straw Revolution'' by Masanobu Fukuoka (Rodale Press,
1978; available through Whole Earth Access, 415-845-3000, or from
Rodale, Emmaus, PA 18049).

Fukuoka's four principals are quite radical compared to modern
agriculture: no cultivation, no chemical fertilizer or prepared
compost, no weeding by tillage or herbicides, and no dependence
on chemicals.  Yet his rice yields are some of the highest in all
Japan.  It is also a sustainable agriculture; his soil just keeps
getting better.  From the book:

``The first [principle] is NO CULTIVATION, that is, no plowing or
turning of the soil.... The earth cultivates itself naturally by
means of the penetration of plant roots and the activities of
microorganisms, small animals and earthworms.''

When asked what do about this or that problem, Fukuoka's typical
answer is to do nothing.  When pests appear, natural predators
will be attracted (if they haven't been poisoned out), sometimes
spiders, or perhaps toads, or birds.  (-: Obligatory bird
reference :-) He addresses not only the traditional Japaneses
grain cultures (rice, rye and barley) but also two-story
agriculture, growing ground crops in orchards.

Rodale publishes another book by an American author whom I found
to be quite in agreement with Fukuoka: ``The Ruth Stout No-Work
Garden Book.''  Mrs. Stout (God rest her soul) advocated
gardening from the couch.  Her approach also avoids cultivation
and chemicals, but is better adapted for American suburban
gardening and small-scale farming.
-- 
John Shipman/Zoological Data Processing/Socorro, New Mexico
USENET: ucbvax!unmvax!nmtsun!john  CSNET: john@nmtsun.nmt.edu ``A lesson from
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