Macon County Chronicle - Opinion / Blogs

Recent discoveries in quantum physics, microbiology, and ecology verify something gardeners have long known.  Everything in nature is related.  There are no solid lines between the plants’ roots, the soil, and the bacteria and fungi tying it all together.  To help understand why garden crops do or do not thrive, we are led into the enigmatic field of companion planting.

The story is told of an elderly lady who was in the market for a watch dog. Eventually she purchased what was described as an excellent guard dog. To her dismay the dog had a hard time staying awake. Instead of barking and scaring off varmints and thieves, this highly recommended guard dog would sleep. She told her story to a friend, who quickly solved her problem. “I’ll tell you what,” she said, “I’ve got a duck who is a buddy to my watch dog, and everytime my guard dog tries to go to sleep, the duck pecks him on the nose and quacks.” So she continued, “Come over to my house and get my duck and  he’ll break your dog of his sleepy habits.” She did, and her friend was right. Peck, quack, peck, quack. Soon the dog was weaned from his sleepy habits.

I’m often asked questions about gardening, and enjoy responding as best I can. Many of my students have far surpassed me in their knowledge and gardens, thank goodness. Through the years I’ve gradually developed a curriculum and am ready to share it with a wider audience.

I’m told that one of the oldest methods of catching a monkey is to cut a small hole in a gourd, tie it to a tree, and then fill it up with seeds in the hollowed-out gourd.

The culture of African people greatly affected the history of Tennessee gardening. Many of the two hundred thousand slaves here grew gardens for themselves and their owners. We still grow crops from seeds brought here from Africa.

Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson, opened the eyes of the world to the dangers of chemical sprays.  The book came out fifty years ago, in 1962, when chlordane, DDT, and Aldrin were commonly used.  Case studies of the widespread poisoning of humans and wildlife reported in her essays led to the ban of these chlorin-ated hydrocarbons.  The ban is actually only on domestic use; chemical companies in the U.S. still produce DDT for use in other countries.

Paul Warned Timothy that the world would wax worse and worse (2 Timothy 3:13). His prophecy is certainly being fulfilled in today’s time. However, there is still some good, and for it we are thankful. We see the good, the bad and the ugly in today’s America.

There is usually a mixture of the good, the bad, and the ugly in most situations that develop from time to time. I take off my hat to Councilman Tom Fultz for his courage and honesty in revealing the overtime issue in Red Boiling Springs. He did his job, and for it the citizens of RBS are grateful. However, there are other hidden things that have not been brought to light. In my opinion, and others, this may be only the tip of the iceburg. From what I’m hearing there may be more to come. When power is abused, especially the waste of taxpayers dollars, this constitutes the bad.

Error in Last Week’s Article

     Last week’s article stated that 67% of Americans are Christians.  It

should have read that 67% of Americans believe in Christianity.  There is a

vast difference in being a Christian and believing in Christianity.  Contrary to

President Obama’s remarks concerning religion in America, belief in Christi-

anity is not fading.  Christianity, by the way, is the only true religion.  All

others are man-made.

We have a new book, Barefoot Farmer II. I say “we” because of all the work done by the designer and typesetter, Victoria, and the illustrator, Linda. “We” also includes Kathryne, Gabby, and the rest of the Macon County Chronicle staff, who turn my weekly chick scratches into a newspaper column. You readers are included too, as your interest keeps me writing.

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Potash is an added bonus to heating your home with wood. As the name suggests, it contains potassium, wood ashes also have calcium and many trace elements that are needed in our mineral-deficient soils.

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Sometimes silence is wise. Job speaks of the wisdom of silence (Job 13:5). Solomon wrote that there is such a thing as too much talk (Eccles 5:3). We can sum it up by saying what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 10:14: “A wise man holds his tongue.”

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I once read of this man who planted two sixty-foot rows of potatoes in his garden. When he dug them he got only eighteen potatoes. Eighteen little potatoes. He ate the whole crop for supper. He said he had an excellent crop of vines but few potatoes.

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Little by little, the enemies of Democracy and Christianity are whittling away at America’s heritage. The ACLU, the Liberal politicians, and radical Muslims have embarked on a mission to eliminate the influence of Democracy and Christianity in America’s culture.

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Rutabaga is a plant grown for its fleshy root. Although they are quite similar to turnips, they are distinctive species. Brassica Rapa is the turnip, while rutabaga are Brassica Campestris or Brassica Napus.

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Plowing is the archetypical farm work. Ground must  be loosened and plants turned under in order to grow a crop. The plow comes in many shapes and sizes for various uses we put it to.

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“How far would Moses have gone if he had taken a poll in Egypt? What would Jesus Christ have preached if he had taken a poll in the land of Israel? What would have happened to the reformation if Martin Luther had taken a poll? It isn’t polls on public opinion of the moment that counts, it is right and wrong leadership.”- Harry S, Truman.

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It’s turnip time again. As fall waxes, and the garden wanes, turnips take over. We sow them in many of our fields for a cover crop, along with crimson clover and buckwheat. If you want some, come up to Long Hungry Road and stop in. they are right below the blueberry patch, near the tall bamboo.

The Apostle Paul admonished the church at Thessalonica to “Pray without ceasing”. (Thessalonians 5:17). The opportunity and responsibility of every Christian today is to keep alive the fires of prayer. There are those who would prefer that the fires of prayer would go out. Some actually pour water on the fires of prayer. One day, they will regret this. When they are on their deathbed, and without hope, then they will be glad for prayer to be made on their behalf.

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Our 16^th annual Southeastern Biodynamic Conference was a huge success. Over 150 people came to hear lectures and enjoy the beautiful gardens and conference site. There were folks from California to New York, Michigan to Florida, and even Costa Rica and South America. Besides the celebration, there was a sense of sadness, as construction of a giant chicken house continued just a few hundred feet up on the hill overlooking our home, farm, and business. No one will come if it stinks here, and Cobb says “It will stink.”