Discouraged by new book

**"Jeff Ball" j*@starband.net**

I just received a 328 page book, Ecology for Gardeners, published by
Timber Press in 2004.  I made the bad assumption that two people with
the very impressive credentials of the authors would be bringing us an
update of ecology, as described in 1980.  They did not offer any update.
How disappointing and what is Timber Press thinking?

I have not read every page of the book because much of it is
appropriately very basic, almost text book style and form.  They deal
with a 1980's agronomist's description of soil - soil is chemicals and
physical stuff.  No soil food web.  No recognition of the biology of the
soil in any direct fashion.  They noted that landscape fabric was a good
way to keep down weeds; unaware I guess that it also serves as a barrier
keeping food in organic mulch away from earthworms and soil microbes.
Their treatment of pest insect control is right out of Rodale in the
70's.  Not one mention that I could find that plants, when truly healthy
and with little stress, can fight off both insects and disease on their
own.  

I believe that all those issues were studied and reported in the 1990's
and should be moving into the scientific literature by now.  Am I being
too hard on these people?  The authors are teachers at the university
level for goodness sake!!! They are teaching this stuff in 2005!!!  

That is my rant for the day.  We have sun for the first time in two
weeks in central Michigan.  I'm going out snowshoeing to clear my head
of angry thoughts.  
Later,

Jeff Ball 

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