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Re: Overcoming Guilt

Make sure you know what kind of thistles you have.  There are several
native thistles that do not cause problems, and I have found out that
people are fighting them without knowing the difference.  I haven't seen
any nests in the canadian thistle, and only very few in the bull thistle,
and none in the musk thistle.  Finches will use the native thistles just
fine.  The native thistles make quite impressive plants, if left alone, and
admired, and they are not so agressive about spreading.  They were abundant
in one part of a small prairie planting I had near my house, and now they
are gone from there, and I made no attempt to remove them.



At 06:59 PM 8/6/99 -0500, you wrote:
> Hello:
>
>This is perhaps more philosophical than my previous questions. As I was
>hacking down a small area of thistle plants I suddenly felt some guilt over
>the destruction  I'm responsible for. On prior days I had noticed that
>red-wing blackbirds nest in thistle patches. I also noticed numerous birds
>(including yellow finches) eating seeds or  insects from the noxious
>plants. Please convince me that  a healthy grassland or savanna habitat --
>even just a few  acres -- will balance the destruction. Is there an
>alternative food source I can establish for the finches?
>
>Sometimes I worry too much.
>
>Thank you for your views!
>J. A. Raasch
>University of Wisconsin - Madison
>Plant Biotechnology Laboratory
>UWBC 425 Henry Mall
>Madison, WI   53706
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>
Lloyd Crim
1750 140 th St.
Boone, Iowa  50036
(515) 432-5026

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