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Whtby Fiee Prms, Wednesday, July 10, 1996,9 Page 7 I Before sehool had recessed for the summer, ber class had been going through a rigorous course in- environmentai studies. "This is, er, . .. medicine," I replied. "Mhe flowers are sick, and this je to make them better.", She peeked over my shoulder foir a look at the container. 'Insecticide. Fungicide. You know what -. . . icide' means, don't you? It means to kI. l.Tat je not medicine. It le poison." 'Well, if we don't." "But don't you know that most of the chemicals people put on their lawns and gardens aren't tested? We dont know which ones cause cancer, and what else they do." The Grade 5 program in envirormental studies covers a lot. "But these litie bugs are attacking our pretty roses, and soon they'll chew up the leaves and everything. Besides, see these yeilow and black spots? They're fungal growths, sort of like plant cancer. We need this medicine te make the plants better." Before readers reply, I know that once black spot and yellow spot etrike, it's too late for fungicide. But in arguing with a soon-to-be-eleven-year.old, one trots out every deception possible. tvlese poisons do harm in a lot of ways," Erin continued. By now I could tell she was just getting warmed up. "Sure, they kil the bugs. But they also poison people, and likely cause cancer. 7hat'ejust when they do what we want them te do. "But we don't just worxy about our own poisons. If our neighbours use them, they can run onte our property and we can get sick. And the rains wash them away into the rivers and streams and the lakes and oceans. So they can make birds and flsh and other animais in the food chamn sick and maybe kili them." I returned the rose dust to the garden shed. MlIl le right back," I said. 'Tve got to wash my hands." "And when you do, the poisn won't le on you. But it'll go down the drain and into the lake. It's stili poison." Well, I had- to admit, that's a fact. "And then we don't know what al t.hiswiIl do to my children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren." This Iast was delivered with flnality, like the last two tricks ini a lone hand in euchre. What more could you say? The gracles in our backyard maple started a smali fiiss. Finally, Erin looked me in the eye. "Our teacher stifi doesn't know why they spray the schoolyard with pesticides," she said. 'Td rather have dandelions than poison." Some ideas you- can't argue with. Dusted I 1 [ý[ RDNV 0 BAIERAT CREISPOINTJULY, 1918 These bathers are members of a surnmer musslonary conference held at the Ontario Ladies' College <now Trafalgar Castie School). Corbett's Point, a popular picnic spot ini Whitby since pioneer Urnes, bas been known as Thickson's Point since 1948. In the background la the site ot the future Camp X of World War I anie. Whltby Areblv« photo 10 YEARS AGO from the Wednesday, July 9, 1986 edition of the WHITY FREE PRESS 0 The first oftwo homes at the corner ofByron and Mary Streets was moved acroos the.street to be the flrst phase of Bil Little's new commercial development. 0 Local doctors went on strike to protest the Ontario Government's ban on extra billing. a The coat of two new dressing rooms for the Brookhin Arena bas risen by $13,000 i one week. a Whitby Seniors' Activity Centre choir won first place at a Choir-test ini Kitchener. 85 YXEAB AGO from the Thursday, July 6, 1961 edition ot the WEUTBY wEELYNEWS 0 Whitby lacrosse founder Lloyd Gibson won the Peter Perry Award as the town' outstanding citizen ot 1960. a Ratepayers' and recreational groupe want a parks board formed in WVhitby a Industrial wasto is pushing the new Whitby sewage treatment plant.to its fulI capaclty. 0 The Town nf Whitby wants to purchase privately.owned land at the harbour. 100 YEARS AGO from the Friday, July 10,, 1896 edition of the WMTY CHONICLE a A new boiler is being placed in the Brooklin grain elevator. 0 Work las commenoed on cutting down the bills on the Kingston Road between Why and Oshawa. 0 ich ard Wolfenden ia planning to tormi a new brass band in Whitby. 0 Hon. John Dryden, ot Brooklin, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, will address the fifth annual meeting ot the Manitoba Central Farmers Instituts,. at Brandon.' 1 m You want to know what bugs me about gardening? (Get it? Gardening? Bugs? Mia!) In this, the wettest, most lusclous July i the history of the world, theY represent the most common problem to confront the average gardener. They cor n many lbrms. On the buds of roses, they are known as aphids: littie, green critters the sarne clour and shade as new rose stem growth. They burrow mnside the sweet, delicious interior of the rose just be it bilorne and suck the centre out, Having spied some of these littie chaps, I rau immediately for the garden shed. Not to bide froni the invadinglbrces, but to arn myself with the rose duet. %hs ie a powder to control aphids, mites, spiders, insecte, mildew, fungus and acid indigestion. By squeezing the cardboard cylinder, you force out just enough of the material to cover the roses with a- fine, poisonous dust. Killing aphids, mites, mildew, fugus ... you get the idea. So I dusted the roses. And I got caught. 'What is that stuffyou are putting on the flowers?" Erin asked. m Il 'I ~iI Ili, 1 -