>I am under the impression, from
>reading Silent Spring among other texts, that the category "weed" is a
>human construction signifying "undesireable plants." To talk of "weeds" is
>to impose a set of human values on the environment (what is or is not
>desirable, always determined from our human point of view). Is there any
>way around this?
>
One of the funniest stories in the history of agriculture is wheat vs. rye.
In warmer regions, native wheat grew easily and plentifully. Further north,
rye grass would horn in - it was cursed as a "weed" and removed from fields
when possible. Still further north, rye grew easily & wheat was much more
difficult - so the northern famers cultivated rye!
One man's weed . . .
Miranda
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