Organic Gardening / Farming

	Gardening In The City - A Beginner's Guide by Nimret Handa
More and more city-dwellers enjoy having a fresh, green enviornment around their homes. Whether they have a small yard, a terrace, a balcony or even window-boxes, many plant-lovers are taking to nurtuing greenery themselves. This basic and easy-tofollow book gives the amateur gardener many ideas to tips on a range of gardening basics. These cover : the best season for the growing and flowering of various plants plants most suitable for containers climatic variables like sunlight, wind, temperature and humidity and their iimpact on plant growth and plant health draonage and watering of plants in various seasons propagation and pruning techniques makiing organic manure at home preparation of soil maxture for potted plants and use of fertilizers and home-made pesticides. Lavishly illustrated, this book devotes separate chapters to trees, herbs, climbers, annuals, shrubs, grasses, creepers and bulbs of several varieties of plants. It also touches on the properties of plants which can enrich your kitchen or medicine cabinet. An excellent guide to get you started on an exciting and hugely satisfying pastime.
	Ecologically Based Pest Management : New Solutions for a New Century by Committee on Pest and Pathogen Control
From Book News, Inc. , October 1, 1996 In light of the increasing danger to the environment and human health posed by chemical pesticides, and the apparent glee with which pests rush to become resistant to every new poison, a team of scientists and agriculturists advocates a pest management approach that promotes both agricultural production and a balanced ecosystem by incorporating ecosystem processes, biological organisms, products, cultivars, and cultural controls. They emphasize the importance of creating an information base and the procedure for integrating the approach into mainstream agriculture. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
	The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control : A Complete Problem-Solving Guide to Keeping Your Garden & Yard Healthy by Barbara W. Ellis (Editor), Fern Marshall Bradley (Contributor), Helen Atthowe
Entries on vegetables, fruits, herbs, annuals, perennials, bulbs, trees, shrubs, vines and lawns feature information on preventing problems along with symptoms of and solutions for major pests and disease. Detailed illustrations of major vegetables, fruits and ornamental plants show just how to diagnose problems.
	Good Bugs for Your Garden by Allison Mia Starcher [Buy this book from FirstandSecond.com]
Developed with the assistance of entomologists, Starcher's book tells gardeners which plants and habitats attract the beneficial insects and helps them recognize them when they appear. The author's ink-and-watercolor illustrations are both accurate and infused with personality and charm.
	Natural Enemies Handbook : The Illustrated Guide to Biological Pest Control (Publication (University of California (System). Division of Agriculture by Mary Louise Flint, Steve H. Dreistadt, Jack Kelly Clark (Photographer)
This book is the best-ever practical guide to the identification and biology of beneficial organisms that control pests. Growers, pest control advisers, landscape professionals, home gardeners, pest management teachers and students, and anyone fascinated by natural enemies and their prey will want this book to find, identify, and use natural enemies to control pests in almost any agricultural crop, garden, or landscape.
	Let It Rot: The Gardener's Guide to Composting by Stu Campbell [Buy this book from FirstandSecond.com]
From Library Journal: A readable, quietly humorous introduction to composting, this covers reasons to compost; differing approaches; how decomposition works; various methods, ingredients, and containers; how to speed decomposition; and how to use the end result. Campbell is an experienced gardener, and the book goes into great detail, but the text remains clear and interesting. The simple black-and-white illustrations vary between decorative sketches and straightforward diagrams; they could have been more frequent and more informative. The bibliography lists 14 other books on composting; a list of sources of composting supplies is also given. An interesting treatment of a basic subject for general readers, this is recommended for all gardening collections needing material on compost heaps.-- Sharon Levin, Univ. of Vermont Medical Lib., Burlington
	Introduction to Permaculture , Edition 2 by Mollison, Bill; Mollison, B. C.; Slay, Reny Mia
Synopsis: The book that started it all, this revised edition of a classic weaves together philosophies of land-use, hands-on techniques of soil, agricultural, and livestock management, earth-friendly irrigation, and more, to form a very clear and inspiring picture of how sustainable agriculture not only can but must be made to work. Simple line illustrations throughout.
The Non-Toxic Farming Handbook by Philip A. Wheeler, Ronald B. Ward Reviewer: A reader from Grand Rapids, MI This book discusses how many current land management principles have created an imbalance in the soil, creating more problems than we realize. The authors discuss how we can use natural resources to deal with or eliminate soil erosion, and the need for herbicides and insecticides. The book explains how our soil is a living organism, and requires a good balance of nutrients to allow for proper energy transfer between nutrients, soil, and plants. The points that are brought up are very thought provoking; things that we often overlook. One such point is that weeds and insects are not so much pests, but indicators of soil and plant life. Being a cash crop farmer, wanting to know how to restore our depleted farmland, and get away from "toxic" chemicals and fertilizers, this book has been a great teacher, and no doubt will be referenced in the future.
More books on Organic Farming from the Other India Bookstore Tending the Earth by Winin Pereira Pereira's book about traditional sustainable agriculture in India lucidly summarises a wealth of information and ideas from a voluminous documentation collected over more than 25 years. What emerges is a holistic picture of the wisdom and innovativeness of traditional farming, the only possible candidate for sustainable agriculture. The Natural Way of Farming: The Theory and Practice of Green Philosophy by Masanobu Fukuoka Here in one volume are the secrets of Fukuoka's approach to farming the natural way. An Agricultural Testament by Albert Howard The most famous organic farming book ever. Howard invented the Indore method of composting. His organically grown plants were so healthy, he would intentionally release insects on them to show people how resistant they were. One Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka The classic account of the principles and practice of natural farming. Also available in Marathi and Hindi editions. The Organic Farming Source Book by Claude Alvares (Ed.) Hundreds of innovative and pioneering organic farmers who have deserted the green revolution and its barbaric technology bare their hearts, their knowledge and their experiences in this remarkable book. The Source Book also provides addresses of green shops, manufacturers of organic fertilisers and suppliers of earthworms, in addition to a history of organic farming in India and the rest of the world--a complete and comprehensive handbook of India's efforts to revert to sustainable agriculture. The Organic Farming Reader by Claude Alvares, Vandana Shiva, Sultan Ismail, Bernard deClercq, Korah Mathen and K Vijayalakshmi (1999) The best collection of pieces yet on organic farming written by the pioneers. Includes writings of Fukuoka, Wendel Berry, Sultan Ismail, R. Vijayalakshmi, Bernard DeClercq and others. Covers the philosophy and ethics of organic farming. Public Health Impact of Pesticides used in Agriculture by World Health Organisation Reviews current knowledge on the health effects of pesticides and concludes that major effort is needed to reduce the number of cases of pesticide poisoning which total several million per year. On-Farm Conservation of Seed Diversity by Green Foundation Well-illustrated source book on the conservation of seeds and how to maintain and protect agro-seeds. Seeds of the Future by Green Foundation Well-illustrated source book on the conservation of seeds and how to maintain and protect agro-seeds. The Seed Keepers by V. Shiva, Vanaja Ramprasad, Pandurang Hegde, Omkar Krishnan and Radha Holla Bhar Extensive documentation on and introduction to farmers who are still maintaining traditional seeds in their fields. Colour pictures. Organic Gardening Magazine