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He was always very particular about what wood
he used - and for good reasons. If you use the wrong timber such
as pine or hardwood treated to resist termites and other pests the
fumes could, at best, make you very sick. Trimmings from commonplace
vegetation such as oleander (Nerium oleander) and poinsettia (Euphorbia
pulcherrima) can also be extremely harmful.
Other poisonous plants to avoid at all costs include
box (Buxus semperviens), cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus), horse
chestnut (Aesculus hipppocastum), milky mangrove (Excoecaria agallocha),
Moreton Bay chestnut (Castanospermum australe), poison oak (Rhus
toxicodendron), spindle tree (Euonymus europaeus) varnish tree (Melia
azedarach var. Australascia) and yew (Taxus baccata).
This is nowhere near an exhaustive list. The only
way to avoid potential poisoning is to never use wood you cannot
positively identify. If you live in a city, the best bet is to purchase
it in bulk from companies that supply wood for heating. They tend
to specialise in hardwoods such as iron bark or red gum - both of
which are usually good for building up a bed of coals. Always tell
them you are using the wood for cooking and find out exactly what
type of tree it came from.
Sparks are an even bigger problem with wood than
charcoal so wear close fitting clothing made from natural fibres
such as cotton or wool. And no accessories please. The place to
wear your fake feather boa is the Mardi Gras parade, not in front
of the barby.
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This is the pretty flower of
a common oleander. A woman in the ACT received a four-year
sentence for trying to poison her husband by slipping an oleander
brew into his morning coffee and orange juice. She said she
did it to get her fourth husband's attention and because he
was a lousy lover. I'm sure there's a moral here but I just
can't seem to put my finger on it. |
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