How do we defend ourselves if society collapses?

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@rainingcatzanddogs .....Darn! I can't get ferns to grow for me. Tried 4 ostrich ferns last year in a shady spot under some trees. An armadillo I saw meandering that week and a neighborhood fox were apparently quite fond of them. The fox even drug one of the rhizomes up onto my porch to eat it! I found the remnants and quickly realized what it was. I've seen him on the porch more than once! All 4 vanished in the same week at 4" tall.

Ferns do well in pots on a porch! They just like shade and moisture. In central Texas that can sometimes be an issue. You can hang the pots off the trees...just don't forget to water!
 
I keep finding more and more sites that conflate the two. We have many Devil's Walking Stick thickets at the BOL, so next time I'm over there I will collect some fresh bark and berries if they are out.. I don't think it's in the natural range of any prickly ash species. We certainly have our share of thorny trees, with Swamp Locusts in the wetlands and Honey Locusts in the uplands.
 
I'll have to try the tree hanging method, as our resident gray fox 'uses' my porch often. Caught him in broad daylight jumping off it on one end to head out down the street for his evening prowl for food. We think he's who dug a big hole up under the Aspidistras in a corner flowerbed Feb 2021 in the 'snowpocalypse'. You can see him just to the right of the column marking his territory (said flowerbed) in this photo:
Gray Fox marking his territory.JPG
 
Two books I have found helpful.

NATIVE AMERICAN HERBALIST’S BIBLE

And...

Medical Herbalism: The Science Principles and Practices Of Herbal Medicine (amazon)

***^^The above book is definitely more of a read if you have a solid understanding of organic chemistry and some knowledge of pharmacology. Otherwise, I'd say skip that one.

Alternative:

Herbal Antibiotics: Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-Resistant Bacteria
 
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I keep finding more and more sites that conflate the two. We have many Devil's Walking Stick thickets at the BOL, so next time I'm over there I will collect some fresh bark and berries if they are out.. I don't think it's in the natural range of any prickly ash species. We certainly have our share of thorny trees, with Swamp Locusts in the wetlands and Honey Locusts in the uplands.


Not surprising. Did you read the study I posted above? American Civil War plant medicines inhibit growth, biofilm formation, and quorum sensing by multidrug-resistant bacteria | Scientific Reports (nature.com)

Given the source is an organization dedicated to the study of natural medicines, I am fairly sure that they got the plant species right that they were studying.

Some still say that natural medicines don't work at all so you are bound to find conflicting opinions.
I don't believe any one plant is a panacea cure for all that ails you! But, like the proven willow bark, they can each have a role.
 
Not surprising. Did you read the study I posted above? American Civil War plant medicines inhibit growth, biofilm formation, and quorum sensing by multidrug-resistant bacteria | Scientific Reports (nature.com)

Given the source is an organization dedicated to the study of natural medicines, I am fairly sure that they got the plant species right that they were studying.

Some still say that natural medicines don't work at all so you are bound to find conflicting opinions.
I don't believe any one plant is a panacea cure for all that ails you! But, like the proven willow bark, they can each have a role.
Yes, I did, thank for providing that link.
 
If there is a total economic and social collapse of society, how do we defend ourselves? Its all very well being a prepper now, but are we not going to end up with a situation where there are armed militias that will simply take over our resources? I have just purchased a small farm in Scotland. While I have resources at present, how would I stop others taking it over by force? If a gang turns up with guns, there is practically very little I can do about it. The situation is even worse here (and much of the world), as unlike the USA, we are legally prohibited from having guns. The criminals don’t care, as they have guns anyway. Even if I did have a gun, there is no way I could fight off a heavily armed militia on my own. It's a practical question and I wonder what we do about it? Do we try and form our own militias? Or do we abandon farming / land and live in the wilderness as hunter / gatherers?

Some things just can't be fixed. Ther is no magic bullet to fix every problem.

Hopefully for you, the people of Scotland are more peaceful in collapse than the Americans.
 
The plot thickens...LOL
I just found out that the BOL is not in the natural range of Aralia spinosa, but there is a closely related Chinese species, Aralia elata, that is an invasive species here, so we may have Aralia elata.
In Korea, they pick the shoots off the top of the plant in the spring and fry them.
e9RKcBi.jpg
 
The plot thickens...LOL
I just found out that the BOL is not in the natural range of Aralia spinosa, but there is a closely related Chinese species, Aralia elata, that is an invasive species here, so we may have Aralia elata.
In Korea, they pick the shoots off the top of the plant in the spring and fry them.
e9RKcBi.jpg

I have so many times taken a walk through a forest and found something that wasn't "supposed to" be there. It's like "Well hello there. What are you doing here? Are you lost?" They quite often look happy. Mother nature has a way of giving "supposed to" scientists the middle finger! LOL.
 
I've noticed that they only grow on ridges that have never flooded (at least not in my lifetime) Most of our woods are under water in wet years during the winter and spring. Maybe that's why it's not supposed to be in our area, most places in that region are very flat with hardly any ridges. We have ridges. It was used as a winter quarters for Union soldiers during the war for that very reason.
 
I saw about the invasiveness possibility. So I was planning on planting it way away from our mowed, cabin area and plant it at the perimeter vegetation line for that reason. I think I may confine it in one of my huge 28"x30" pots I keep at the cabin. Pot confining will stunt/slow growth and root spread , like it does when you keep Japanese Maples in large pots for years like the Brits do. Since the article I read said it's the leaves you use to relieve tooth pain, that resource should be available on a really young, small tree. That's my thinking, anyway. Leather gloves should help on the thorn issues. I've lived in close proximity to pyracanthia and bougainvillia bushes 8'-12'tall, so I'm pretty adept at avoiding viscious thorns.

The bark definitely numbs your mouth. I tried it. 😁
 
If there is a total economic and social collapse of society, how do we defend ourselves? Its all very well being a prepper now, but are we not going to end up with a situation where there are armed militias that will simply take over our resources? I have just purchased a small farm in Scotland. While I have resources at present, how would I stop others taking it over by force? If a gang turns up with guns, there is practically very little I can do about it. The situation is even worse here (and much of the world), as unlike the USA, we are legally prohibited from having guns. The criminals don’t care, as they have guns anyway. Even if I did have a gun, there is no way I could fight off a heavily armed militia on my own. It's a practical question and I wonder what we do about it? Do we try and form our own militias? Or do we abandon farming / land and live in the wilderness as hunter / gatherers?
I’ve been wondering about what if the zoo’s release their animals what could work to stop them besides bullets cause 5.56 vs elephant I know who’s winning
 
I’ve been wondering about what if the zoo’s release their animals what could work to stop them besides bullets cause 5.56 vs elephant I know who’s winning

LOL, learn to make the "Bell Shot" perfected by famous elephant hunter "Karamojo" Bell. He liked using a 6.5x54mm Mannlicher-Schoauer or a 7mm Mauser to kill elephants.
Karamojo-Bell-the-Small-Bore-Ivory-Hunter-9a.jpg
 

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