Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 52 — page 47: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION means no pollination, no fruits or nuts, no food. Or perhaps the beetles are re- straining an earthworm type of culture. End the beetles and the worms eat everything alive on the surface. Is that what you want?” “You're being insolent, Gerald.” “I’m getting fed up, Wil- liams. You ask a question, I answer it, and then you’ve got to act all finicky like an old maid getting her stitches right. What’s the matter with you? Can’t you take ‘no’ for an answer?” “Cut it out!’ Hermitage thrust a cup of coffee into the ecologist’s hand. “Drink this and keep quiet.’ He looked at the commander. ‘What he says is right. Any attempt to alter the ecology of a planet is asking for trouble. We can either live here or we can’t, and if we have to tamper in order to remain, then we shouldn’t be here at all.” “I vagree,” said Mary, quietly. “My recommenda- 46 tions are that we either abandon the idea of growing our own foods or, if we have to, grow them in isolated soil or in hydroponic tanks.” “That’s no alternative, Mary.”’ Gerald looked at the coffee as if he hadn’t seen it before. “You know as well as I do that to grow food like that would take up all our time and, anyway, we’d never grow enough for export. Per- sonally, I think the whole discussion is a waste of time. Why should we grow crops when the local produce is edible? Think of all the work we'd save ourselves. Who the hell wants to sweat at farming in this climate, anyway ?” “Can we export the local food ?” “J don’t know.” Gerald didn’t look at the commander. “The soft fruits, no. That’s a certainty, though we might be able to dry them in the sun and ship them that way. The nuts and other tree fruit, perhaps. It’s still going to take a hell of a lot of work though. Our machinery isn’t Se ie aa