I've been meaning to get to this post. Just a little late weighing in as usual. First, as to "natural": I don't feel that this is a helpful term. As far as emulating nature, that of course is helpful up to a certain point. We know that orchids can be quite specific as to their light and temperature requirements. We have also learned over the centuries that in cultivation, orchid plants respond well to tweaking in certain respects. Losing sleep over using just the right fertilizer may be going a bit far, but it doesn't make sense to me to naysay the investigation of methods that make our plants bigger and better just because they don't receive these attentions in nature. I do think these pursuits are best left to more experienced growers however. Beginners absolutely should be encouraged to keep their culture straightforward lest they miss the forest for the trees. As far as organic media, obviously success varies widely with other cultural considerations besides light. The relative heat that the light source transmits for one, consistently high or low humidity, for another, the type of pot, and the efficiency and consistency of air movement all affect the efficiency of a given potting media. My own experiments have followed Howard's predictions. I was attracted to a dry, inorganic media because I tend to worry overmuch about watering. In mediums that combine absorbant with non-absorbant materials, I have experienced uneven drying under my warm HID lights. The one orchid I still have in aliflor - though it certainly could be doing worse, demands water at least every other day. And during growing season - I'm thinking of increasing to every day. The backbulbs are just a bit too shrunken for my liking. That said, the plant is strong, the root system seems excellent from all I can tell and the current pb is producing two new growths simultaneously. There is no perfect medium, but there may be the perfect medium for ME or for YOU. I'm still searching for mine. John :>)

"The Bottom Line  The best sources for pesticide-free compost are those that have been analyzed and certified. Home-made compost is also a good choice as long as you are sure your materials are contaminant-free.  Unregulated compost can contain pesticides, heavy metals, and other environmental toxins that may be harmful to you and your plants.  If you must have your lawn sprayed with persistent, broadleaf herbicides, be sure to use a mulching mower and leave the clippings in place. Do NOT compost them or bag them for clean green removal.  Soil testing for heavy metals is crucial for any landscape where plants are grown for human consumption" Here is a link that might be useful: The Myth of Clean Compost

Linda is right in that one could buy the kits to make lead soldiers, and they likely are lead. It became illegal to sell lead toys quite a few years ago, but the kits exist because the moulds can be used to cast it in materials other than lead. The party the OP originally mentioned, who is 'up' on these toys, is likely right that they are painted at home by an amateur. That may or may not mean they're not old, since some people repaint old things. However, if there is no mark on them, then they may very well be cast at home. The lead soldiers have been around a very, very long time, so some are quite old and likely collectable. Some may be rather new. It would be hard to assess them by a picture even if one knew a lot about them, I'd suspect ..lacking any manufacturer's marks. Info abounds on them in the inet, as the second poster mentions and groups of people who do metal toys, etc.

Im not getting this at all. Arent the materials we buy to make them already tested?? Why is the consumer responsible instead of the manufacturers??