The Non-Ferrous Metal Myth

There is an interesting post over at The Witch of Forest Grove blog about the use of non-ferrous metals in plant collecting:

"We’ve all heard it: “You can’t use any tool with iron in it to harvest plants. The blade has to be stone, bone, gold, silver or bronze – anything but iron and steel.” We’ve all heard the know-it-alls spouting this proverb, but where did it come from and what is the reasoning behind it?

This modern myth originates from two separate, possibly second or third hand, accounts from Pliny the Elder (a Roman author and army commander) of Gallic Druids harvesting plants."  ...(Cont.)...