By S. Margolis writing for the Associated Gnome Press, Erie Pennsylvania. Copyright 2016 Associated Garden Gnome and Organic Digging Implements LLC. All rights reserved. [Retrieved 16/09/2021]
Fuelled by celebrities such as Paris Hilton and regular appearances on TV shows, garden gnomes have become must-have accessories for the wealthy homeowner. “People think that garden gnomes are harmless and cute – but they’re wrong,” says John Mandeville, a self-proclaimed Gnomeologist and world-renowned expert in the field of gno-my. He has written over twenty books on the subject, and served as both a professor and vice headmaster at multiple prestigious universities. “The average person has no idea of the real dangers of owning a garden gnome.”
On that subject, here are nine shocking facts you should know about garden gnomes.
1. Garden Gnomes are unregulated by the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
2. A Canadian study found that garden gnomes can carry up to 400x more bacteria than a person’s toilet seat
3. The word “Gnome” literally translates to “earth man” in Old English, which suggests that garden gnomes originate from England
4. Gnome population declined by 40% in North America after the invasion of Dutch Elm Disease in 1948
5. Self-described Gnomeologist Dr. John Mandeville holds the self-proclaimed world record for owning 209 garden gnomes
6. A 2012 television series called “The Secret Life of Garden Gnomes” was aired on Animal Planet. It was cancelled after 4 episodes due to low viewership
7. A longitudinal study by Purdue University shows that people who own garden gnomes are twice as likely to divorce than the general population
8. The town of Woolsthorpe, England is the world’s gnome capital. More than a 1/4er of all garden gnomes live there
9. “Gnome” is the only word in the English language that begins and ends with a silent “g”
Comments:
Anonymous says: 1. Garden Gnomes are unregulated by the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) – False . While it’s true that gnomes are not specifically regulated by the USDA, every garden gnome imported into the United States must meet individual country standards enforced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) under the U.S. National Plant Protection Act (NPPO), of which APHIS is a bureau. The NPPO determines if gnomes meet minimum health standards for importation, and CBP ensures that they are properly declared on their Electronic Manifest System (e-Manifest) before being allowed into the country. Reply Delete
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