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Dead Horse tubers @ 10,000ft

To all those people who requested Helicodiceros / Dracunculus tubers 
read on..............
On Monday I will send them up, up and away. I feel guilty sending 
them to the frozen north, but travel will broaden their minds.

Mary Sizemore has very generously offered to be my US 'agent' so I am 
sending the quite substantial box to her. ( Thank you Steve for your 
offer but I decided to give you a rest ). I hope your USDA folks 
don't waylay it like they did Wilbert's stuff but it is soil and 
disease free so should be ok.

Here is the deal:   If your name is on the list below you need to 
send me $3 US to cover my costs. Cash hidden in a card or postcard of 
your hometown is a method I enjoy ! American Express Money Orders are 
an ok option but dearer for you. Personal cheques are useless, sorry.

Please send Mary a well padded envelope at least  30cm by 20cm just 
to be sure (better roomy than squashed ). Pleases also send her 
air-mail stamps to wherever you are. Send her lots of thanks too.
Her address is : Mary Sizemore
                          751 Deerfoot Road.
                          DeLand  FL.  32720 
(email:   size@totcon.com )

So how do you grow the things ?
They grow very well in Melbourne's temperate climate. Zone 10 ish by 
your standards. They are summer dormant and are happy to be dry then.
I grow them in pots and beds in full sun in sandy, well-drained soil 
with organic matter added. They don't seem to need a lot of water 
when they are growing. They respond well to fertilizers.
For all you people in the snow (it did snow here for a day about 8 
years ago !! ) I suggest you pamper them a little in pots. I can't 
imagine they would like to be frozen for months at a time..... but I 
am only guessing .
They are very handsome plants when grown well. 

US tuber recipients are :
Steve Hall,  Linda Lopez,  Mark Evans,  M J Hatfield,  Sylvia Correia, 
Dr.Vic. Soukup,  Roger Sieloff,  James Waddick,  Richard Mansell,  
Doug Burdic,  Carlo Balistrieri,  Don Martinson,  Alan Galloway,  
George Tinsley and  Steve Marak.

Non US recipients : Wilbert Hetterschied,  Rand Nicholson and Eduardo 
Goncalves , stay tuned I will be in touch by email real soon.

So there you have it. The tubers should be on US soil in about 12 
days if all goes well.
Happy potting !
It's the weekend and I am heading back to the beach.
                                     See ya,
                                                 Rob. 
Rob.McClure
Dept.of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Monash University, Clayton 3168
AUSTRALIA.
Phone:(03)9905.5625
Fax:(03)9905.5613
e-mail: Rob.McClure@sci.monash.edu.au
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