This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

[GWL]: Thompson and Morgan and negative good will


In the first decade of my gardening experience, I frequently bought T&M 
seeds.  Like many beginners, I was seduced by their glossy full-color 
catalog, and the fact that they seemed to carry so many varieties no one 
else had.  

I soon found that T&M put less seed in a package and charged more per 
package than just about anybody else.  So I took to buying only the rare 
stuff from T&M -- stuff for which they were the unique source.  Then, as 
I became yet more experienced, I discovered that about the only thing 
unique about many of T&M's unique items was their name.  It may be legal 
to use a new name for something widely known under another name, but 
legal or not, I consider it deceptive.  When I paid a high price for 
something I already had and didn't want, I felt ripped off.  I was 
ripped off not just for the money, but the space and work of growing and 
trialing something I had already grown and trialed.   

The final straw was a package of T&M Sea Kale seed that cost about $3 or 
$4.  It contained 17 little capsules.  I germinated them on paper 
towels, as I do with all suspect seed, which included, by then, all T&M 
seed.  (That way I could know for sure if the seed was bad.) One capsule 
germinated, but died promptly thereafter.  When I broke open the rest, I 
found that 12 of the capsules were empty -- that is, they didn't 
germinate because they contained no seed.  The other four capsules 
contained a seed but didn't germinate.  

When I revised the section in my plant-breeding book on seed sources, it 
was with great satisfaction that I eliminated T&M from the listing.  

I also don't use T&M in the source list for magazine articles.  However, 
magazines "redo" the source list, often with an eye towards their own 
advertisers, and without consulting the author.  I've had inaccuracies 
happen in the source lists because of editorial additions. For example, 
a seed company I didn't list will be added as a source when I know their 
line of the variety in question is inferior or crossed-up or is actually 
something entirely different under an identical name.  In the future I 
hope to establish more input into what goes into that "source" section.  
Live and learn.  

Carol Deppe
Author of BREED YOUR OWN VEGETABLE VARIETIES:  THE GARDENER'S AND 
FARMER'S GUIDE TO PLANT BREEDING AND SEED SAVING (See table of contents, 
excerpts, & reviews at http://www.chelseagreen.com.)  

============================================================
Trash that old photo album & grab the one that Rocks! 
FLIPALBUM creates wicked book-like digital albums! Try the 
only 3D page-flipping photo album on PC FREE for 30 days! 
http://click.topica.com/caaaeTAbUrGSSbVSZwBf/e-booksystems
============================================================

Pass the word to garden writers, editors publishers, horticultural businesses about our list.

==^================================================================
This email was sent to: topica.com@spamfodder.com

EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bUrGSS.bVSZwB
Or send an email to: Gardenwriters-unsubscribe@topica.com

T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail!
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register
==^================================================================



Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index