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1,000 squash varities grown out by SSE

To all curcurbit fans:
	The lastest publication from the Seed Savers Exchange arrived this
weekend.  In it they tell of their efforts to grow out their entire
collection of curcurbits ( the vine crops: squash, melons, watermelons,
cucumbers, giant pumpkins, etc.) this summer.  The SSE maintains 1,200
varieties of curcurbits. The collection's currator Glen Drowns, who lives
about 3 hours away from the SSE's Heritage Farms, is also growing out his
entire collection of 200 watermelons.  Last summer they grew out 750
varieties of lettuce.
	The purpose of this huge grow out is not to multiple seed, but, to
photographicly document, obtain presices data on each variety (date to
maturity, size, etc.) and to publish the results in a book to be called the
Seed Savers Guide to Heirloom Squash. 
	To accomplish this feat they are growing 4 plants of each variety. The
seed is not being saved (except in a few instances where low seed
availablity demands hand-pollination,) but grown only to document their
existance. Each variety grown will experience the exact same climatic
environment, at the same time.  Therefore the writen discriptions will mean
more than if each variety were grown out in different years, in different
places, etc. (which is a more common practice with seed companies.)
	The reason for this heroic undertaking (imagine the amount of space need
to grow 4 plants of each C. maxima variety) is to prevent seed companies
from patenting any of these old heirloom varieties.  New laws passed by
Congress allow the few seed companies left (90 percent of all seed
companies in operation in the 1960's were bought out by 7 multinational
agricultural corporations)  to declare and patent a found, open pollinated
variety, which has not been previously documented in a publication, as
their own personal, proprietary item of ownership.
	This new law will cause cease and desist orders sent to indigineous
American farmers to stop growing varieties (of corn, for example) their
tribe has been maintaining for hundreds of years.  While these "heirloom"
varities may provide resistance to salts and drought (making them very
valueable) they have never been previously published, meaning - you guessed
it - the above companies can claim the variety as their own and prevent
everyone from growing them unless they buy the seed from them.
	If you'd like support the non-profit Seed Savers Exchange as a member and
obtain samples of GIANT HEIRLOOM PUMPKIN SEED they maintian in their
collection (so you too can adopt and preserve an endangered pumpkin - or
rutabaga) send $1 for info to Seed Saver's Exchange,  3076 North Winn Road,
 Decorah, Iowa,  52101 or call 319-382-5872. 

Michael Cohill in Akron OH CO M

mcohill@neo.lrun.com
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