RE: Large seed collections
Ok Mike,
I'm putting in my own two cents worth on this one as well, we'll just change
the subject line in order to keep it on topic with this new thread. I am
guilty of assembling a seed list simiilar to Rocky's, and I suspect that
there a a number of other growers who do the same thing. I have seen some
lists that other growers have kept and they make mine look modest. I see
nothing wrong with trying to assemble a diverse seed collection. As it has
already been stated, you never know what seed stock it going to turn out to
be hot. Kirk Mombert's 567.5 wasn't in high demand the next season, that
didn't occur until it had been proven over the course of a couple of
season's and he had already shared most of those seeds with other growers.
Then you could raise a nice some of money for your growers grooup by
auctioning one or two because the demand had been created by the success of
that seed line. This has occured with other seeds as well, I'm just using
the best known example. Last year I freely offerd seeds from my 427 and 508
lb. pumpkins to other growers and some of them took me up on that offer but
the response was pretty modest. When 1200 lb pumpkins begin rolling into
weighoff sites across the continent next month from those seeds I will
probably be overwhelmed with requests for more of them. Those folks who
took a chance on an untested seed from a grower of modest sized giant
pumpkins will have trade bait for other seeds that are in high demand like
the 935 Lloyd, 946 Geerts, or 780 Eaton. So will I with the ones I still
have. This is the reason I have put together a collection that I could
never hope to plant completely in my lifetime. I also freely share seeds
that I know I won't ever plant with beginners. It's nice to have something
to give them with a decent genetic background, and not also throw in my own
ego by giving them only seeds from my own pumpkins. Many of these seeds I
have acquired by joining growers groups and participating in their seed
distribution plans. supporting my groups by purchasing seeds at auction, and
purchasing seeds from the PNWGPG seed sales at our meeting. Yes, I still
send out requests for seeds from other growers, but I try to limit that and
I also offer my own seeds in trade. The ones I have made requests to have
always been generous in their response, and I make it a point to not bother
any of them two years in a row. (Except for Brett Hester, because he makes
some awesome crosses with his collection and I like to bug him.)
How a person goes about putting together their seeds collection and
choosing what to plant from it is as individual as the growers themselves.
I really don't think the we ought to be too critical of those who do this.
The ideal would be to constantly grow huge pumpkins that are in high demand
from other growers and be able to trade freely with the other heavy hitters.
Until I reach that level though I will go about this the way I have not feel
a twinge of guilt about it. As for paying for them, I have done it and it
has always been my choice, if I didn't want to pay a growes asking price, I
declined.
OK I've written way too much, and it may not all even be relevant, but you
inadvertantly pushed a button here. I need to get down to Puyallup with a
couple of pumpkins to find out what they weigh. One of which is from my own
427 from last year and I expect is bigger than her mama.
That's all for now. I'll post Monday with the fair results if someone
doesn't do it sooner.
Chris Michalec
Covington, WA
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mike Stephenson [SMTP:beacon@teleport.com]
> Sent: Friday, September 08, 2000 9:32 AM
> To: pumpkins@mallorn.com
> Subject: Re: Presumptous
>
>
>
> I have bitten my tongue on this one for some time but you have both
> touched
> a nerve here.
>
> OK, please follow this link for an example of what appears to Me to be
> excessive seed collection:
> http://home.cyber-quest.com/rocky.r/seedlibrary.htm
>
> This list of what appears to be about 200 seeds from Other growers seems
> to
> fit the profile.
>
> All due respect but once upon a time the free seeds I sent this grower
> appeared on this list. They are no longer on this list, yet this grower
> has
> never planted them. I can't help wonder what happened to them:
>
> 1) 3 of mine for 1 of ???
> 2) Handed out to some first year grower because ?????
> 3) Roasted????
> 4) ????
>
> The grower exampled here has given His seeds Free to anyone too. However
> that act of kindness, IMHO, seems overshadowed by the mere size of his
> collection of other growers seeds, and the impossibility of his planting
> much more than 25% of them in a lifetime, yet he still campaigns for
> additional free seeds from this year's giants. And yes, having a few more
> seeds than you can plant makes sense to a certain point as you hone your
> inventory, but this list seems over the top on that issue.
>
> IMHO charging for seeds may make sense so that seeds requested get planted
> rather than collected like, well, baseball cards.
>
> Finally let me say that the above comments are not intended as a personal
> attack of this, or any, grower on any issue other than what is, IMHO,
> excessive seed collection. The comments above should be read not unlike
> reading a baseball player's RBI's. If the profile fits, it fits, and no
> personalities are ever involved.
>
> Mike
>
>
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