> I need to order some tissue culture chemicals from Sigma but they tell me
> that they can't send chemicals to individulals. What do I tell them? All
> advice appreciated.
I was able to order from SIGMA only after getting a "no-fee nursery
license" from my local AG commissioner. This license is for growers who
sell less than $500US of decorative or exotic plants per year. The
laws vary by county and state, so you'll have to make inquiries locally.
After I gave SIGMA a copy of my license, I had no problems establishing
an account.
They don't want anyone using their chemicals in a home setting, so
avoid telling them that you will be working in your kitchen. If you
do, you've just "shot your foot off", as they will then ask for a report
from your local fire inspector to certify that your kitchen is up to
commercial lab standards (which means, for one thing, that no food
preparation should be done there!)
An alternative method is to tell SIGMA that you are doing "orchid seed
propagation". Their strict guidelines have a loophole for amateurs doing
orchid work. I wrote a letter to their president requesting that they
consider broadening their policy to include CP, but evidently they haven't
done so yet.
Of course, if I were to tell SIGMA that I were doing orchid work, I would
feel obligated to sow a few Cattleya seeds now and then to maintain my
integrity... :-).
In short, be professional, cite your intentions clearly, and be ready
to jump through some hoops before they will give you an account. I
ended up writing them a letter detailing what chemicals I needed, and
what procedures I would be doing.
-- Rick Walker