Date: Wed, 29 Jan 97 14:09:48 MET From: Paul Temple 29-Jan-1997 1312 <temple_p@fangio.enet.dec.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg423$foo@default> Subject: In support of Allan Lowrie
+---------------------------+ TM From: Paul Temple
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Once again, I urge caution.
We seem to be discussing Allan Lowrie by name but it isn't too fair to make
assumptions unless someone gives Allan a chance to comment himself.
Everyone should take into account, particularly following Christian Breckpot's
mail (This is NOT an attempt at criticising Christian! He has made a good
effort to describe the problems but the letter does demonstrate some of the
problems that many others are repeating). Christian does at least try to give
a comparison of seeds from "different" sources)...
>The point is that I treated (stored, stratified,
>sow) seeds from different sources identically and simultaneously.
>It was clear that seeds from the ICPS (USA) and CPS (UK) seed
>banks germinated much better. Those seed banks offer plenty
>seeds of good quality and at low cost
...but I point out that seed from any supplier could easily originate from
Allan. In the case of the UK based Carnivorous Plant Society (CPS), they have
made great efforts to expand their seed list by sourcing seed from Allan. So
growing seed from the CPS and finding it germinates better than Allan's doesn't
really explain anything (in fact, it could suggest that Allan is not at all the
cause of the problem if seed from him germinates best if sourced from CPS!)
unless we know the entire history of the seed.
As to Christian saying...
>his system has the major drawback that one never knows from where
>the seeds come and how old they are
I'm not aware that we could say much different about most if not all of the CP
seed suppliers. Seed suppliers jealously guard their sources so we rarely know
from where the seed originate. And I've yet to buy seed from any CP specialist
who guarantees when the seed was collected. So this criticism of Allan seems to
me to imply that he is exceptional whereas the truth is that almost all (if not
actually all) the suppliers have the same lack of information for us.
(And as an important aside, I would urge any Society committe members (any CP
Society) to consider asking their seed banks to mark all seed with reference
numbers that include the source reference number or somehow point to it, where
the supplier is another seed merchant, so germination issues can be tracked.
Meanwhile, no-one has done, or at least published,a good study of who's seed
germinates best and, as Christian says so well...
>I do not know who is to blame. Part of Allen/s seeds seem to
>come from other people, so maybe some seeds are bad before they
>arrive in his hands
...so perhaps we should be sticking to comments that tell us which suppliers
make what promises about their seed. For example, Chiltern Seeds (not a CP
specialist but a well known reputable seed supplier) promise all their seed is
fresh from that year's harvest. Many other non CP seed suppliers make the same
promise. One can deduce quite fairly that a supplier promising "that season's
fresh seed" will give better results than seed that may be older. One can not
deduce anything from the "investigations" so far described. So people making
comments are once again getting dangerously near the edge with regard to getting
sued and in any case are at risk of distancing a friend or at least colleague to
CP growers everywhere.
More science, less asumption?
Regards
Paul
(Apologies to Christian for singling out his mail but I really don't mean to
criticise him. I'm just urgeing caution and pleading for science.)
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