In a message dated 8/30/04 7:46:09 AM, DaveKarn@aol.com writes: << Obviously, economies of scale, I guess, and acres and acres of KA handled largely by machine. Interestingly, land prices in Holland are at least what they are for decent farmland here on the West Coast so no one here is getting rich peddling bulbs! >> Lingarden in UK claim their daffs are never touched by human hands in the whole process...they don't even sell by count anymore but by weight, graded of course by size. Production also is moving, rapidly I think, to the Third World (narcissus in north Africa and Zimbabwe of all places, for example is what I hear). Best wishes, Bill the Bulb Baron <A HREF="http://www.billthebulbbaron.com/">Bill the Bulb Baron.com</A> William R.P. Welch P.O. Box 1736 (UPS: 264 West Carmel Valley Road) Carmel Valley, CA 93924-1736, USA Phone/fax (831) 659-3830