Why not design an experiment, and publish the results? Identify and describe all hypotheses. Run trials where they can easily be monitored by members -- perhaps at Telos Rare Bulbs. Pay Diana or an assistant a pittance to keep records. Two outfits that might be willing to co-sponsor: IPPS (International Plant Propagators Society) and Kew, which runs trials on all kinds of things. Sorry if this seems to take you for granted, Diana. I mean on the contrary to indicate that you have a lot of bulbs! I have a lot, too -- a different range -- but I am less well organized (I sense) and I am in Canada. Paige Woodward paige@hillkeep.ca http://www.hillkeep.ca/ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rand Nicholson" <writserv@nbnet.nb.ca> To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Friday, July 15, 2005 10:40 PM Subject: Re: [pbs] Pulling down to correct level > Dave: > > Rocks and stones tend to rise to the surface of most strata due to the > constant settling and degradation of the medium. It is simple physics. > Small stuff goes down (compacts) and large stuff goes up. Any dirt farmer > knows this. Plants, on the other hand, are living motile organisms that > respond to their environments. > > I am afraid that your rock idea would be, especially in frost or freezing > prone climates, fairly predictable, whereas your bulbs may be doing > something quite different. > > The plant stem concept is intriguing, however, especially the bit about > the transference of motion from wind action. Never gave a lot of thought > to that before in this particular context, but now that I do, it makes > sense when one considers that most plants react to regular wind by making > more and tougher roots and stronger stems. Vibrating a bulb that wants to > remain stable (again, in a fluid medium, to paraphrase Jim Shields) may > well encourage the bulb to craft its toughest roots and, also, drift > downwards depending upon shifting soil densities. > > Any thoughts on this, anyone? > > Rand I.T.G.W. North > > > >>Hey, here's an idea! >> Why don't some of us plant some well marked, bulb sized and shaped >> rocks >>while we're planting various bulbs. In a year or two, we can check back >>to see >>where the rocks are in the soil. Perhaps one could glue some wire or cord >>to >>the bottoms of some to simulate non-contractile roots. Unless the rocks >>sprout >>real roots, this should give us a good baseline of the movement of objects >>in >>the soil, something to which to compare the bulbs' movement. >> >> Also, there is the as yet unmentioned effects of the plant stem itself, >>during the growing season. The stem can have a considerable percentage of >>the >>weight of the total plant, pressing downward on the bulb. Also, when the >>wind >>blows, there is a rocking action produced at the bulb, at least to some >>degree. >> >>Just some thoughts >> >>Dave >>7A- Tumwater, Washington, where we have now had our summer ... yesterday >>(sigh) >> >> >>_______________________________________________ >>pbs mailing list >>pbs@lists.ibiblio.org >>http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > >