On 12-Nov-07, at 11:42 AM, Robt R Pries wrote: British System of National Collections - Unfortunately The USA seems adverse to this type of effort. ================================================= I don't think the lack of National Collections in North America is the result of unconcern for the public good. Rather, I think our geography is the reason. The U.K. is so compact that it is easy to visit gardens and flower shows all over the country. Even travelling by bus, I was able to go to a flower show in Wales, visit a national collection of snowdrops mid-country and go to a London flower show, all within a few days. Also, their climate does not have the extreme differences found in North America. Therefore a national collection in the U.K. provides useful information for gardeners all over the country. That could never be the case here - just think of the differences between only two of our areas: coastal Alaska and coastal Florida. The North American Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC) registers collections at botanic gardens and arboreta. All the plants must be of known wild provenance. It is an expensive program, as the institution must pay the expenses of an expert to come and certify the collection. Diane Whitehead