Colleen, You are correct. The writer's needs/wants are definitely not the same as mine. Instead of trying to promote and profit from a series of "organic" gardening books, I was looking for some actual horticultural information. There was none to be found. In an article supposedly about selecting seed sources, I think the author could have at least mentioned something that is known to be true for seed germination (or even the word "germination" for that matter). For example, with many species, seed size and seed density matters. For at least the past several decades, seed companies have been sorting vegetable and annual seed based on density for improved and uniform germination rates in commercial plug production (search Google with the words "plug" and "seed" if you are unfamiliar with plug production). Most gardeners don't grow plugs but most do care about good seed germination especially if one is purchasing an expensive packet of just five or ten F1 hybrid seeds. Getting back to the author's assertions, which plants do you think will produce bigger, denser seeds? Well fed conventionally grown plants with greatly reduced insect and disease pressure or plants that had a significant portion of their limited resources consumed or allocated to pest infestation? The science is already in on this one. By any objective measure, the so called "coddled/pampered" seeds are the "rugged" seeds. Do any seed companies sort their seed for home gardeners based on density? I don't know and neither do any of the readers of this work of science fiction in question. But then, I'm probably biased because I believe in prenatal care too. Nathan >Only in this case the >writer is also concerned with how the seed was raised relative to inputs. >Perhaps one might call it a pampered versus rugged seed. Evidentially the >writer's needs/wants are not the same as yours. > >Colleen >NE California where a snow storm is blowing in > >-----Original Message----- >From: pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] >On Behalf Of Ina >Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2013 11:40 PM >To: Pacific Bulb Society >Subject: Re: [pbs] Fw: Fwd: opinion piece on seed vendors > >I don't agree. For one thing to growseed which is of plants which grow well >in that areais a suggestion. This article is about bulk growing of seed, >this would not apply to our seed growing from our own bulbs. It all depends >on how one reads the article. > >Now I'llwait to get shot down in flames....... > >Ina > >Ina Crossley >Auckland New Zealand Zone 10 > >On 6/03/2013 7:47 p.m., Nathan Lange wrote: > > This opinion piece is just another boring mix of anti-GMO rants and > > fear mongering "organic" propaganda. There is nothing in this article > > of any horticultural merit. > > > > Nathan > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > pbs mailing list > > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ > > > >_______________________________________________ >pbs mailing list >pbs@lists.ibiblio.org >http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php >http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ > > >_______________________________________________ >pbs mailing list >pbs@lists.ibiblio.org >http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php >http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/