HI, Joe:
>I wonder if there are folks interested pollen-sharing.
I think a pollen exchange is every bit as valuable as having
a seed exchange--but I also think that many of the same rules
need to be applied. Limited number of requests, some kind of
price with credits for donors, etc. Perhaps some of the resulting
seed could be shared with the pollen donor, or with PBS, or?
The rhododendron society had (? has?) a pollen bank, and
pollen donated was stored in a freezer and made available when someone
requested (and paid for) it. The North American Lily Society had
an informal arrangement, with one member accepting requests and
keeping a list of donors. That exchange only lasted a couple years.
New Zealand I understand, has a much more successful pollen
bank for lily pollen, and sends it to many countries.
The number of people wanting pollen is most likely fewer than
who want seed, but it can still be a lot of work. It might be possible to
have one person hold pollen of say Crinum, Amaryllis, Brunsvigia
while someone else could hold Crocus, Tulips, etc while a third could
maintain the bank for Erythronium, etc.
I'm interested, and would like to be kept "in the loop" about
what you think would work.
Ken Hixson