Somewhat delayed here are my responses to Jane’s questions. > On Oct 17, 2019, at 7:30 PM, Jane McGary <janemcgary@earthlink.net> wrote: > > The Board of the Pacific Bulb Society is contemplating reorganizing the Bulb and Seed Exchange (BX) in order that it will function more efficiently. This is in response to complaints by members and the excessive demands placed on previous managers. We would like your input as we consider possible changes, particularly limiting the periods of donation and ordering, rather than continuing the current spontaneous flow of donations and order processing. We are also considering ways to ensure that orders are distributed more fairly among members, rather than by the present “first received, first served” procedure. > > A prominent source of complaints has been in the handling of bulbs and seeds that will not remain viable in storage for more than a week or so – seeds that germinate immediately even if not sown and watered, or bulbs that have perennial live roots even though they are considered “geophytes.” Responses to this problem could include barring such material from the BX, setting up a separate “ephemeral” system with its own manager, or having members wishing to exchange such material communicate directly among themselves through the list and avoiding the BX and its payment system. > > The seed exchanges operated by various plant societies include such features as giving priority to orders from donors and limiting the number of items that one person can receive. We should also consider whether these procedures are relevant to PBS. > > We look forward to your input! Thanks in advance! > > 1.1. Do you participate in the BX frequently, occasionally, or never? > Often. > 2.2. If you never participate, why not? > > 3.3. If you do participate, what problems, if any, have you had with the BX? > No problems except that my last submission of bulbs (in August I think) seems to have vanished. > 4.4. Do you obtain bulbs, seeds, or both from the BX? > Both. I’ve planted up over 600 bulbs and seeds from the PBS bulb exchange. > 5.5. Do you pay your BX shipping charges promptly upon receiving the material? > Always. > 6.6. If you donate to the BX, at what time(s) of year do you send items? > Usually June-July > 7.7. If the BX occurred at a few specific times of year, what times would best suit your needs? > I think it’s governed by when the plants are dormant and that varies by species. Probably both summer and winter. > 8.8. Do you donate plant material to the BX that cannot be held in storage for more than a week or two? If so, what kind of material? > Usually the things I’ve put in are bulbs and with a little forethought I can catch them before they start growing. > 9.9. If you specialize in plants that cannot be held in storage, are you willing to exchange them directly with other members rather than going through the BX? > I could imagine a direct exchange working, but i’ve been very happy with the previous arrangements (though I recognize there was a lot of work involved). > 10.10. Do you think that donors should have priority in having their orders filled? If not, why not? > Nah, everyone should play on the same basis. It would get too complicated trying to track who donated and how much… All you have to do is look at the BX listings to realized that some people have been incredibly generous in sharing and they are probably people who already have most of what is being offered. > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… Gardens get wilder every day … MacGardens <http://www.macgardens.org/> _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/…