Experiment

Pacific Rim paige@hillkeep.ca
Sat, 16 Jul 2005 00:06:20 PDT
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
>
> 


More information about the pbs mailing list