Seed trouble

From: "Wilbert Hetterscheid" hetter at worldonline.nl> on 2000.02.22 at 20:52:39(4109) Warning Could not process message with given Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="Listproc-outter-1768"

From: Michael Marcotrigiano marcotrigiano at pssci.umass.edu> on 2000.02.25 at 20:10:02(4111) Mine came in a padded envelope but I think they passed it through a metal roller! Perhaps it is time to go to thin boxes? or stamp them "hand cancel" (which let's the postal people know there is something worth taking inside the envelope :-) +More At 02:52 PM 02/22/2000 -0600, you wrote: >To all recipients of smashed Amorphophallus muelleri seeds, > > > >Folks, I am truely sorry this happened again. I shall clobber the Leiden > >people severely and order them to buy and use padded envelopes. I am shocked > >they didn't use it. It seems the least for a professional seed-distributing > >institution. Sorry, sorry. > > > >Wilbert > > > > > > > > > >--Boundary_(ID_IvPdx+0clFxWsrXX3ywxlA)-- > > ************************************************************* Michael Marcotrigiano Professor Rm 211 French Hall Dept of Plant and Soil Sciences Univ of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01003 USA ------------------------------------ voice: 413-545-5227 fax: 413-545-3075 att: Michael Marcotrigiano email: marcotrigiano@pssci.umass.edu

From: hermine hermine at endangeredspecies.com> on 2000.02.26 at 04:22:05(4114) At 12:10 PM 2/25/00 , Michael Marcotrigiano wrote: >Mine came in a padded envelope but I think they passed it through a metal >roller! Perhaps it is time to go to thin boxes? or stamp them "hand cancel" >(which let's the postal people know there is something worth taking inside >the envelope :-) +More OH, you need a rigid box for anything. assume a roller of at least 123 lbs will pass over anything you put into the mail. and never write FRAGILE on anything, as it is a clue to the person with the HAMMER OF HELL. One of the major deterrents to using the Post office for mail order shipping of plants....they are their own worst enemy. hermine

From: Don Burns donburns at macconnect.com> on 2000.02.26 at 05:32:18(4115) Aroiders, Please, please do not send questions or comments about our current blank message problem to the Aroid-L mail list address. If you have questions or comments about the problem, please send them to . Messages sent to this address will be directed to Steve and me. We understand your anxiety about solving the problem. Don +More Don Burns Fort Lauderdale FL USA Zone 10b

From: SelbyHort at aol.com on 2000.02.27 at 04:04:49(4117) Shipping seeds takes some thought, (not much really) but you must have some awareness of the massive machines that are used for processing mail. When I shipped out aroid seeds recently, I first wrapped them in dampened newspaper (ala Tom Croat style...it works!) then put the damp packette inside a small zip lock bag. The whole thing next went into a small cardboard box, the size used to pack cassette tapes for mailing. Since you can still possibly crush the box by standing on it (this is my test for the mails), I decided to sandwich the small box between pieces of corrugate and rubber band it all together. It looked pretty ugly at this point, but once inside padded envelopes, the seeds were pretty secure and protected. Using the small cassette boxes was a good way to keep the package compressed enough to go into a small envelope. This even fits inside the small letter rate Global Express Mail envelope used by the USPS ($5 to anywhere in the world air mail - guaranteed delivery in 5 working days...this has got to be the best postal deal anywhere), and avoids any complications such as customs declarations on larger parcels. +More Just one way to do it, there are surely others. Donna Atwood << Mine came in a padded envelope but I think they passed it through a metal roller! Perhaps it is time to go to thin boxes? or stamp them "hand cancel" (which let's the postal people know there is something worth taking inside the envelope :-) At 02:52 PM 02/22/2000 -0600, you wrote: >To all recipients of smashed Amorphophallus muelleri seeds, > > > >Folks, I am truely sorry this happened again. I shall clobber the Leiden > >people severely and order them to buy and use padded envelopes. I am shocked > >they didn't use it. It seems the least for a professional seed-distributing > >institution. Sorry, sorry. >>

From: Betsytrips at aol.com on 2000.02.27 at 22:39:36(4118) Thanks for that info. Interesting about the global Express. Are you talking about global priority? Otherwise express is cheaper than priority and it does vary with weight. +More Betsy

From: hermine hermine at endangeredspecies.com> on 2000.02.28 at 03:08:19(4120) At 02:39 PM 2/27/00 , Betsytrips@aol.com wrote: >Thanks for that info. Interesting about the global Express. Are you talking >about global priority? Otherwise express is cheaper than priority and it does >vary with weight. +More > >Betsy > >RIGID BOX. Small metal cigar boxes such as dried cigars come in, >Schimmelpfennig comes to mind, tho they are not my favourite. (as cigars >go, the box is fine) it is easier to find a small tough box than to make >one. i save such boxes. hermine

From: SelbyHort at aol.com on 2000.03.04 at 17:08:48(4139) Sorry for delay in responding. Yes, I should have said Global Priority, not global express. Priority is a step above Express in the USPS system for pricing and expediting mail. The $5 cost is only for the small letter packet (there is also a specific weight limit for this). If you need a bigger envelope, the price goes up dramatically. I only cited this service because it seemed like such a great deal when shipping a small packet of seeds to places far distant, like Asia, Australia or S. America which normally takes much longer using standard air mail. Thanks Besty for noticing this. Donna +More In a message dated 02/27/2000 5:40:01 PM Eastern Standard Time, Betsytrips@aol.com writes: << Thanks for that info. Interesting about the global Express. Are you talking about global priority? Otherwise express is cheaper than priority and it does vary with weight. Betsy >>

From: Betsytrips at aol.com on 2000.03.04 at 17:23:03(4144) In a message dated 3/4/00 11:09:05 AM Central Standard Time, SelbyHort@aol.com writes: << Priority is a step above Express in the USPS system for +More pricing and expediting mail. >> I do not think this is so. Express costs you two arms and three toes. It is the fastest service. Priority is the step down at a reasonable cost and it is a good deal, no doubt. Top of the line is Express, step child down but good, Priority. This is just the way it is with domestic Express Mail and Priority mail. Express is very expensive and generally overnight, priority is what first class used to be at fifty times the price. Most of you are not old enough to be aware of that so no comments from the peanut gallery with that remark. If you can't say kind words in reference to age, then say nothing. Half kidding, Betsy

From: "C. R. Waldron" cwaldron at frognet.net> on 2000.03.04 at 20:21:33(4146) Priority is what first class used to be at fifty times the price. Most of you are not old enough to be aware of that so no comments from the peanut gallery with that remark. If you can't say kind words in reference to age, then say nothing. Half kidding, Betsy +More Gee, I remember when mail was delivered twice a day (in Trenton, NJ), once on Saturday. If you dropped a letter in the corner mail box in the morning, it would be delivered that afternoon in the city. How old does that make me? Clarence

From: hermine hermine at endangeredspecies.com> on 2000.03.05 at 03:56:02(4150) >Priority is what first class used to be at fifty times the price. Most of >you are not old enough to be aware of that so no comments from the peanut >gallery with that remark. If you can't say kind words in reference to age, >then say nothing. Gee, Half-Kidding Betsy, i have an old catalog, of reference, which I sent out in mid 70s, which came back to me for a wrong address. cardboard covers, stapled in the middle, thirteen cent stamp! These young pups don't remember when a person could actually mail something and have it arrive at its destination, I'll bet! SO i use a crushproof box of some sort, even wee cigar tins, inside another box with Styrofoam peanuts. and i never mark anything FRAGILE because that is just a challenge to the Postal Employees. Drive by postal shootings are not just a random accident, you know. hermine +More postmaster's daughter

From: Betsytrips at aol.com on 2000.03.05 at 03:57:40(4151) In a message dated 3/4/00 2:21:49 PM Central Standard Time, cwaldron@frognet.net writes: << Priority is what first class used to be at fifty times the price. Most of +More you are not old enough to be aware of that so no comments from the peanut gallery with that remark. If you can't say kind words in reference to age, then say nothing. Half kidding, Betsy Gee, I remember when mail was delivered twice a day (in Trenton, NJ), once on Saturday. If you dropped a letter in the corner mail box in the morning, it would be delivered that afternoon in the city. How old does that make me? Clarence >> Ancient, but I must be the same. Trouble is, there are not many of us around. It all becomes one of those tales you tell the grand kids that you remember when ......... Betsy

From: plantnut at macconnect.com (Dewey) on 2000.03.05 at 03:58:07(4152) Both of you are kids...... I remember when postage for a first class letter was *THREE CENTS* and a post card was *A PENNY*. Now, your talking old!!!!!! Also, service was better then and no one killed their fellow employes.... Dewey +More >Priority is what first class used to be at fifty times the price. Most of >you are not old enough to be aware of that so no comments from the peanut >gallery with that remark. If you can't say kind words in reference to age, >then say nothing. > >Half kidding, >Betsy > >Gee, I remember when mail was delivered twice a day (in Trenton, NJ), once >on Saturday. If you dropped a letter in the corner mail box in the >morning, it would be delivered that afternoon in the city. How old does >that make me? > >Clarence Dewey E. Fisk, Plant Nut THE PHILODENDRON PHREAQUE Your Source for Tropical Araceae Go to

From: Don Burns donburns at macconnect.com> on 2000.03.05 at 06:10:14(4155) >Date: Sun, 5 Mar 2000 00:08:37 -0600 (CST) >Reply-To: hermine@endangeredspecies.com >Originator: aroid-l@mobot.org +More >Sender: aroid-l@mobot.org >Precedence: bulk >From: hermine >To: aroid-owner@mobot.org >Subject: Re: Seed trouble >Mime-Version: 1.0 > >This message was submitted by hermine to list >aroid-l@mobot.org. If you forward it back to the list, it will be distributed >without the paragraphs above the dashed line. You may edit the Subject: line >and the text of the message before forwarding it back. > >If you edit the messages you receive into a digest, you will need to remove >these paragraphs and the dashed line before mailing the result to the list. >Finally, if you need more information from the author of this message, you >should be able to do so by simply replying to this note. > >----------------------- Message requiring your approval ---------------------- >Sender: hermine >Subject: Re: Seed trouble > >At 07:58 PM 03/04/2000 , Dewey wrote: >>Both of you are kids...... I remember when postage for a first class >>letter was *THREE CENTS* and a post card was *A PENNY*. Now, your talking >>old!!!!!! Also, service was better then and no one killed their fellow >>employes.... >>Dewey > > >me too,but i was a wee infant. > >hermine >

From: Jmh98law at aol.com on 2000.03.05 at 23:01:17(4157) In a message dated 3/4/2000 10:58:39 PM US Eastern Standard Time, plantnut@macconnect.com writes: << Both of you are kids...... I remember when postage for a first class +More letter was *THREE CENTS* and a post card was *A PENNY*. Now, your talking old!!!!!! Also, service was better then and no one killed their fellow employes.... Dewey >> Gee, Dewey, I must be the same age as you . . . I remember that, too. And when the vegetable man came through the neighborhood on a wagon pulled by a horse, and the iceman delivered blocks of ice to the house for the ice box. And when "air conditioning" on a hot day was two 5 year olds (what one couldn't think of the other one could) sitting on the block of ice he dropped and left on the street after getting in to the back yard in the little red wagon . . . what were they called -- something Flyer? Jeanne Hannah

From: "Joan F. Wall" jfwall at mindspring.com> on 2000.03.05 at 23:02:53(4158) Service was not only better but we got two deliveries a day! Joan +More At 09:58 PM 3/4/00 -0600, you wrote: >Both of you are kids...... I remember when postage for a first class >letter was *THREE CENTS* and a post card was *A PENNY*. Now, your talking >old!!!!!! Also, service was better then and no one killed their fellow >employes.... >Dewey > > >>Priority is what first class used to be at fifty times the price. Most of >>you are not old enough to be aware of that so no comments from the peanut >>gallery with that remark. If you can't say kind words in reference to age, >>then say nothing. >> >>Half kidding, >>Betsy >> >>Gee, I remember when mail was delivered twice a day (in Trenton, NJ), once >>on Saturday. If you dropped a letter in the corner mail box in the >>morning, it would be delivered that afternoon in the city. How old does >>that make me? >> >>Clarence > >Dewey E. Fisk, Plant Nut >THE PHILODENDRON PHREAQUE >Your Source for Tropical Araceae >Go to > > > >

From: JRugh1 at aol.com on 2000.03.05 at 23:03:16(4159) NOTE: This reply got a bit long. If you have little no interesty in the discussion of packing and shipping seeds overseas, sorry. You should skip this message. JR +More ---------------------- There has been discussion regarding Priority and Express mail. I have had excellent experience with both. Express mail is overnight mail, or second day to some locations. It generally costs less than UPS or FedEx and has the added benefit that only Express mail will be delivered on Sundays and on all holidays including Christmas. It is expensive, but take a look at FedEx rates - overnight is expensive. It also can be tracked, good when the material is valuable. Priority mail is second day delivery (third day to some locations and generally a day more for International Priority). You can send a letter Priority mail and be assured it will get there in 2 or 3 days, usually a day or two ahead of 1st class but not always. If the material weighs less than 11-oz there is a surcharge, but anything over 11-oz in the US moves as Priority mail. For up to 2-pounds the cost is $3.20 vs. 33? is ten (not fifty) times more. However, the real advantage is that you can stuff up to 2-pounds into a cardboard Priority mail envelope or boxes (given free by the post office) for the same price. All parcels under 2 pounds in the US now move as Priority mail. To be sure, you should always put a priority mail sticker on under 2-pound packages. About a year ago the post office introduced a First Class/Priority mail tracking option. It is very inexpensive. You can then track a mislaid package. I believe this costs 30? (don't hold me to this, but it is not much). The ability to "stuff" a lot into the packet also applies internationally, but the locations where you can send Priority International are limited. You need to check with the post office. If you send to a location not on the list it is a waste of money (they postal clerk should not accept International Priority to locations not on the service list). I have found that up to 2-pounds of material will get to people in England on the third day after mailing using Priority mail, but first class can take a week or more (for all practical purposes there is no airmail since mail within the US As for packing, for larger seeds I have had very good luck using 1/2-inch thick sheets of styrofoam salvaged from packing material. Cut a "window" in the center large enough to hold the seed packets, use two sheets of heavy card stock (not corragated cardboard with has no resistance to punctures) cut the same size as the styrofoam and make a "sandwich" with the syrofoam/seeds in the center. I simply put this into a small "bubble pack" - be sure you use they type that as clear plastic with air bubble in the inside, NOT the "padded envelopes" that have a stuffing of shredded paper fiber - I find these crush and tear. (If you are using Priority mail, the bubble pack and all can go into the card stock envelope you get from the post office.) As long as the whole thing is about 1/2-inch thick it can't go through any postal machinery. DO NOT stick postage stamps on you parcel. If you do, it will have to be "cancelled" and workers can whack the daylights out of a package. Go to the post office, have them weigh the package and let them put on a meter stamp (almost all the post offices in the US now use these machines). Mail with metered postage does not have to be postmarked. Perhaps I have just been lucky, but I have had good experience with the US post office the last few years and am a real fan of Priority mail. I am amazed at how fast mail reaches people in England. My experience with FedEx has been inconsistent. I have had incorrectly routed and in one case misplace for three days a couple of packages. I have also found that US Priority mail never seems to get held up in customs, but FedEx can sometimes be delayed, this happened on a shipment to Mexico. If it were me, I would send seeds via bubble pack using first class. Over 11-oz I would relay on Priority for US shipments and overseas where the service is available. If I were sending a 1- or 2-pound shipment overseas where there was no International Priority service I would use DSL. They have non-overnight service (believe it is 3 day) they is a good option. Jim Rugh

From: Betsytrips at aol.com on 2000.03.05 at 23:04:35(4161) Dewey, I hate to bust your bubble, but I remember those days also. I remember when the mail came when nothing else could come through the snow and ice. Funny thing, the cost has gone up and the service has gone down. I guess that is why we have email and websites so we get our satisfaction that we have it instantly. Afterall, we are the society of instant gratification, right? Perhaps it is time to accept it as it is and learn to live with it? Betsy

From: Betsytrips at aol.com on 2000.03.07 at 03:56:09(4171) In a message dated 3/5/00 5:01:50 PM Central Standard Time, Jmh98law@aol.com writes: << Gee, Dewey, I must be the same age as you . . . I remember that, too. And +More when the vegetable man came through the neighborhood on a wagon pulled by a horse, and the iceman delivered blocks of ice to the house for the ice box. And when "air conditioning" on a hot day was two 5 year olds (what one couldn't think of the other one could) sitting on the block of ice he dropped and left on the street after getting in to the back yard in the little red wagon . . . what were they called -- something Flyer? >> Now, I have been beat on this one. the block of ice I remember hearing about, but I do not have any memory of personally. I remember when the mail man did nothing but walk, when packages were delivered to your door, when the package did not look like it had been ground to bits in processing and when the mail man was pleasant and human in nature. I wonder if this deal will ever die of its own accord. I never dreamed we would go down this path when it started. Betsy

From: SelbyHort at aol.com on 2000.03.08 at 02:59:52(4173) "If you don't know where you are going, it doesn't matter which way you go." - Cheshire Cat, from "Alice in Wonderland", Louis Carroll. keep smiling Betsy! +More - Donna In a message dated 03/06/2000 10:56:37 PM Eastern Standard Time, Betsytrips@aol.com writes: << I wonder if this deal will ever die of its own accord. I never dreamed we would go down this path when it started. >>

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