Tony

Ron said: "Are the demonstrators over working the trees"

You betcha they are Ron.

This has been been one of my pet peeves for a while now. It's the same in books too. This is why we get newbie questions like: I got a nursery juniper and cut off all the bottom roots [all the feeder roots] so I could fit it in the bonsai pot just like in the book. Now my tree is dying and turning brown. what do I do to save it?

If an expert wants to do a demo to show what can be accomplished style wise with a tree that's fine with me but they need to make sure it's perfectly clear that this isn't the way to train bonsai. They cram all of it into one afternoon when it should be carried out over a few years time. I think it's their responsibility to point this out. Otherwise people are going to run home and do the same thing and lose alot of trees in the process.

2 or 3 cents worth.

Tony