Walter_Pall

Fred,

'Since any tree, no matter how flawed, can be taken back to a stump, it seems to me that this must hold for most other trees as well.'

This is absolutely not true of most conifers, like pines. They cannot be stumped and redevolped normally. Many deciduous and broadleaved trees can, but more often than not this should not be done if one is not very good at bonsai already. Why, because this is beyond the skill level of most beginners.

'It is clear that Walter and many others who are masters of the art of bonsai are very good at selecting trees that offer the shortest possible route to the creation of first rate bonsai.'

Wrong! If I am good at something then at selecting the material which will be a future specimen tree. This has nothing to do with the time required to do this. This is not about shortcuts. It is about quality. This again is exactly the message of this thread: quality of material is MUCH more important than most think.

'There is not a doubt in my mind, however, that if you folks chose to work with less mature or flawed trees, it would only be a matter of time before you produced trees just as good from less mature or lower quality stock. '

Then you should have doutbts actually. This is just not the case.

'If bonsai culture is to be viewed as a purely economic activity with market economics determing not just best but all practice, your position makes perfect sense. But it is based on economics, not what is feasible, or even desirable from a different perspective.
Folks like you and Walter have a horse in this race. You and Walter sell material as well as develop trees for sale from it.'

Fred, very wrong again. You may not know this. I am an amateur, no kidding. I am an amateur who works professionally. I do sell a tree and a pot here and there, but this does not even cover my costs. I have the great fortune not to have to do this to make money This makes me so independent and enables me to go my own ways.

' The notion that the "right" way to do bonsai depends upon superior (ie expensive) material is supportive of the role you folks play in the Bonsai Community. It reminds me of the relationship of professional priests and ministers to most of organized religion, believing as they do that religion can't possibly succeed without them being economically supported by their community of believers. '

Totally wrong notion af yours. I am not at all sying that you need me or Ron or the heck whom. I am syeing that you need to learn for yourself to pick the right kind of material and not come to me and think that I can tell you how to cook a dinner with garbage.

'wish you and Walter nothing but the best and hope fervently that all the fiolks like you succeed even beyond your wildest expectations. However, I don't think that your vision of bonsai is the only "right" one nor even the best possible one for everybody.'

You are bringing in something here that has nothing to do with what was said. We are simply telling you that you have to learn something here.

best regards
Walter Pall