It looks like I will be on the [North American] west coast for most of
a week in early November, with my time split up between Vancouver,
Seattle and Portland, Oregon. I am wondering if there are any
noteworthy collections to check out while I was there. Ord-Hume makes
reference to a collection at the Buchardt Gardens in Victoria, BC, but
this source of info is effectively a quarter of a century old. Is it
still around? (And if it is, is it even open to the public???)

Unrelated to this, I have been trying without success to get ahold of
Bowers' enormous "Encyclopedia...". The bookstore I ordered it thhrough
stated that Vestal has no stock. (They also said that Vestal is the
most slothful publisher they've dealt with recently.) Anybody out there
know of a source?

- Colin (asfi@interlog.com)