K
Kanaka John
Guest
I have had a couple of requests to reintroduce myself, so here goes. While living in CA, I
started raising orchids in 1963. It was rather startling to some to find about 50 orchids setting on gravel pans of water in the living room. From there an 8X8 greenhouse with a red cross on the top, acquired every sick and disabled plant the orchid society gave me. Then an 8X16, then a 20X40. By then I had started to get awards on some of my plants. Went to work as general mgr for Gubler Orchids. Turned down a position with Rod McClleans offered by Frank Fordyce as director of international sales, pay cut & move to S.F., no way!! Had own business, Hagee's World of Orchidaceae. Got my first FCC, my fairrieanum album(the division I am searching for). Went into the family dairy business, kept the cows away from the orchids, a 30X40. Moved to Okc, became a student judge for AOS, ran all over okla & texas looking at plants. Had a 20X80 by then. I was on the road when we had a ice storm hit and power outage. Got home with a generator asap but tooooo late lost 95% of my breeding stock and 250,000 paph seedlings. So much for the orchid business and 15 years of hybridizing with the plants that most people only dream about. I had purchased several collections and had plants that even Norris Powell wanted to buy. I had sold flasks to Stewarts orchids and traded with doc Charles, Tommy Hanes and other noted breeders. That's what comes from being an old guy now. Norito Hasagawa is only one of a few associates left. But I ramble, after the freeze, I really didn't do much interacting in orchids.
When I was transfered back to CA, I built a 1200 sq.ft. greenhouse to put the balance of my collection in and there it has set for 25 years. I grow them but haven't sold or traded any. Now that I am retired, I thought that I would do a little serendipity and get a piece of that first FCC. If any of you have seen the forums, boards, or if you have a business, you know how that is going. My real hope is that somewhere in Japan there is a division available and that I can find it there, if not here. When I got the FCC, 1/2 of the plant was sold to a grower in Japan. It was through Clark Day orchidsand old clark wouldn't tell me who the buyer was. At that time I was growing the business breeding stock so I was glad to get the money. That was 1972. I am hoping the hobbiests somewhere still have a piece of the first FCC album fairrieanum in their collection. My search has, unfortunately, started as you all say, that addiction again. I got a tablet, and an internet account about 3 months ago, and the rest is downhill. You guys have the opportunity to get plants that we ancients would never have dreamed of. My first business opportunity was importing several thousand sukakulii from India. I got these poor beat up jungle collected (before cites) plants. They had been fumigated by aphis down in San Pedro,CA. I had to soak them in sugar water to rehydrate them, pot them up and grow them for about a year to have a saleable plant. I sold all that I had for a whopping $5 per plant. Some got awards for size, others for color but the orchid bug was there. Now I look at what's forsale and I look at it's size, I don't have a life time to wait to see what might be. So I am trying to be selective in what I get, but your stinking internet pictures and lists are soooo tempting!!! I am planning to start selling or trading my extra divisions so that my marriage might last another 50 years. There is only so much room in the greenhouse, even with an understanding wife. I will have plants that I have grown for 40-50 years that withstood the freeze and are awarded clones up for your consideration.
Enough of my diatribe, you asked for it now enjoy it. Thanks for being there. Buy the way, if any of you are interested in staying in an over-the-water bungalow inTahiti, check with me. I own one and I am letting it out for just the annual maintaince fee, one week per year but I can buy additional weeks at owners cost if you wanted to stay longer.
started raising orchids in 1963. It was rather startling to some to find about 50 orchids setting on gravel pans of water in the living room. From there an 8X8 greenhouse with a red cross on the top, acquired every sick and disabled plant the orchid society gave me. Then an 8X16, then a 20X40. By then I had started to get awards on some of my plants. Went to work as general mgr for Gubler Orchids. Turned down a position with Rod McClleans offered by Frank Fordyce as director of international sales, pay cut & move to S.F., no way!! Had own business, Hagee's World of Orchidaceae. Got my first FCC, my fairrieanum album(the division I am searching for). Went into the family dairy business, kept the cows away from the orchids, a 30X40. Moved to Okc, became a student judge for AOS, ran all over okla & texas looking at plants. Had a 20X80 by then. I was on the road when we had a ice storm hit and power outage. Got home with a generator asap but tooooo late lost 95% of my breeding stock and 250,000 paph seedlings. So much for the orchid business and 15 years of hybridizing with the plants that most people only dream about. I had purchased several collections and had plants that even Norris Powell wanted to buy. I had sold flasks to Stewarts orchids and traded with doc Charles, Tommy Hanes and other noted breeders. That's what comes from being an old guy now. Norito Hasagawa is only one of a few associates left. But I ramble, after the freeze, I really didn't do much interacting in orchids.
When I was transfered back to CA, I built a 1200 sq.ft. greenhouse to put the balance of my collection in and there it has set for 25 years. I grow them but haven't sold or traded any. Now that I am retired, I thought that I would do a little serendipity and get a piece of that first FCC. If any of you have seen the forums, boards, or if you have a business, you know how that is going. My real hope is that somewhere in Japan there is a division available and that I can find it there, if not here. When I got the FCC, 1/2 of the plant was sold to a grower in Japan. It was through Clark Day orchidsand old clark wouldn't tell me who the buyer was. At that time I was growing the business breeding stock so I was glad to get the money. That was 1972. I am hoping the hobbiests somewhere still have a piece of the first FCC album fairrieanum in their collection. My search has, unfortunately, started as you all say, that addiction again. I got a tablet, and an internet account about 3 months ago, and the rest is downhill. You guys have the opportunity to get plants that we ancients would never have dreamed of. My first business opportunity was importing several thousand sukakulii from India. I got these poor beat up jungle collected (before cites) plants. They had been fumigated by aphis down in San Pedro,CA. I had to soak them in sugar water to rehydrate them, pot them up and grow them for about a year to have a saleable plant. I sold all that I had for a whopping $5 per plant. Some got awards for size, others for color but the orchid bug was there. Now I look at what's forsale and I look at it's size, I don't have a life time to wait to see what might be. So I am trying to be selective in what I get, but your stinking internet pictures and lists are soooo tempting!!! I am planning to start selling or trading my extra divisions so that my marriage might last another 50 years. There is only so much room in the greenhouse, even with an understanding wife. I will have plants that I have grown for 40-50 years that withstood the freeze and are awarded clones up for your consideration.
Enough of my diatribe, you asked for it now enjoy it. Thanks for being there. Buy the way, if any of you are interested in staying in an over-the-water bungalow inTahiti, check with me. I own one and I am letting it out for just the annual maintaince fee, one week per year but I can buy additional weeks at owners cost if you wanted to stay longer.
Good luck!
