I see your point: I know that these conferences rarely if
ever turn a profit (used to be involved in scientific and
engineering conferences myself, back when I was in grad
school, and ended up doing some of the dirty work when
my advisor was program director or such. And it'd hardly
be fair to let the general public in on the rose sale...and
lord knows I've blown enough cash on exotic plants I've
proceeded to kill through poor horticultural practice (not
potting them on soon enough, then leaving them without
irrigation for a few days while I was away, so that they
died simply of being dry) -- roses are, thank Heaven, a
bit more forgiving, usually, than sequoias, warm-climate
firs and spruces, and near-tropical bamboos. (Unless deer
prune every new shoot and leaf -- lost my R. brunonii that
way just as it was starting to bloom.)

I think I'll bite the bullet and pay the fee and show up for
most of the proceedings. Thanks for your polite response
to my peevish posting...

Mark., from the soggy flatwoods rich in phosphate