NUMBER 232 • WINTER 1979

Now Available

BETTERMINT (Ghio 79) $25.

BAY VIEW GARDENS

Santa Cruz, CA 95060

1201 Bay Street

THE BULLETIN OF THE

AMERICAN IRIS SOCIETY

Vol. LX, No. 1 Series No. 232 Winter 1979

EDITORIAL STAFF Philip Edinger, Editor -in-Chief P.O. Box 637, Cloverdale, California 95425 Associate Editors

Albert deGroat, 12 High Street, Brockport, New York 14420 Mrs. William McCallum, 2611 Southlawn Drive, St. Paul, Minnesota

55109

Advertising Editor

Kay Nelson, P.O. Box 37613, Omaha, Nebraska 68137

Section Presidents and Bulletin Representatives MEDIAN IRIS SOCIETY

President : Mrs. Ira E. Wood, 37 Pine Court, New Providence, NJ 07974 representative : Larry Harder, Ponca, NB 68770 THE SOCIETY FOR SIBERIAN IRISES

President : Julius Wadekamper, 10078 154th Ave., Elk River, MN 55330 representative : Dr. Currier McEwen, South Harps well, ME 04079 SPURIA IRIS SOCIETY

President : Mrs. Marilyn J. Holloway, 673 Acacia Ave., Sacramento, CA 95815 representative : Ms. Joan N. Cooper, 212 W. County Road C, St. Paul, MN 55113 SOCIETY FOR JAPANESE IRISES

President: Adolph J. Vogt, 5101 Fegenbush Ln., Louisville, KY 40218 representative: W. E. Ouweneel, RR 31, Box 206, Terre Haute, IN 47803. REBLOOMING IRIS SOCIETY

President: Lloyd Zurbrigg, 609 Downey St., Radford, VA 24141 representative: Same as President AMERICAN ARIL SOCIETY

President: Mr. Wm. Hawkinson, 4414 Cogswell Rd., El Monte, CA 91732 representative: Mrs. Robert D. Steele, 3920 Clinton Blvd., S. W., Albuquerque, NM 87105

SOCIETY FOR PACIFIC COAST NATIVE IRIS

President: Mr. Glenn F. Corlew, 2988 Cherry Lane, Walnut Creek, CA 94596 representative: Olive J. Rice, 1914 Napa Ave., Berkeley, CA 94707 SPECIES IRIS GROUP OF NORTH AMERICA (SIGNA)

Chairman: Mrs. J. A. Witt, 16516 25th N.E., Seattle, WA 98155 LOUISIANA IRIS SOCIETY OF AMERICA (LISA)

President: Richard Goula, 113 Acacia Dr., Lafayette, LA 70508 representative: Miss Marie Caillet, 203 Seville Blvd., Lafayette, LA 70503 The Bulletin is published quarterly by the American Iris Society. Publishing office 6518 Beachy Ave., Wichita, KS 67206. Second-class postage paid at Wichita, KS, and at additional mailing offices. Subscription price is included in annual membership dues of $7.50. Annual subscription rate $7.50 per year.

Communications regarding membership and dues should be addressed to Ronald Mullin, Route 3, Pawnee, OK 74058.

Communications concerning the business matters of the Society should be addressed to Mrs. R. V. Ramsey, 6518 Beachy Ave., Wichita, KS 67206 Communications regarding advertising should be addressed to Kay Nelson. Advertising Editor. For information about membership, advertising rates and section dues, see sections under ANNOUNCEMENTS.

All copy due in editor’s office by November 1 (Winter), February 1 (Spring), May 1 (Summer), August 1 (Fall).

The Bulletin is printed by Williams Printing Company, Nashville, Tenn. 37219.

1

THE AMERICAN IRIS SOCIETY

A nonprofit institution incorporated Feb. 2, 1927, in the County of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania. By the terms of the Charter, the Corporation has no stockholders and exists for the sole purpose of promoting the culture and improvement of the IRIS.

OFFICERS

President: Leon C. Wolford, 7530 Forney Road, Dallas, TX 75227

First Vice President: Dr. Harold L. Stahly, 8343 Manchester Dr., Grand Blanc,

MI 48439

Second Vice President: Dr. John Harvey, Jr., 203 West Pembrey Dr., Wilmington, DE 19803

Secretary : Mrs. R. V. Ramsey, 6518 Beachy Ave., Wichita, KS 67206 Treasurer: Richard Pettijohn, 2510 S. 148th Ave., Omaha, NE 68144 Editor : Philip W. Edinger, P.O. Box 637, Cloverdale, CA 95425 Registrar: Kay Nelson, P.O. Box 37613, Omaha, NE 68137 Membership Secretary: Ronald Mullin, Route 3, Pawnee, OK 74058 Librarian: Mrs. Dorothy Howard, 226 E. 20th St., Tulsa, OK 74119

DIRECTORS

Past Presidents: Hubert A. Fischer, Dr. L. F. Randolph, Guy Rogers, Marion Walker, Dr. John W. Wister.

Terms expiring in 1979: Terms expiring in 1980: Terms expiring in 1981:

Dr. John Harvey, Jr. Ronald Mullin

Mrs. R. E. Dasch Mrs. J. R. Hamblen

Glenn F. Corlew Bennett C. Jones

Mrs. R. V. Ramsey Dr. Harold L. Stahly

Keith Keppel Kenneth M. Waite

Mrs. Edward Owen Mrs. C. C. Rockwell, Jr.

CHAIRMEN OF STANDING COMMITTEE

Affiliates and Sections: Mrs. Edward Owen, 1411 Crest Dr., Encinitas, CA 92024 Awards: Kenneth M. Waite, 6 Tow Path Lane, Westfield, MA 01085

Convention Liaison: Dr. Harold Stahly, 8343 Manchester Dr., Grand Blanc, MI 48439

Exhibitions: Glenn F. Corlew, 2988 Cherry Lane, Walnut Creek, CA 92025 Historical: Larry Harder, Ponca, NE 68770

Honorary Awards: Mr. Marion R. Walker, 2751 Poli Street, Ventura, CA 93003 Judges Training and Judges: Mrs. C. C. Rockwell, Jr. P.O. Box 70, Fentress, TX Membership: James G. Burch, 717 Pratt Ave., NE, Box 3, Huntsville, AL 35801 Public Relations: Olive Rice, 1914 Napa Ave., Berkeley, CA 94707

Registrations: Keith Keppel, P.O. Box 8173, Stockton, CA 95208. Send all regis¬ tration applications and $5.00, payable to AIS, to Registrar Kay Nelson, P.O. Box 37613, Omaha, NE 68137

Robins: Mrs. Mary Alice Hembree, 951 Brown Rd., Bridgewater, NJ 08807 RVP Counsellor: Dr. Harold L. Stahly, 8343 Manchester Dr., Grand Blanc, MI 48439

Scientific: Dr. Raymond C. Allen, 7570 E. Speedway, Lot 155, Tucson, AZ 85710 Slides: Dr. D. C. Nearpass, 9526 - 50th PL, College Park, MD 20740 Special Publications: Mrs. J. R. Hamblen, 2778 West 5600 South, Roy, UT 84067 Test Gardens: Bennett Jones, 5635 S.W. Boundary St., Portland, OR 97221 Youth: Ms. Jayne Ritchie, 1713 Camas Ave., N. E., Renton, WA 89055

2

Table of Contents

Fall Bulletin Delay

From the President's Desk .............

Popularity Poll— 1978 ..................

Judges' Choice— 1978 ..................

Regional Test Garden Awards ..........

1979 Huntsville Convention Information From the Public Relations Committee . . Performance (?) Follow-up ............

Where Are We Going? ...............

Performance In Massachusetts .......

Performance In Iowa. ...............

Iris Vigor ..........................

British Iris Society ....................

Remontants By Chance ................

Fringe of the Crescent .................

Siberian Notes:

A String of Pearls ...................

The Siberian Show ..................

A Good Basic Siberian Bed ..........

Siberian Display Gardens ...........

Introducing Spurias ...................

Robins .................................

Flight Lines ...........................

In Memoriam ....................... .

High Commendation— 1978 .............

New Membership Campaign ...........

Changeover: Messages from the Editors Congratulations to Dr. Currier McEwen:

........................ 4

........................ 5

........................ 8

....................... .11

........................12

........................ 14

........................15

. . . .Bernice M. Miller. . .15 ........ Robert Sobek ... 17

...... Leonard Michel ... 19

...... . Aleeah Haley. . .21

........................25

...... .Walter Moores. . .26

........ Clay Osborne ... 29

........ .C. E. Rhodes. . .34

. D. Steve Varner... 36

. .Julius Wadekamper. . .37 ..... Forrest McCord ... 37

....... .Joan Cooper. . .38

Mary Alice Hembree... 42 .......... Sam Reece ... 43

....................... .48

....................... .52

........................55

........................58

. .Bee Warburton. . .61

..William McGarvey . . . 63

Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting ....................... 64

AIS Foundation Contributions .................................. 74

ATS Judges For 1979 .......................................... .76

Statement of Ownership ........

Advertisers ................. 107

Advertising Rates ........... 92

AIS Foundation ............. 93

Announcements ............. 93

Commercial Directory ....... 107

...............................89

Membership, Section Dues ... 92 Publications, Supplies ....... 90

Regions, RVPs .............. 112

Show Supplies .............. 91

Slides ...................... 93

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Janice Chesnik : cover Walter Moores: 27, lower right

Mary Dunn: 8 Dave Niswonger: 27, top left

Keith Keppel: 27, top right and Clay Osborne: 31, all lower left

Cover Photograph: Radiant 1978 Dykes Medal winner Bride's Halo (H.C. Mohr, 1973) photographed in southern California, by Janice Chesnik.

3

FALL BULLETIN DELAY

The AIS Board regrets the delayed mailing of the Fall 1978 Bulletin, and apologizes to all AIS members and the Bulletin staff. In no way was this the fault of the Editor, staff, or Wil¬ liams Printing Company, and the Board takes full responsibility for the delay. Because of negotiations and decision-making pro¬ cedures involved in a satisfactory long-range settlement for AIS data processing, the Fall Bulletin was “caught in the middle.’’ Members who were aware of the situation were gen¬ erous in their understanding and the Board is pleased to announce that all AIS computer services have now been placed with Plant Science Data Center of the American Horticultural Society, which will assume future reliable and prompt service benefiting the entire membership.

Carol Ramsey, Secretary The American Iris Society

From the President’s Desk

As the year 1978 draws to a close it seems appropriate to reflect briefly on how our Society has fared during the past year. It is with a great deal of satisfaction I am able to report that we have progressed in many areas. Membership in the Society continues to increase steadily as we reach toward the six-thousand mark. Our membership is at its highest point in more than seven years and still climbing!

Many individuals, local societies, and Regions have made sizeable contributions to the operating fund of AIS in the hope of at least postponing a dues increase. A list of these donors will be published in the Bulletin from time to time. It is with much pleasure I am able to report that due to these actions a dues increase will not be required for the next fiscal year. But let us not become lax nor rest on our laurels. In order to maintain our present stable financial condition we will need to continue to increase the membership and the contributions will need to continue also.

The cost of all services and supplies required for the operation of the Society has increased except that of salaries. The token salaries of the Bulletin Editor and the Advertising Editor-Registrar have remained constant while all secretarial salaries have been completely eliminated. This, too, has been a factor in maintaining our present dues structure. The ever present pressure of inflation is with us all in every aspect of our lives. Your Society is no exception.

As I look back now at 1978 I do so with satisfaction and confidence in the future. I believe this is due mainly to a feeling of warmth and the determination for the Society to go forward that has per¬ meated every sector of our Society. Further, I believe I am speaking

4

for all members when I say we are looking forward to 1979 with enthusiasm and with great expectations for the future of AIS.

We have again, as a Society, demonstrated that we are able to confront whatever obstacle we may encounter and are able to rise above it. I unhesitatingly predict that in 1979 AIS will con¬ tinue to progress toward its stated goals while at the same time affording pleasure to its members. I find it easy and natural to enjoy a feeling of pride in AIS.

Happy 1979!

Leon Wolford

Popularity Poll — 1978

The plicatas did it again, with Stepping Out and Kilt Lilt main¬ taining their one-two positions from last year. Although each re¬ ceived fewer votes in this poll, the number of votes between them increased this year by twelve. Newcomers to the top ten are Mys¬ tique (tied for 4), Going My Way, (8), and Dream Lover (10), displacing from last year’s top ranks Buffy, Queen of Hearts, and Son of Star. Newcomers welcomed to the poll are Feminine Charm, Cranberry Ice, Pink Angel, Bicentennial, Joyce Terry, Ruffled Ballet, Orange Empire, and Spartan, while staging a return is Margarita. And according to custom, it would seem, originations from the Schreiners comprise the largest total to come from a single garden: twenty-two, or nearly one-quarter of the irises on the poll.

Position		Hybridizer	Votes
1977	1978	Iris
1	1	Stepping Out	Schreiners	537
2	2	Kilt Lilt	Gibson	406
5	3	Bride’s Halo	H. Mohr	397
7	4	Debbie Rairdon	Kuntz	353
19	4	Mystique	Ghio	353
6	6	New Moon	Sexton	351
4	7	Shipshape	Babson	348
17	8	Going My Way	Gibson	342
3	9	Pink Taffeta	Rudolph	332
14	10	Dream Lover	Tams	314
29	11	Lemon Mist	Rudolph	310
13	12	Cup Race	Buttrick	298
12	13	Dusky Dancer	Luihn	276
14	14	Babbling Brook	Keppel	271
26	15	Mary Frances	Gaulter	266
16	16	Winter Olympics	O. Brown	265
20	17	Bayberry Candle	DeForest	259
10	18	Son of Star	Plough	255
21	19	Five Star Admiral	Marsh	247
8	20	Queen of Hearts	O. Brown	245

5

21

22

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

43

44

45

46

47

50

51

52

53

55

56

57

61

241

235

216

214

211

202

200

197

187

186

181

177

176

175

174

171

167

162

158

149

148

147

143

142

139

138

137

136

135

134

133

132

130

128

126

125

Hybridizer

Iris

Grand Waltz Btjffy

Cherub Choir Study In Black Pink Sleigh White Lightning Latin Lover Camelot Rose Feminine Charm Autumn Leaves Gay Parasol Christmas Time Vanity

Winner's Circle Gala Madrid Sapphire Hills Navy Strut Lime Fizz Blue Luster Wine and Roses Ermine Robe Praise the Lord Night Owl One Desire Gypsy Belle Esther Fay Blue Sapphire Laurie Matinata Amethyst Flame Caramba Rippling Waters Charmed Circle Raspberry Ripples Skylab Peach Frost Cranberry Ice Lord Baltimore Southern Comfort Wedding Vow Violet Harmony Cayenne Capers Full Tide Gold Trimmings Dutch Chocolate Carved Cameo Launching Pad

Schreiners

O, Brown

Corlew

Plough

Rudolph

Gatty

Shoop

Tompkins

Mrs. G. D, Kegerise

Keppel

Schreiners

Hager

Plough

Peterson

Schreiners

O. Brown

Hall

Schreiners

Boushay

Schreiners

Shoop

Hamner

Fay

Schreiners

Gaulter

Schreiners

Keppel

Fay

Keppel

Niswonger

Sexton

Schreiners

Nearpass

Hinkle

Ghio

Lowry

Gibson

O, Brown

Schreiners

Rudolph

Knopf

Position		Hybridizer	Voter
1977	1978	Iris
	68	Pink Angel	Rudolph	124
81	69	Angel Choir	Schliefert	123
85	70	Anon	Gibson	122
69	70	Tinsel Town	Tompkins	122
64	72	Rococo	Schreiners	120
— -	73	Margarita	Schreiners	119
— ,	74	Bicentenial	Ghio	117
56	76	Touche	Hamblen	117
67	76	Pagan	R. Dunn	114
66	77	Allegiance	Cook	113
92	78	Edenite	Plough	112
■ — •	78	Joyce Terry	Muhlestein	112
67	80	Pacific Panorama	Sexton	111
71	80	Post Time	Schreiners	111
85	82	Orange Parade	Hamblen	110
74	82	Symphonette	Noyd	110
73	84	Chapeau	Babson	108
82	84	Madeira Belle	Quadros	108
— .	84	Ruffled Ballet	Roderick	108
97	84	Ice Sculpture	Hager	108
83	88	Country Manor	Mrs. R. P. Kegerise	107
—	89	Orange Empire	Hamner	105
87	90	Maestro Puccini	C. Benson	104
93	90	West Coast	Knopf	104
100	92	Dover Beach	Nearpass	100
97	93	Old Flame	Ghio	99
— •	93	Spartan	Schreiners	99
87	95	Night Heron	Tucker	97
59	95	San Leandro	Gaulter	97
52	97	Caliente	Luihn	96
80	98	Frontier Marshall	Schreiners	95
75	99	Buttered Popcorn	D. Palmer	94
76 100	High Life	Schreiners	93
		Runnersup
Ninety'	-one	votes: Georgia Girl;	90, Piety; 89, Starring	Role; 88,

Ming Dynasty; 87, Sky watch; 85, Antique Ivory, Radiant Apogee, Rancho Rose; 84, Beaux Arts, Loop the Loop; 82, Lilac Treat, Royal Trumpeter, Smoke Rings, Summer Sunshine; 80, Louise Watts, Paris Opera.

7

JUDGES’ CHOICE -1978

WALTHER CUP

Ann Chowning (F. Chowning) : 197 Votes

Runnersup

Votes	Variety	Votes	Variety
181	Picayune (Keppel)	105	Bryce Leigh (Chowning)
158	Flamenco (Keppel)	105	Coffee House (Ghio)
154	Bicentennial (Ghio)	104	Kentucky Derby
153	Cranberry Ice		(D. Mohr)
	(Schreiners)	95	Playgirl (Gatty)
153	Temple Gold (Luihn)	94	Imperial Ruby (McCown)
137	Penny A Pinch	92	Flair (Gatty)
	(Steinhauer)	91	Intuition (Ghio)
126	Sun King (J. Stahly)	89	Penny Candy (Hamblen)
123	Am I Blue (D. Denney)	86	Sheik (Hager)
121	Entourage (Ghio)	86	This I Love (Chowning)
120	Ila Crawford (Hager)	85	Thelma Rudolph
119	Peachy Face (B. Jones)		(Rudolph)
119	Raspberry Blush	83	Chartruese Ruffles
	(Hamblen)		(Rudolph)
110	Pink Kitten (V. Wood)

8

TALL BEARDED

Votes	Variety	Votes	Variety
158	Flamenco (Keppel)	92	Flair (Gatty)
154	Bicentennial (Ghio)	91	Intuition (Ghio)
153	Cranberry Ice	85	Thelma Rudolph
	(Schreiners)		(Rudolph)
153	Temple Gold (Luihn)	83	Chartruese Ruffles
137	Penny A Pinch		(Rudolph)
	(Steinhauer)	78	Charisma (Blocher)
126	Sun King (J. Stahly)	77	Betty Simon (Hamblen)
122	Entourage (Ghio)	75	Actress (Keppel)
105	Coffee House (Ghio)	70	Millrace (Gaulter)
104	Kentucky Derby	67	Memphis Delight
	(D. Mohr)		(Ev. Kegerise)
95	Playgirl (Gatty)

Runnersup

Sixty- two votes: Added Praise, Emphasis, Mandolin; 61: Carved Marble, Lovely Jan; 58: Irene Nelson, Manuel; 55: Helen Boehm, Michigan Pride, Spinning Wheel; 53: Silent Majesty; 52: Malaysia; 50: Blackberry Wine, Starfrost Pink; 47: Dutch Treat, On the Go; 46: Minisa, Spiced Honey; 45: Oritam, Victoria Falls.

MINIATURE DWARF BEARDED

Votes Variety Votes Variety

89 Penny Candy (Hamblen) 46 Baby Tiger 66 Garnet Elf (Hamblen) (Dalgaard By Hanson)

60 Nuggets (Sindt) 40 Dainty Belle (Hamblen)

Runnersup

Thirty-six votes: Gizmo.

STANDARD DWARF BEARDED

Votes

Variety

Votes

Variety

78

Hocus Pocus (Hager)

46

Caramel Apple

72

Abracadabra (Hager)

40

(A. Brown)

White Gem (Roberts)

Runnersup

Thirty-eight votes: Color Me Rose, Popcorn; 37: Copenhagen, Twink; 36: Sapphire Gem; 32: Wee Ruffles; 30: Clap Hands.

MINIATURE TALL BEARDED

Votes	Variety	Votes	Variety
79	Little Bluebeard	50	Spanish Coins (Witt)
	(Vaughn)	41	Red Damask
56	Blue Twinkle (Dunderman)		(F. Williams)

Runnersup

Thirty-five votes: Teeny Bikini; 31: My Melissa.

9

BORDER BEARDED

Votes	Variety	Votes	Variety
181	Picayune (Keppel)	63	Maroon Bells (Magee)
123	Am I Blue (D. Denney)	57	Inner Circle (Ghio)
76	Pink Lollipop (Marsh)	51	Sienna Star (Hamblen)
71	Tawny Gold (Nickerson)	48	Bethany (Corlew)
63	Little Swinger
	(Hamblen)

Runnersup

Thirty-eight votes: Frills; 36: Butterscotch Topping; 32: Pink Kewpie.

INTERMEDIATE BEARDED

Votes	Variety	Votes	Variety
119	Peachy Face (B. Jones)	64	Virtue (Gatty)
119	Raspberry Blush	60	Boy Wonder (Ghio)
	(Hamblen)	45	Rikki Tiki (Rogers)
110	Pink Kitten (V. Wood)	42	Hagar’s Helmet (Nichols)
73	Shampoo (Messick)
	Runnersup
Thirty.	-seven votes: Raspberry	Bonnet; 35: Early Frost; 30: Fan-
tastic	Blue.	ARIL
Votes	Variety	Votes	Variety
57	Bionic Burst (Danielson) 42	Song of Esther
53	Genetic Dancer (Danielson)		(Flanagan)
	Runnersup
Thirty-	-seven votes: Brown Prince; 35:	Spiced Wine; 34: Prince
Thou Art.
	ARILBRED
Votes	Variety
86	Sheik (Hager)
	Runnersup
Thirty-five: Byzantine Beauty.
	LOUSIANAS
Votes	Variety	Votes	Variety
197	Ann Chowning	46	Mac’s Blue Heaven
	(Chowning)		(MacMillan)
105	Bryce Leigh (Chowning)	42	Gold Reserve (Chowning)
86	This I Love (Chowning)	30	Red Gamecock (Chowning)

SPURIA

Votes	Variety	Votes	Variety
120	Ila Crawford (Hager)	67	Fergy's Poetry
94	Imperial Ruby (McCown)		(Ferguson)
		64	Plain Jane (Ferguson)

Runnersup

Thirty-three votes: Full Sun; 31: Highlxne Amethyst.

SIBERIAN

Votes	Variety	Votes	Variety
62	Roanoke's Choice	56	Butter and Sugar
	(McGarvey)		(McEwen)
59	Wine Wings (Varner)	41	Illini Peace (Varner)
		39	Blue Rosette (Puett)

Runnersup

Twenty-six votes: Letitia; 25: Bee, Pirate Prince.

		JAPANESE
Votes	Variety	Votes	Variety
52	Fuji (Abell)	34	Prairie Cheif (Hazzard)
45	Purple Parasol (McEwen)	31	Prairie Ruby (Hazzard)

Regional Test Garden Awards

Receiving 5 or more votes written in on AIS Awards Ballot for Regional Test Garden Awards.

Region 7

H. Mohr H. Rabe

Sunshine Express (7) RH 76-8 (6)

72-21-2 (7) RH 75-1 (5)

Region 8

Report from Regional Test Garden Chairman of Region 8, Clarence Protzmann, showed that votes tabulated there from AIS judges, on a separate form, qualified:

Mattie Reinhardt 72-44 (7)

The same iris received 9 votes for Region 8’s Best Seedling of the Year.

11

Space City Iris Time, Huntsville '79

HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA The Annual Convention of the AMERICAN IRIS SOCIETY May 1-5, 1979

CONVENTION HEADQUARTERS

Sheraton Motor Inn 4408 University Drive Huntsville, AL 35804 Phone (205) 837-3250

HOTEL RATES

Single . . $22.00

Double (2 people, 1 bed) . 28.00

Double (2 people, 2 beds) . 30.00

Double (3 people, 2 beds) . . . 33.00

Double (4 people, 2 beds) . 36.00

Please make reservations directly with the hotel. State that you are attending the AIS Convention. All rooms blocked for the convention which are not reserved by April 16, 1979, will be released to the general public on that date. Therefore, be sure to make your hotel reservations early.

REGISTRATION FEE

Received before April . .$75.00

Received from April 1 to April 20 . . 80.00

Received after April 20 . . 85.00

Make check payable to “1979 AIS Convention.”

Mail registrations to Mrs. Ruth Wilder

2219 Matthews Street, SE Huntsville, AL 35801 Phone (205) 533-4809

There will be no partial registrations. If it is necesary to cancel a registration, a full refund is assured if notice is received by April 20, 1979.

Transportation from the airport to the hotel will be furnished to the greatest extent possible. If such transportation is desired, send name, date, and time of arrival, flight number to

Mrs. Evelyn Lucas 1412 East Olive Drive, SE Huntsville, AL 35801 Phone (205) 534-4144

12

Welcome to Alabama

For several years, members of the Huntsville iris societies have been working to make the 1979 American Iris Society Convention one that will live in your memories. Gardens in northern Alabama and middle Tennessee will be on the tours on May 3, 4, and 5.

Bloom season in our area extends over a long period of time from early April to June, so there is usually no “peak”; however, we are hoping for an excellent display for your visit. The amount of bloom depends upon weather conditions which are usually un¬ predictable at this time of year when mornings are cool and after¬ noons are warm to hot. (It would be advisable for you to bring light jackets suitable for temperatures ranging from 50° to 80° F.) Rain showers which cool the temperature are common at this time of year.

The convention motel, Sheraton Inn, is constructed on two levels so stair and elevator problems are almost nonexistant. The motel is located on U.S. Highway 72W, within walking distance of many fast food restaurants. It is also the motel nearest the airport, which is served by Eastern, Southern, and United airlines. Courtesy transpor¬ tation from the airport will be provided, if requested. The Sheraton will be preparing a buffet breakfast on tour days.

Members of the Executive Committee have worked long hours making preparations for your visits and deeply appreciate the coop¬ eration of garden owners and others who have worked very hard to make Space City Iris Time, Huntsville ’79, a pleasurable event.

James G. Burch, Convention Chairman

CONVENTION SCHEDULE

Tuesday, May 1 Registration, 11:30 a. in.- . 8: 00 p.m. Meetings

are scheduled for Board of Directors, Me¬ dian Iris Society Board of Directors and Council of Representatives, RVP’s, JT Chair¬ men, Robin Reception, Sectional Represen¬ tatives, AIS Foundation Trustees, Member¬ ship Chairmen.

Wednesday, May 2 Registration, 7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Joint

meetings of Directors, RVP’s, and Sectional Reps; all sectional meetings; 7:00 p.m., no host social hour; 8:00 p.m., welcome dinner.

Thursday, May 3 Garden tours to Guntersville, AL to Kear¬

ney’s and to South Huntsville gardens of McGahee, Saxton, Kennedy, and Hall. Eve¬ ning, Judges’ training.

13

Friday, May 4 Garden tours to Tennessee gardens of Wil¬

liams in Eagleville and Christopher in Mur¬ freesboro, Madison County gardens of Burch and McNeal. Evening, open.

Saturday, May 5 Garden tours to central Huntsville gardens

of Wilder, Van Valkenburgh, Lucas, Bran- umn, and Easley. 6:00 p.m., no host social hours; 7:00 p.m., awards banquet.

National Iris Artifacts Auction

During the 1979 national convention there will be an auction of iris artifacts. All proceeds of this auction will go to the AIS general fund. You are encouraged to bring iris artifacts and money. No rhizomes or non-iris items, please. For further details contact

Don Saxton 1011 Cole Drive, SE Huntsville, AL 35802

From the Public Relations Committee. . .

ATTENTION PHOTOGRAPHERS

Review your techniques for black and white photography in preparation for the photography contest to be announced in the Spring AIS Bulletin. Plan to photograph all kinds of irises as single blooms, bloomstalks, clumps, as well as irises in the landscape; shorts, tails, in-betweens, and species; arrangements, old standbys, and seedlings under number: pictures of all are needed.

Olive Rice, Chairman

14

Performance (?) Follow-up

The Fall 1978 Bulletin presented articles that were, to this editor, just Round One in a to-be-continued discussion of iris performance and in particular the variable performance from one part of the country to another. Below appears, therefore, Round Two — most of which was graciously contributed on fairly short notice. Anticipated articles from the Atlantic seaboard and from warm-winter desert country would have lent better balance to the areas reporting but unfortunately did not materialize. Nevertheless, the experiences and opinions expressed in these eleven pages present enough diversity that a spontaneously contributed third installment surely can be expected. Your new Editor-in-Chief will welcome material on the subject.

WHERE ARE WE GOING?

Bernice M. Miller, New Mexico

Have you heard these comments lately? I have. “The newly- introduced tall-bearded irises don’t grow for me like the old ones used to.” Or this? “Irises are judged for show bench quality, not for how they will perform in my garden.” Or, “Some breeding lines must be running out, they so often bloom out for me, or die out.” Or, “Irises are all beginning to look alike. I’m tired of huge blossoms all of the same shape.”

There should be irises of tremendous size, with ethereally lovely blossoms, ruffled and laced, with tall bloom stalks, with well-spaced branching with four or five blossoms open at a time for “Ohs” and “Ahs” and best of show, but many of us are beginning to need irises of greater vitality, growth habits and increase for garden growing in less favorable areas of our country, where growing conditions are far from ideal even with the best of cultural practises.

Some hybridizers are aware of this and we are striving to incor¬ porate the qualities of vigor, increase, and longevity into their intro¬ ductions— as well as beauty. This is as it should be. We must not lose the sturdiness that caused grandma’s flags to be so well loved; they crossed the ocean in early sailing vessels; they traveled the prairies in covered wagons, to subsist for all their lives on mama’s discarded wash water.

I personally believe that better, sturdier garden habits could be bred into our luscent, ruffled, laced, celestially beautiful flower by bringing the invigorating blood of some of the best of the older irises, which have these qualities, into current iris blood lines. Some breeders do this and take the time to breed out any resultant inferior factors. Some cross only the best of the new.

It seems possible that a strain of iris is developing where size of flower limits the number of blossoms per stalk. Have you had a new

15

and costly introduction bloom out in a week? I have. According to awards, it rated highly. There were three branches and terminal on the bloom stalk. Three huge, beautifully formed blossoms opened at one time. Within the week, three more blooms opened together. That was all. Maybe we are beginning to need two types of tall- bearded — one for the show bench and one for the garden, and have them so designated. A week of bloom is not enough for the grass roots iris lover, who wants lots of color over a long period of time and would gladly settle for a smaller, less spectacular flower to have more bloom over a much extended bloom season on a plant that needs no coddling.

We know that originally three wild irises were brought together to form the foundation of modern tetraploids; Iris pallida, Iris varie- gata, and Iris mesopotamica.' The first two were hardy, diploids the latter was a tall, well-branched, large-flowered tetraploid, but tender in temperate regions. Because so many of the qualities desired were in J. mesopotamica, its heritage soon predominated in many irises that were early derivatives of it. People in harsher climates began to complain that many tall-bearded irises were winter-killing.

Breeders were equal to the challenge. Hardier tetraploid irises were bred — tall, large-flowered and well-branched. But petals often were narrow, colors muddy and badly haft-marked. Breeders kept on working. Purer, even new, colors were attained. Petal width in¬ creased. Ruffling, lace, and enticing flare were added. All these factors combined to make our flower breath-takingly fabulous. But are we developing a flower now only for the connoisseur and specialist, or for everybody? The Goddess Iris, in mythology, traveled the Rainbow Trail to bring messages to peasant as well as king. Many gardeners are disappointed when a highly acclaimed in¬ troduction proves temperamental and is stunted by an unfavorable climate, taking years to adjust and attain optimum growth even when treated with the best of care and growing conditions — even Dykes Medal winners. All gardeners cannot, or will not, provide special growing conditions for a flower they have always thought bloomed anywhere, even when neglected. They merely stop growing irises. Notice how many yards have no irises now.

Breeders have always been equal to the challenge. Who will work for sturdier, more reliable garden habits and yet keep the qualities of loveliness with which the modern iris is so richly endowed? Some are already at work. I think it can be done, don’t you?

Here is a short list of famous older breeders, and still excellent garden irises, that seem to add vigor and good garden habits to their descendants and, yet, do not seem to add too many defects that must be bred out. There are others, of course; they can be found by consulting old Registrations and Introductions booklets. I list these because I grow them and find them excellent parents. Most

1 And its variety Ricardi and the closely related tetraploid species Ii cypriana and trojana, plus Amas/mocrantha — all from the Near East.

16

are Award of Merit winners, some are Dykes Medalists. These are favorites of my customers, as well — because of garden appeal.

whites	One Desire	Orange Parade
Arctic Flame	Mary Randall	Native Dancer
Celestial Snow	Pink Chimes	Valimar
New Snow Piety	lavender and violet	tan and brown
Snow Flurry	Amethyst Flame	Argus Pheasant
Swan Ballet	Ever and Ever	Brass Accents
	First Violet	Hermit Thrush
yellows	Rippling Waters	Inca Chief
Denver Mint	Violet Harmony	Spellbound
Ola Kala Rainbow Gold	purple and magenta	reds
Royal Gold	Doge of Venice	Bang
Moon River	Mulberry Wine	Brimstone
Techny Chimes	Patience	Gypsy Jewels
Ultrapoise		Power and Glory
	black	Technicolor
light blue	Black Rose	Tomeco
Cahokia	Black Swan	Vitafire
Chivalry	Dark Fury
Mary McClellan	Edenite	plicatas
Music Maker	Licorice Stick	Blue Shimmer
South Pacific	Sable Night	Cayenne Capers
Symphony	Swahili	Dot and Dash
darker blue	greens and creams	Memphis Lass Rococo
Allegiance	Clovelly	Siva Siva
Bristol Gem	Emerald Fountain	Wild Ginger
Pacific Panorama	Fluted Lime
Prince Indigo	Irma Melrose	bitones
	Mixed Emotions	Extravaganza
pink and rose		Melodrama
Gracie Pfost	orange and apricot	Pinnacle
Happy Birthday	Flaming Star	Whole Cloth
Irene Brown	Olympic Torch	Wine and Roses

PERFORMANCE IN MASSACHUSETTS

Robert Sober

Westford, Massachusetts, is in the northeast part of the state but about thirty miles inland. Most of the climate-modifying effect of the ocean is absent here, and temperatures are somewhat more extreme than in coastal sections. Precipitation is generous and usu¬ ally evenly distributed throughout the year. Too little rain is never a problem with irises here, but too much rain can be if soil drainage is poor, e.g. in heavy clays. Snowfall averages about seventy inches a winter and it is not rare for snow to be on the ground from December to late March. When there is a heavy snow cover there

17

is relatively little loss from heaving, and temperatures of as cold as -25°F. or -30°F. (occasional) do no damage to most irises. In winters that are “open,” considerable heaving damage can result from sharp temperature fluctuations, and outright winter kill is much more likely because of exposure to strong northwest winds.

Many iris varieties that do well in California, an ideal iris growing state1, do not fare as well here. I believe that the reasons for this are several and hard to separate, but our much shorter growing sea¬ son — resulting in much slower increase— must be a major factor. Irises do not begin spring growth here until April, usually, and peak bloom for standard dwarfs is May 15; for tall beardeds, peak is June 10 in an average year. Growth and increase often is best in September and October, despite the earliness of killing frosts which do not seem to bother the iris foliage until very low temperatures are reached. (The first frost in the garden this year was September 8, and there was a total of seven frosts in September. Because it has been a cold fall, the iris growth quit early this year.) Some varieties seem to be winter-tender here. New Moon is a notoriously poor performer here, failing to bloom due to rotting bloomstalks or no bloomstalks at all — and this seems to relate to winter injury.

Soils here are extremely variable — -from poor, sandy ones through sandy loams to clay soils. All soils are acidic, a factor which seems to bother arilbred irises in particular. As a general rule, irises here do much better on sandy soil, even when nutritionally poor, than on clay soils, even when the latter are rich. This seems to be due to much more vigorous root growth in the friable soils.

Both of my gardens have ideal iris soils for this area: a loose, sandy loam of average fertility. A third garden on clay soil was abandoned largely due to the poorer performance there. The gardens receive absolute full sun (100%) which also is preferred in this area. The exposure to wind in these gardens is moderate due to the open¬ ness, which tends to increase exposure, being partly offset by a low elevation which reduces the average wind. Radiational cooling is extreme on calm, clear nights and may some year cause frozen bloom stalks; I have been at this location only three years and this has not happened yet. A six-inch snowfall on May 9, 1977, damaged SDB bloom but the air temperature was 34°F. and no freezing occur¬ red. Rebloom here is unreliable at best, non-existent often, even among “fool-proof” rebloomers hybridized in this area.

Under the conditions outlined above, the following tall bearded irises have performed so well for me that I recommend them highly to people in this region.

Dark: Black Taffeta; Matinata; Prince Indigo (some early rot when wet) ; Yankee Boy, an excellent clump former!

Dark blue: Allegiance, good except stalks may fall over; Praise the Lord, so far, so good.

1 Perhaps ideal in some parts of the state, but ask growers in the milder parts of southern California about performance of blacks, reds, many pinks, plus miniature and standard dwarfs. Their poor growth and/or lack of flowers makes them as worthless there as is a winter-tender iris in New England. Ed.

18

Medium blue: Babbling Brook, good In all respects.

Light blue: Sapphire Fuzz-— what a performer!

White: Winter Olympics, always blooms here, clumps readily.

Cream : Southern Comfort— overly susceptible to iris borers but otherwise good; Desert Song.

Yellow (a difficult class here): Ultrapoise, reliable and passes on excellent branching, well formed flowers, reliability of bloom to its seedlings; Buttercup Bower, also very reliable.

Light blends: Chakmaime, Greenan Castle.

Brown: Applejack.

Dark Mends: Royal Tapestry, also Jungle Shadows and Pagan.

Red: Jewel Tone.

Pink: Point Clear and Esther Fay— both reliable in a color class that, like the yellows, is not easy here.

Bicolors: Camelgt Rose, Bayberry Candle, Helen Collingwood.

The editor also asked for an accounting of persistent failures or disappointments, so here are “The Baddies”: New Moon (disaster!); Skywatch (blooms about every other year) ; Pink Taffeta (beauti¬ ful some years, only leaves in others); Kilt Lilt (some around here spell, it Kiln Lilt) ; many Schreiner reds (but note that the one good red listed above is theirs).

Generally, the Intermediates and the standard dwarfs do better than the tall beardeds here. Some especially good IBs are: June Prom, Pale Cloud, Posy Parade, Vamp, and Swizzle.

Among the top performing SDBs are: Cherry Garden, Gingerbread Man, Orange Caper, Soft Air, Oliver, Magic Secret, Lilli-White, Orange Key, Kentucky Bluegrass, Platinum Gold, Red Heart, Tres Jolxe, and Omen.

To summarize: standard dwarfs and intermediates do better here generally than do the miniature dwarfs and tall beardeds. Rebloom¬ ers are poor, and arilbreds grow well only in sandy soils (especially to which has been added lime). Some varieties that do well in warm sections of the country do not perform well here. Also, iris borer is our biggest problem, introducing soft rot into rhizomes If unde¬ tected and causing up to 15% bloom loss when the flower buds are invaded as they were this year. Spraying or hand removal of borers Is essential in this part of the country.

PERFORMANCE IN IOWA

Leonard Michel

The soil in my garden in Ames, Iowa, is not the usual rich black soil found in central Iowa but instead contains cinders and ashes from an old blacksmith shop that sat nearby. After twenty years of turning under peat, sewage sludge, and fertilizer by deep spading, the irises have found a good home. Growth begins between March 15 and April 1, depending on when spring arrives, and continues until about November 15. During most winters the ground is frozen to a depth of four feet (or to the very tip of any iris root) and a

19

winter mulch of soybean straw is applied over and between the plants to prevent injury from alternate freezing and thawing. Tem¬ peratures fall to a low of -25° F. every winter and summer highs can reach 100° F. We rarely have a freeze while the bloomstalks are emerging from the fan as can occur in the western part of this region. Rainfall is generally adequate and supplemental watering is infrequent. My garden has some protection from wind during bloom.

I have noticed that people tend to blame themselves when an iris fails to bloom for several years. Asking, for example, would it help if I moved it to a new location? Perhaps they should fault the iris for not blooming, especially if others in the immediate vicinity have performed well. Some think that an iris is an iris and all should perform equally, regardless of where the variety was hybridized. We expect to grow the same varieties in all regions. In preparation for writing this article I went through my iris card file where I have listed the name, hybridizer, year of introduction, pedigree, awards and where the plant was obtained. There were fifty-seven hybridizers represented for the 215 TBs with Schreiners leading by a wide margin with forty-seven, Rudolph was next with sixteen, Hamblen with fifteen, O. Brown with twelve and Plough with seven. The irises that perform well for me and have been in the garden for at least three years are Jewel Tone, Matinata, Royal Touch, Spartan, Stepping Out, Loop the Loop, Bayberry Candle, Gala Madrid, Praise the Lord, Study In Black, Winner’s Circle, Angel Choir, Lemon Brocade, Lemon Mist, Lilac Treat, Louise Watts, Loudoun Lassie, Love Is, Pearl Chiffon, Pink Angel, Pink Taffeta, and Starring Role. The California bred originations that perform well are Burning Desire, Cayenne Capers, Cherub Choir, Credo, Launch¬ ing Pad, and West Coast. Those that have not performed satisfac¬ torily are Navy Strut which can’t make it through the winter, prob¬ ably due to its sweetpotato size rhizome, and Pink Sleigh which has bloomed once in six years but survived the cut because this was the year it bloomed. Commentary was my first convention fail¬ ure; having seen a fine clump in Memphis in 1965 I waited several years until it dropped to my price level and then found it bloomed once in six years. More recent disappointments are Queen of Hearts one for three, and Kilt Lilt, two for five and the two times it bloomed weren’t satisfactory. There are many others that have departed the scene before their three year probation period is up. So it becomes a continuous process of trying new varieties and sorting through them to keep those that are adapted and that you enjoy.

A favorite topic of mine is varietal adaptation and I consider this an important part of ensuring good bloom in my garden. Not all irises hybridized in southern California will winterkill in the mid¬ west nor will all irises hybridized in the midwest thrive. I do believe that on a percentage basis more midwest introductions will perform satisfactorily than those from California, and as the southern Cali¬ fornia hybridizers get further into their line-breeding programs we will have more problems growing them. Look at a hardiness map of the United States, -20° F. is common in this area during winter

20

but in California it rarely gets down to freezing1, so how can a hybridizer there select for winter hardiness we need here? If a California-bred iris survives our winter and performs well year after year, it is the result of chance and not of natural selection for winter hardiness.

To give further backing to my argument, let me quote some state¬ ments made over twenty-five years ago in the book Iris for Every Garden by Sidney B. Mitchell. The Prairies. — “This wide area is less hospitable to many kinds of irises than some others, at least in the northern half . . . Some beardless irises, the Siberians especially, will thrive, but only in the more southern states can great success be expected of the Japanese or Louisiana irises, the bearded irises have been very satisfactory, particularly those bred by growers who introduced their cold-resistant varieties. Along the northern edge of the U. S. and across the Canadian border, even the bearded irises tended to winterkill. Perhaps only home breeding can produce a race which will be resistant to the often unfavorable conditions.”

In another chapter, “Consideration of climate will probably always be necessary in selecting the tall bearded. Each breeder instinctively saves, propagates, and introduces those seedlings which have proved best under his particular conditions. When these are distributed as named varieties and grown in wholly different climates they may not prove as satisfactory as in their originator’s garden or under condi¬ tions very similar.”

“It is still true, however, that for perfect adaptability regional breeding is necessary.”

Despite what I have said about California bred irises, Flamenco and Patina are on my want list for 1979.

1 The word “freezing” is here used in the Prairie sense: ground frozen to depths of a foot or more. But it should be clarified that much of California does have frosty to freezing winter weather that provides the necessary winter dormancy for certain color classes and types of bearded irises (see footnote under the Sobek article). There are far more areas of the state that can grow peonies than could succeed with bananas and bougainvilleas! Ed.

IRIS VIGOR

Alleah Haley, Wisconsin1

When asked to write an article about varieties having vigor in both California and Wisconsin, I accepted enthusiastically but later had some reservations. What is this thing called vigor? Paraphrasing Webster, plant vigor is “strength of action, as a plant grows with vigor.” For irises, vigor includes winter hardiness, rapid breaking of dormancy, production of lush foliage, floriferousness, rapid produc¬ tion of increase, ability to withstand temporary adverse environ¬ mental conditions, and resistance to, or tolerance of, diseases and pests. Because my notes on varietal performance in California are

1 The author, Dr. Haley, is now a professor of plant pathology at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. This article appears courtesy of the Region 14 Bulletin, Fall 1978.

21

incomplete, my comments here will focus on winter hardiness, in- creasability, and disease resistance of iris varieties in Wisconsin,

Our gardens have always been hobbyist efforts, and cultural condi¬ tions have often been less than ideal. Our yard in Richmond, Cali¬ fornia, for example, was not particularly suited to iris culture. Shade was dense in certain areas where irises were planted, and the sprinklers did not provide uniform watering. Hence, irises that per¬ formed well for us were exceptions rather than the rule. Poor performance, and hence poor plant condition at the time they were moved to Wisconsin, wTas probably due more to poor growing condi¬ tions than to lack of vigor in California.

The irises received little better treatment when we moved them to Wisconsin. They spent two winters at a horticulture research farm with little attention and no winter mulch. Mulching is strongly advised here to reduce plant heaving during winter and spring thaws. Mulching is especially encouraged the first winter after transplant.

It is often said that plants grown in California survive poorly when moved to cold winter climates. In general, I agree with this statement; but the exact cause of poor survival is unknown to me. Failure to survive is probably due more to physiological condition of the rhizomes than to lack of hardiness of the variety.

Table 1 lists those varieties which survived the first two winters after transplant from Richmond, California, to Madison, Wisconsin. Two rhizomes of each variety were moved. The relative condition of the rhizomes at time of transplant is indicated. The proportions of survivors among tall bearded and other-than-tall bearded varieties in poor, good, and excellent condition clearly suggest two main points:

1) that healthiness and vigor of plants at time of transplanting in¬ crease the chance of transplant survival;

2) that other-than-tall bearded varieties, especially standard dwarfs, are more transplant hardy than the average tall bearded variety.

Our experiences in Wisconsin have shown that standard dwarfs sur¬ vive and increase extremely well in this northern climate. In both California and Wisconsin they seem to be more resistant to leaf spot disease, caused by the fungus Heterosporium iridis, than are many TBs.

Only four varieties of other-than-tall bearded irises died after transplant to Wisconsin. These were Brownie Scout (BB) and Lit¬ tle Beauty (SDB), both in poor condition when moved, and Azure Echo (SDB) and Perky (MDB), both in good condition.

The survivors fared better following transplant within Wisconsin. The second-year plants were divided and moved to our home garden in August, 1977. Again, we didn’t mulch; but no clumps died the following winter. Approximately twenty varieties of assorted types were purchased from Wisconsin growers in 1977, and all survived.

Table 2 lists those varieties which have increased well in Wiscon¬ sin. Eloquent (Ohio ’70), Murmuring Morn (Corlew ’70), Dizzy Sammy (SDB, D, Foster ’70), and Early Edition (IB, Keppel ’70)

22

have been especially good performers with increased numbers of rhizomes. Each of these varieties produced fifteen or more rhizomes in two years from the initial two rhizomes moved to Wisconsin and good increase after division and transplant within Wisconsin.

Among those tall bearded varieties giving good increase, Gome My Way and Fifty Grand received the most votes for “favorite iris” among non-irisarian visitors to our open garden this year. Going My Way, however, is very susceptible to leaf spot in Wisconsin, apparently more susceptible than the other tall bearded varieties listed in Table 2, Because I did not grow it in California, I can’t compare the leaf spot reaction of Going My Way between the two growing areas.

Tall bearded varieties which appear reluctant to increase in Wis¬ consin include Coral Ice, Hot Lips, Post Time, Red Planet, Valley West, and Winter Olympics.

Table 1. Iris varieties that survived the first two winters after transplant from Richmond, California, to Madison, Wisconsin.

Tall Bearded Other than Tall Bearded

Condition at Time of Transplant: Poor (14 of 44 TBs survived; 8 of 10 others survived)

Ballyhoo (Keppel ’70)

Celestial Fires (Goodrich ’69) Cherub Choir (Corlew ’68)

Coral Ice (Plough ’68)

Flattery (Gatty 71)

Lilac Mist (Luihn ’89)

Post Time (Schreiners 71) Quietude (Keppel 72)

Rolling Waves (Christensen ’68) Son of Star (Plough ’69) Treasure Key (G. Brown 72) Whirling Ruffles (Rudolph ’64) Winter Olympics (O. Brown ’63) Yokayo (Knopf ’67)

Bloodspot (SDB— -Tim Craig ’66) Dei pore (SDB— Gantz ’66)

Girl Guide ( CB . H. Reynolds

’69)

Pussycat ( MDB— Schmelzer ’66) Radiant Gem (BB— < O. Brown ’61)

So Fair (MDB— Welch ’63) Tulare (BB — Hamblen ’61) Velvet Touch (SDB— Dennis ’66)

Condition of Time Transplant: Good* (27 of 46 TBs survived; 14 of 16 others survived)

Barcelona (O. Brown ’67) Bayberry Candle (DeForest ’69) Charcoal (Plough ’69)

Cherry Accent (Hamblen 70) Clairvoyance (Ghio 72)

Coral Glow (O. Brown ’69) Dark Ritual (Hager 72) Eloquent (Ghio 70)

El Serape (Plough 74) Enduring Love (Boushay 74)

Black Bit (SDB- -A. Brown ’69) Brown Crown (MTB— Welch ’62)

Candy Apple ( SDB— Hamblen 72)

Idol’s Eye (SDB— Hager 73) Jana White (MTB— Dunderman ’68)

Little Atom (MDB— E. Smith ’63)

23

Fifty Grand (Gaskill ’70) Flamingo Fling (Hamblen ’72) Franciscan Friar (Corlew ’68) Going My Way (Gibson ’72)

Hot Lips (Noyd ’71)

Laurie (Gaulter ’66)

Lilac Champagne (Hamblen ’65) Margarita (Schreiners ’68) Marshlander (J. Taylor ’67) Murmuring Morn (Corlew ’70) Night Owl (Schreiners ’70)

Night Song (Luihn ’65)

Raven wood (Lowry ’61)

Red Planet (E. Smith ’70)

Royal Trumpeter (C. Reynolds ’71)

Valley West (Hamblen ’72) Violet Harmony (Lowry ’48)

Condition at Time of Transplant: 23 of 23 others survived)

Caliente (Luihn ’68)

Charmed Circle (Keppel ’69) Cherry Jubilee (V. Wood ’69) Elegie (Spence ’72)

Faustina Walker (Plough ’70) Gala Madrid (Peterson ’68) Kimzey (Corlew ’67)

Latin Lover (Shoop ’69) Matinata (Schreiners ’69)

Mt. St. Helens (Craig ’66) Nobleman (Babson ’70) Panoramic (Hamblen ’69)

Pink Taffeta (Rudolph ’68)

Pride of Ireland (Noyd ’71) Princess (Gatty ’72)

Radiant Apogee (Gibson ’66) Rippling Rose (Gibson ’70) Seaside (O. Brown ’67)

Shipshape (Babson ’69)

Study in Black (Plough ’68) Sunset Sky (Roe ’69)

Warm Laughter (Schreiners ’70) Winner’s Circle (Plough ’72)

Little Blackfoot (SDB — Reinhardt ’66)

Overtone (IB — DuBose ’72) Pfauenauge (MTB — Goos & Koenemann ’06)

Red Heart (SDB — A. Brown ’67) Ruby Contrast (SDB — A. Brown ’70)

Sea Patrol (IB — C. Palmer ’70 Sing Again (IB — Plough ’66) Tebby Dare (SDB— Wolff ’66)

Excellent (23 of 38 TBs survived;

Blue Beret (MDB — Roberts ’67) Boo (SDB — Warburton ’71) Cherry Garden (SDB — B. Jones ’67)

Circuit Breaker (SDB — Plough ’73)

Cotton Blossom (SDB— B. Jones ’70)

Dizzy Sammy ( SDB— D.

Foster ’70)

Early Edition (IB — Keppel ’70) Gingerbread Man (SDB— B. Jones ’69)

Glimmer (IB — Greenlee ’66) Hooray (SDB— Gatty ’72)

Irish Doll (MDB — A. Brown ’62) Kentucky Bluegrass (SDB — B. Jones ’71)

Knockout (SDB — A. Brown ’71) Lady (SDB — Warburton ’69) Moon Tyke (IB — Plough ’71) Polish (IB — Craig ’66)

Puppet (SDB — Hager ’69)

Small Gem (MDB — Hamblen ’72)

Spicewood (SDB — H. Stevens ’66)

Sunlit Trail (SDB— A. Brown ’69)

24

Tableware (IB-— Muhlestein ’68) Vamp (IB -Gatty ’72)

Warbler (MTB™ Williamson ’35)

Table 2. Iris varieties which increased well in Wisconsin, 1976-1978.

Tall Bearded Bayberry Candle Caliente Charcoal Charmed Circle Cherub Choir Clairvoyance Dark Ritual Eloquent Enduring Love Faustina Walker Fifty Grand Franciscan Friar Going My Way Laurie

Murmuring Morn Pride of Ireland Quietitude Winner’s Circle Yokayo

Other Than Tall Bearded Bloodspot (SDB)

Boo (SDB)

Cotton Blossom (SDB) Dizzy Sammy (SDB) Early Edition (IB)

Girl Guide (BB)

Jana White (MTB) Knockout (SDB) Pfauenauge (MTB) Puppet (SDB)

Sing Again (IB)

Vamp (IB)

Velvet Touch (SDB) Warbler (MTB)

THE BRITISH IRIS SOCIETY

sends Seasonal Greetings to all members and friends in the American Iris Society. Enquiries about membership and sub¬ scription renewals will be welcomed by the Honorary Member¬ ship Secretary, Miss E. M. Sharland, Broad View, Farnborough Common, Farnborough, Kent BR6 7BU, England.

25

Remontants by Chance, or How to Succeed With Rebloomers Without Really Trying

Walter Moores, Texas

The history of development of remontant irises is detailed extensive¬ ly in the latest American Iris Society publication, The World of Irises. Dr. Raymond Smith of the University of Indiana has traced remontant iris development and is the author of the chapter dealing with such irises. He also has included information on several hy¬ bridizers of remontants and their attempts to improve the varieties. But many of the most spectacular remontants came by chance and really were not intended to be.

Those of us who hybridize for reblooming irises cross, outcross, back cross, crisscross, and even cross ourselves with seemingly little advancement, using the best genetic pools available. We throw our hands up in dismay when our “perfect” remontant cross refuses to yield to what was envisioned. Yet, there are the Jim Gibsons, Keith Keppels, Bernard Hamners, and Dave Niswongers who make it all appear so easy when high quality reblooming “introduceables” pop up where they were not intended. Their results supersede our great¬ est efforts, it seems.

For the modern remontant hybridizer, it all began when Jim Gibson of Porterville, California, made the magical cross of Madame Louis Aureau X Tiffany, yielding his famous remontant “progeni¬ tor” Gibson Girl. This cross became the basis for the famous line of Gibson plicatas producing Cayenne Capers, Villa Gold, Taholah, Summer Sunshine, Autumn Echo, and Sunsnap. Other reblooming plicatas from the Gibson line include Crinoline and Spreckles (Schreiners), Belvi Queen (Jensen), Tan Sun (Burnett), Autumn Encore (K. Mohr), Grandville and Pepper Blend (Moores). Selfs also have appeared from Gibson plicata ancestry, namely Red Revival (Preston), Burnt Offering (Moores), Born Again and Witch of Endor (B. Miller). Others, too, surely exist, and some from the Gibson line rebloom in frigid climates.

In northern California another has continued the Gibson line of plicatas. Keith Keppel has made such radical departures to include amoena-plicatas, neglecta-plicatas, variegata-plicatas, and who knows what else. He also works with seifs and has gotten remontants, though not exclusively from the Gibson line. Keith’s rebloomers began not with the Gibson plicatas but when he crossed Paul Cook’s Progenitor with Tom Craig’s Royal Band. The cross was made to test the dominant inhibitor factor (from Progenitor) with the plicata pattern (from Royal Band). That Royal Band rebloomed1 was

1 Royal Band comes from Madame Louis Aureau X (Tiffany x Los Angeles); note the close ancestral similarity to Gibson’s Gibson Girl.

26

Four of the happenstance rebloomers mentioned in the text: upper left. Lilac Treat (Niswonger ’70) ; upper right, Socialite (Keppel ’74) ; lower left, Actress (Keppel ’76)); lower right, Burnt Offering (Moores ’78).

27

coincidental — these two plants were the only ones suitable for the cross in bloom at the time. A second generation yielded Preamble, the first amoena-plicata. Fine Print and Footnote followed. Then came Early Edition, Pale Cloud, and Embroidery, though not all directly related to Preamble. All of the above are medians. The first Keppel tall bearded to rebloom in warm climates was Socialite (derived from Full Circle, Happy Meeting, and Rococo). ( Editor’s note : The 1973 Keppel plicata Thundercloud is a very late-season remontant, successful as such therefore only in warmest winter areas. It stems from Gene Wild, Majorette, Rococo, a Preamble sib, and Around About).

Keith Keppel’s Dykes Medal winning blue self Babbling Brook is known to rebloom in California. Babbling Brook has yielded Actress, a wisteria-orchid which has rebloomed in Texas and Okla¬ homa.2 Bernard Hamner of Perris, California, a near-desert area in the south of the state, incorporated Babbling Brook into his own blue breeding with Pop O Sha. The results were the widely branched, leather substanced bluebird blue Avalon Bay and its sib¬ ling River Rhythm; both rebloom in California and Texas. The 1977 Hamner introduction Double Praise is a peachy apricot rebloomer out of Neva Sexton’s Beauty Secret which has rebloomed widely in warm and hot climates.

For Dave Niswonger the inbred lavender-lilac lines stemming from Rippling Waters, Lovely Letty, and Georgia Hinkle’s lines thrown in for good measure have produced Lilac Treat, Lovely Ripples, Late Lilac, and Swift River — all rebloomers in warm climates. I am not sure if Georgia Hinkle’s Regina Maria is actually an ancestor of Dave’s rebloomers, but Regina Maria is what makes Tom Craig’s Sky Queen rebloom, as well as a seedling of my own scheduled for introduction in a year or two. With all the good luck Dave has had by chance, his planned remontant cross of two re¬ bloomers, Grand Baroque and Swift River, has produced the 1977 introduction October Sun. It seems Dave would rather switch than fight.

Should reblooming irises crop up in your seedling patch, please notify breeders of remontants as we are always looking for new and different genetic material. Your by-chance rebloomer does not have to be of introduction quality; perhaps through hybridizing we can work its genes into a worthy introduction. If I have overlooked someone’s recent by-chance introduced remontant, please contact me: 4233 Village Creek Road, Fort Worth, Texas 76110.

2 Seed parent of Actress is Fond Wish which comes from Rippling Waters X Lovely Letty. This relates it also to the Dave Niswonger remontants discussed here.

28

Fringe of the Crescent

Clay H. Osborne, California Species Chairman, American Aril Society

Question: Who first cultivated iris? Answer: No one knows. Q. When might that have occurred? A. Perhaps 9,000 years ago. Q. Where might it have happened? A. Probably the middle east. Q. What kind of iris A. Most likely an oncocyclus species.

Curiosity now beckons man to search the universe beyond his own planet; technology permits him to explore the recesses of his home earth. But, it is man’s past that most piques his curiosity. From what portion of his globe had his ancestors first become non-nomadic, agrarian city dwellers, resting from food gathering long enough to build what we now consider the beginning of a civilized culture? This “Cradle of Civilization” is that area at times designated the “Fertile Crescent,” now the land that is covered by the nations of Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq.

The great Persian Empire, preceded by the dynasties of the Assyrians (conquerors of the Babylonians), built on the initial cul¬ ture created by the Sumerians. Those ancient people inhabited the valley basin fed by the twin rivers that arose from the mountains to the north and northeast — the harsh Kurdistan and Zagros. The Sumerian culture was an agrarian one, existing where agriculture was possible. University of Chicago’s Robert J. Braidwood came to this conclusion and provided further evidence in the more richly watered upland mountain fringes where he unearthed the archaeo¬ logical site of Jarmo in the foothills of the Kurdish mountains. There it was found that the Jarmo inhabitants had a well developed agricultural base at approximately 7,000 B.C.; those peoples had learned to gather wild grains, save the seed for following years, and most probably selected the best of nature’s hybrids (perhaps our first hybridizing judges).

Those earliest farmers probably were more aware of the fruits of the earth than is modern man who often does not live by what he himself must take from nature to survive. Consequently, the ancient Sumerian farmer would have encountered one of the more striking components of the area’s natural flora: the oncocyclus irises. But despite a presumed association with man for many thousands of years, the oncocylus group today remains in a state of botanical chaos compared to other irises in the genus. In part this stems from variability within a given “species” and intergradation (hybridiza¬ tion?) from one “species” to another, so that on basis of appearance it is often difficult to authoritatively differentiate these irises into distinct species. Microscopic examination of their chromosomes would help greatly in classification, but there the other part of the problem surfaces: their difficulty of culture outside their native land, which means simply that not enough skilled botanists have

29

been able to grow them in enough quantity and variety to thorough¬ ly study them.

To understand why the oncocyclus should be culturally demanding, we turn again to the highlands fringing the Fertile Crescent- — to examine the climate and geography there that makes these species so hardy in habitat and so difficult to maintain outside this specific environment.

The Zagros mountain range is a series of arcs and cusps stretching from Armenia (in eastern Turkey) in the northwest to Baluchistan (in southeast Iran) in the southeast. Associated with this formation is the piedmont and plain of the Tigris River that lies politically within modern Iraq (formerly Mesopotamia). A major feature of the northwestern portion of this range is Lake Rezaiyeh (identified on some maps as Lake Urmia) occupying one of the inland basins. Without outlet, it is extremely saline — only a little less so than the Dead Sea in the Jordan Valley. Near its shores, the city of Rezaiyeh records January temperatures averaging a maximum of 32°F. with — 13°F. the recorded low. July has a 91°F. average high and a 64°F. average low; 99°F. has been the recorded high. Precipitation at Rezaiyeh totals 13.8 inches a year with February and March exceed¬ ing other months, i.e. 2.3 and 2.0 inches respectively.

In the southern Zagros oncocvlus habitat lies Kermanshah; its 4,331 foot altitude approximates that of Rezaiyeh, but its southern latitude makes temperatures more moderate despite its mountainous location. In precipitation it is more typical of the Levant and northern Iraq. Totaling 16.4 inches annually, it may be somewhat representa¬ tive of the mean precipitation of the oncocylus habitats if one set of statistics were to be selected for all:

J F MAMJJ ASOND Total

2.6 2.3 2.8 2.2 1.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.4 2.0 2.4 16.4

Of the several species native to the Zagros is I. lycotis, described from a specimen collected in the USSR north of the Aras River which forms the USSR-Iran boundary. As are most of the oncocyclus species, this one has been found to be quite variable. In 1962, Adm. Paul Furse found it in a 500-mile stretch of the Zagros and Kurdish mountains (Iran and eastern Turkey) at elevations between five and ten-thousand feet. A most interesting variant found during that expe¬ dition was PF 3480 from south of Lake Rezaiyeh near Mahabad which is situated where the roughly north-south Zagros range inter¬ sects the complex east-west mountain ranges running into Turkey and then south into the Levant. Furse mentioned this geographical detail, and that the flower is similar to the dark form of I. sofarana from Lebanon.

Aril species collected from the areas described by the author: upper left, subtle greenish I. gatesii from Turkey; upper right, a brown and maroon species allied to I. maculata; lower left, somber I. lycotis from Iran; and lower right, the bright yellow Irianan I. urmiensis.

30

31

Two additional Zagros species are quite distinct from I. lycotis and are more restricted in habitat: Ii. urmiensis and polakii. Questions involving classification of these two species also involve I. barnumae located in the adjacent Turkish province of Van. Unlike the heavily textured coloration of I. lycotis , I. urmiensis is a yellow self with a darker but not easily distinguished signal area while I. polakki is a smooth warm purple accentuated by a most uncommon black beard that has the appearance of a neatly sheared thick carpet.

The climate of the oncocyclus-bearing Iraq steppe region may best be described by using the statistics for Deir Ez Zor (Dayr az Zawr) which lies in eastern Syria southwest of Mosul, Iraq. Limited data has been acquired but it indicates a total yearly precipitation of 6.2 inches with complete absence from June through September. November and January have 1.5 and 1.6 inches, resectively, while December, February, and April record between 0.8 and 1.0 inches; the remaining months provide relatively little moisture. January average maximum and minimum temperatures are 53/35°F.; April 80/50°F.; July 105/78°F.; and October 86/56°F. Extremes are 114°F. in summer and 16°F. in winter; snow cover in winter is not unknown. From this region come the oncocyclus currently designated as Ii. heylandiana and maculata. Controversy surrounds these irises-— the question being are they two species or variations of just one? At this time the Aril Society International has been receptive to Dr. Awishai’s consideration that heylandiana be negated in favor of maculata. The oncocyclus growing on the northern steppes of Iraq may well be associated with I. maculata or the Turkish I. lupina group. Whatever its affiliation, it is a prime example of an onco that shows a dominant linear characteristic in the midsection of each beard, each beard being white to cream color and ending on an irregular signal area on the fall. Flowers consist of a cream ground color over which are dots and texutre veins of a color more brownish than purple. This species is almost unknown outside of its habitat since its importation has been limited and it has been a real chal¬ lenge to keep alive both in the United States and in Israel.

The mountain range north of the Crescent is part of the Taurus system, the eastern portion of which has a fairly confused or con¬ torted configuration rather than a neat east-west or north-south alignment. In the region of Erzinean and Elazig (east-central Tur¬ key) the line of the secondary Anti-Taurus mountins is continued by a series of mountain ridges that eventually swing around in a great arc toward the southeast where they form the Kurdish Taurus southwest of Lake Van before finally merging into the Zagros. In the hollow of this arc lies the expansive hilly plateau country con¬ taining the marginal agricultural areas around the cities of Diyar- bakir, Mardin,1 and Urfa.

1 Mardin also is the locality from which was first collected I. mesopotamica, one of the tetraploid tall bearded species responsible for tetraploidy in modern irises.

32

Eastern Turkey is a region of great climatic extremes— -one of the most varied and severe on the continent. The southern areas, as the steppes of Syria are approached, has summer temperatures that exceed 100°F., sometimes reaching as high as 120°F. in the calm valleys. In the northeast, temperatures are lower in summer but still with a great enough variation between night and day readings to drop the daily average to between 64° and 70°F. Winters are quite cold, even in the south. Diyarbakir has a January daily mean of 23 °F. To the north, and higher in elevation, Kars has a January daily mean of 8.6°F. with night minimums dropping occasionally to — -40°F. The Kars and Van areas have snow that lies for about 120 days a year, whereas Diyarbakir, Urfa, and Mardin may have ten days or less. Urfa has an annual precipitation of 17.68 inches and is representative of the hill country fringing the more metropolitan plains to the south where extensive irrigation projects are required.

Other than I. lycotis and the I. metadata ally mentioned previously, one other onco species is found in the eastern Taurus region (Kur¬ distan): the most impressive I. gatesii . For many years it was known through those specimens first collected in the area of Mardin by Dr. Gates and sent to Foster in England. Until recently, this flower with cream to light grey ground color stippled and very lightly veined with light violet was the only form of the species to be cultivated and was considered the “type.” Within recent years, its habitat, form and color have been broadened far beyond the “type.” Collections of I. gatesii have come from the Iraqui Kurdistan area by Mr. Polunin, while Mr. Watson collected north of the Turkish border. One can hardly believe this iris exists in nature, the eight-inch-high bloom held twenty inches above the soil.

There remains the entire western portion of the Fertile Crescent to explore for its rich native iris flora. There are the I. susiana type of Lebanon and northwestern Syria, the bronze and golden I. auranitica of the southern Syrian desert, and all of the many more well known species of Israel and Jordan. But I have tried to specifi¬ cally explore those species, the topography of their habitats and the climates, that might have been given a home and nurtured by our first agrarians perhaps some 9,000 years ago.

It is quite evident that we can hardly hope to have these species prosper for all who may wish to grow them. But we can enjoy their exotic characteristics through the medium of the advanced arilbreds or, for those willing to put forth some special effort, in the hybrids between these unusual species. The American Aril Society seeks to further the injection of aril chromosomes into easily grown clones that will reflect the form, textural patterns, and signal patch pattern of these middle eastern natives. It will be done in time, but in a relative short span considering the possible 9,000 years man has been a proponent of hybridizing.

33

Siberian Notes

A STRING OF PEARLS

C. E. Rhodes

For some years, to many irisarians, the words “Siberian Irises” desig¬ nated a group of grassy leaved plants bearing more or less monoto¬ nous flowers of mostly blue and purple shades. While there were oc¬ casional wine-reds, whites, and near-amoena bitones to be had as collected clones or developed hybrids, none of these seemed spectacu¬ lar enough to capture the interest of more than a handful of breeders in this country. This small group and their overseas cohorts ex¬ pended no small effort in magnifying the small differences of quality in these early plants to obtain better garden material. Almost all garden forms were selected clonal variants of I. siberica and I. sanguinea, or their hybrids. The exceptions were the few 40- chromosome types grown by specialists or species enthusiasts; and these are not considered in this discussion.

Those who did propagate seedlings found a certain disappointing sameness between parents and scions. This was due to the rather close relationship of the two parental species as well as the stabiliza¬ tion effect of frequent self-pollinations. Nevertheless, better stock lines were being developed.

Meanwhile, the focus of attention of the iris world was upon the tall-bearded tetraploids which had made their spectacular debut. There seemed to be no limit to their improvement and color range. Hybridizers had a field day. Other competing classes of irises soon were to enjoy similar successes. Great advances were made with the spurias and the Louisianas — two groups which had been grown for decades but had made little impact in the market place, so to speak. Dwarf bearded irises were well entrenched and breeders were busily mixing genes at a furious rate as well as incorporating these little ones into related tall-bearded lines.

Breeders of Siberian irises were concentrating on the refinement of their stocks. Progress seemed painfully slow, but advances were made. Subtle improvements came along in the way of larger flowers, better substance, wider parts, and branching. The greenish and yel¬ low signal lines and uncolored veined hafts showed positive dimin- ishment as purer colored flowers emerged. Blues and purples became softer and less harsh than in early types. Silky and satiny textured blossoms appeared more frequently in seedling rows. Similar lines were being produced in Europe, particularly in England.

In many groups of irises there has appeared a seedling of such quality that it is recognized as a real genetic breakthrough. Recog¬ nition is not always prompt, since the inherent value of such a seedling may need to be proven in its breeding potential rather than in its immediate visual value. Among such unusual hybrids were Paul Cook’s Progenitor and Rees’ Snow Flurry in bearded irises. Dr. Dorman’s fortuitous Violet Ray is in the background of many modern Louisiana cultivars, and the spurias owe much to Wadi Zem Zem.

34

In 1957 the late Fred Cassebeer registered a. white Siberian iris under the name of White Swirl*. White Swirl seemed to be a com¬ posite of most of the desirable characteristics: it was large flowered, of good substance, had flaring form and wide floral parts which were lightly ruffled in a delightful manner. On sight, White Swirl was a “must have” for the serious breeder as well as the fancier. It was to prove one of the most valuable breeding irises in Siberians . . . a Siberian “Snow Flurry”, if you please.

By carefully studying parentages of Siberian introductions from the early 1960’s, it will be seen that White Swirl is to be found as the one parent of a predominate number of these. Study will show that in further introductions it is frequently shown as a grandparent and at times appears on both sides of listed parentages. Even current registrations show White Swirl as the immediate parent. Today, more than two decades after its introduction, White Swirl is an im¬ portant iris to be included in a collection of choice breeding stock or as a highly satisfying garden ornamental.

But the greatest asset of White Swirl is its genetic capacity to pass along its desirable qualities to its seedlings. White Swirl is, of course, a diploid having only two sets of chromosomes. Since diploids are much more predictable in breeding behavior than tetraploids, it is quite a wonder that a “White Swirl” type was not produced long before its actual time by deliberate methods. One reasonable explanation could be that seedlings often were not the products of cross pollinations but were instead the results of self-pollinations. As late as 1950 it was recognized by only a few that very positive steps must be taken to insure true cross pollination by hand, else one might be raising seedlings fertilized through self-pollination even when a hybridizer had attempted a deliberate cross. Another reason could be that there were simply fewer people working in the Siber¬ ian area. Still it is not beyond all possibility that White Swirl rep¬ resents a very slight favorable genetic mutation.

An aura of mystery surrounds White Swirl. First, it is of unknown parentage ... a, chance cross; or possibly even a chance self- pollination. Second, we do not know what species are involved although it seems improbable that it could be anything but a com¬ plex hybrid of the previously mentioned two species. Even more likely, White Swirl's uniqueness is the result of random coupling of two .highly stabilized inbred lines which resulted in the quality known as hybrid vigor. This method of breeding has been used suc¬ cessfully in the development of other ornamental and crop plants.

Pollen of Tycoon and Gatineau (two -oldies) on White Swirl gave Brummitt Dreaming Spires and Cambridge, respectfully. These are two lovely Siberians from excellent stock on both sides. McEwen nurtured open pollinated seeds from both of these to give him his startling pale yellow amoenas, Dreaming Yellow and Floating Island. He then paired his two new yellows to get the deeper toned

* Originally registered in 1954 as “Frank Stubbs”, the name was changed to the more euphonious White Swirl in 1957, its year of introduction.

35

Butter and Sugar, another spectacular advance in Siberian yellows.

As if the impact White Swirl had on Siberian breeding was not important enough in itself, we now find that it is heavily involved in these three new yellow cultivars which are genuine color breaks. Recall that these new yellows are of not less than 25% White Swirl blood.

Since its advent, White Swirl has been used in a multitude of crosses, yet only recently has the yellow coloration appeared. Why was the yellow hue so long in making its appearance? One might speculate forever, but White Swirl seems to be involved as the common denominator in this newest advance. One hint of this peculiar ability of White Swirl may have been McGarvey’s Earth- shine, a White Swirl seedling described as a yellowish white. If the mystery of the spontaneous appearance of yellow in the diploid Siberians can be unraveled through test crosses of existing types with White Swirl to produce only one more yellow seedling, there should be no doubt that White Swirl is the genetic carrier of this new color factor.

The success story of tetraploids in other iris lines is already known. McEwen gave us the first tetraploid Siberians. White Swirl is a pre¬ dominant parent in many of his induced tetraploids; and it shows! Moreover, yellow amoena tetraploids related to White Swirl through Butter and Sugar have already appeared. As yet, there are no yel¬ low seifs. In tetraploids, any genetic factor is represented twice as many times as in diploids and more complex combinations are pos¬ sible. With this in mind it is not difficult to visualize a rich deep golden fully yellow tetraploid Siberian.

White Swirl was the pearl of the Siberians when it was intro¬ duced. Today it has become the grain around which the breeder deposits his nacreous creations to form new pearls.

Summation: The author finds that White Swirl is the single most important breeding Siberian iris ever to have been introduced. It is, at once, rather dominant for a set of desirable characteristics and of germ plasm plastic enough for any desired end. White Swirl bloodlines are now permanently fixed in the bulk of Siberian irises in commerce today. As witness to this, one 1978 iris dealer’s catalog lists 24 described Siberian cultivars which are newly released or of rather recent introduction. Of these, seven have White Swirl as the immediate parent and two are second generation derivatives. This is close to 40% of the total offerings. Paging through check lists will show frequent registrations which include White Swirl.

Fred Cassebeer changed forever our breeding style when he intro¬ duced White Swirl. His description in the 1959 Check List is one of utter simplicity: “Pure white self. Unknown.”

THE SIBERIAN SHOW

D. Steve Varner, Illinois

Coming attractions in Siberians will feature earlier and longer bloom in seasons, more buds, and better branching. New color combinations are on the way. More variations of dappling or mottling as in Atoll

36

and Ann Dasch will vie for stardom with solid colors which have contrasting styles. Dainty blending of three or more colors are very pretty.

For the comedy role, you might enjoy searching out the funniest shapes in style arms. The main theme with Siberians is grace and charm . With all the new variations in form and color, the good Siberian must be durable enough to bow to the wind and then regain its stately posture. It must have clarity of color to perform as a focal point to have real garden value. When it has finished blooming, the clump will retain its erect form and be especially effective in an oriental garden.

If you like frills, they are coming in increasing numbers, too, — ruffles, fine line edges, clear signal areas of cream or white, and even feathered style arms. Right now, progress is coming faster in hybrid¬ izing Siberians than tall bearded irises. Grow some of the newest Siberians and see for yourselves.

A GOOD BASIC SIBERIAN IRIS BED

Julius Wadekamper, Minnesota

I will not go into the beauty and desireableness of growing Siberian irises. Taking that for granted, I will relate how I made a Siberian iris bed that has been very successful.

I chose the lowest area on my lot which is basically sand loam with a pH of about 5.8. I cut away the sod and rototilled the area, a space of about 20 feet long by 12 feet wide. Next I hauled in a large load of leafmold and a load of peat. After rototilling this in the soil I added 2 pounds of ammonium sulfate and again rototilled this in. Then I planted the irises. The whole bed was raised about 6" above the surrounding area. After the irises were planted I mulched them with pine needles from a nearby pine woods.

The irises were planted in September, watered well, and grew magnificently. I found it necessary to spray for iris borer in the Siberians. I use metasystox, a systemic insecticide, and spray twice in the spring.

Siberians of the 28-chromosome group (subseries Sibiricae) will grow in almost any soil, but a little extra effort will be most rewarding.

SIBERIAN DISPLAY GARDENS

Forrest McCord, Indiana

One of the first complaints heard, when the subject of Siberian irises comes up, is “But where does one go to see the newer Siber¬ ians?”

Well, the Society for Siberian Irises has been trying to do some¬ thing about this, and in recent years has been cooperating with SSI members to have certain gardens designated Siberian Display Gar¬ dens. Following is a list of such gardens as of the present time:

Dr. Currier McEwen, South Harpswell, Maine 04079

Kevin Vaughn, 2017 S. Athol Road, Athol, Massachusetts 01331

37

Jim & Lurens Foreman, 1360 W. Michaels Rd., Tipp City, Ohio 45371

Forrest McCord, 208 N. Cook Rd., Muncie, Indiana 47303

Mrs. Ronald F. Miller, 6065 Old Douglas Rd., Kalamazoo, Michigan

49007

Steve Varner, Monticello, Illinois 61856

Mrs. A. Bellagamba, 11431 Old St. Charles Rd., Bridgeton, Missouri 63044

Brenda & Bill Belus, Jr., 6401 Constance Ave., Bartlett, Tennessee 38134

Julius Wadekamper, 10078 154th Ave., Elk River, Minnesota 55330 Larry Harder, Ponca, Nebraska 68770

Harry B. Kuesel, 4 Larkdale Dr., Littleton, Colorado 80123 Vi & Walt Luihn, 523 Cherry Way, Hayward, California 94541 Robert Schreiner, 3625 Quinaby Rd. N.E., Salem, Oregon 97303 Verna Cook, 6924 Pacific Highway E., Tacoma, Washington 9842 Marian Vincent, Rt. 1, Box 460, Bonneau, South Carolina 2931 John Harvey, Jr., 203 W. Pembrey, Dr., Pembrey, Wilmington, Delaware 19803

There are still some areas of the country that are not well repre¬ sented in the above list, and we would be glad to hear from Siberian growers in those areas who would like to be designated Siberian Display Gardens. Our rules are few and easy, and there are no extended reports to make:

1. Send a list of the Siberians you grow to the Chairman of the Committee, presently Forrest McCord whose address is listed above;

2. Open your garden to visitors during the time of Siberian bloom. Any local publicity you can arrange that will bring people to your garden is welcome, but optional;

3. Be willing to send surplus Siberians to display gardens that do not have them. This would depend on your time to dig, pack, and send surplus plants and would take into consideration the cultivars involved;

4. Take proper care of the plants and place beside each cultivar its name and, optionally, the name of the hybridizer and date of introduction.

Introducing Spurias

Joan Cooper, Minnesota Editor, Spuria Iris Society Newsletter What is a SPURIA? A spuria is a dedicated, useful, in some cases spectacular, member of the Genus Iris. Unfortunately, there are still many irisarians who have never really been introduced to them.

The man who put it all together so many years ago, William Rick - atson Dykes ( The Genus Iris, 1913) described a “well-marked group

38

of irises which includes those species which have a two-toothed stigma and a more or less trigonal [my dictionary says triangular] capsule [seedpod] with a double ridge at each angle.” He goes on to say that the seeds are enclosed in a loose papery envelope which varies considerably in color. My experience is that the envelope on fresh seed is transparent to translucent, shiny, and in a single pod may vary from colorless to white to tan, brown, and black. Whether the seed enclosed in the envelope is “roughly cubical” may depend on how rough you believe a cube can be.

Dykes continues that the flowers bear a striking resemblance to I. xiphium (the Spanish Iris according to Dykes). Most modern writers compare it to the florist’s iris which we usually call the Dutch Iris. “The falls are always more or less panduriform (shaped like a violin?) The stems are more or less sheathed in reduced leaves . . . branches are held erect close to the main stem . . . with the flowers closely set, one above the other on the stem.

“Forms and varieties are endless in number and some of the larger are handsome garden plants. . .” If only Dykes could see them now!

Dykes describes the culture of the group and we doubt that any¬ one would disagree: “They will grow in almost any soil from the heaviest clay to the lightest loam but seem to prefer a rather stiff loam well enriched with humus. When once established, clumps should not be disturbed, but be fed from autumn to early spring by mulching with leafmold or old, well-rotted manure. When growth becomes active in spring, the plants can absorb large amounts of moisture, but seem to flower all the better the following year if the rhizomes are well roasted by the sun in the late summer after the flowering season.”

In The Genus Iris Dykes recommends transplanting soon after the flowers have faded, but later in his Handbook of Garden Irises he recommends September planting which confirms present practice. In my own garden I have successfully transplanted spurias in spring, and summer divisions from elsewhere have done well. Spurias are seldom available commercially except for fall planting.

Dykes continues that spurias are slow to increase but I would challenge him with Archie Owen, Highline Lavender, Spring, Island and even the antique Premier. On the other hand, my three selec¬ tions of I. ochroleuca just sit there a lot.

Spuria rhizomes, once dug, should never be allowed to dry out. They will never revive as the bearded irises will. “The rhizomes should not be allowed to remain out of the ground for any length of time or to become parched,” says WRD. On the other hand one need not be concerned with summer drought with established plant¬ ings. If it is necesary to have rhizomes out of the ground for a period of time they can be packed in plastic bags of moist sphagnum with the leaves left out to the air.

Dykes’ opinion was that seed germinates fairly readily, but that does not seem to be true of modern hybrids. Most growers now recommend that seed be planted immediately after harvesting for early germination.

39

Dykes goes on to describe several species, only a few of which are now readily available: I. spuria, a group of mostly European species including varieties maritima, hispanica, Reichenbachiana, danica and subbarbata; closely related species from the vicinity of Asia Minor including I. spuria var. halophila, I. ochroleuca, I. monnieri, and I. aurea; the smaller spuria species, I. humilis, I. graminea, I sintenisii, I. kerneriana, and I. songarica. The most recent spuria check list adds species I. brandzae, I. carthaliniae (which Dykes did not consider a species), I. farreri, 1. klatti, and I. uromovii; lists I. halo¬ phila and I. maritima as full species; renames I. aurea as I. crocea. Chromosome counts vary from 16 in I. sintenisii to 72 in I. humilis. Most cultivars have been counted at 40 chromosomes with a very few at 41, 42, or 44.

Height of spuria species varies from three or four inches for I. humilis to about six feet for I. ochroleuca var. Gigantea. Modem culti¬ vars range from forty to sixty inches.

The earliest hybrids were apparently raised in England about 1900 by Sir Michael Foster. Ochaurea was a cross between I. ochroleuca and I. aurea (now I. crocea ) and was (is?) a rich yellow bordered cream. Others from Foster included: Monaurea, I. monnieri X I. aurea; Monspur, Monspur Cambridge Blue, Monspur A. J. Balfour, Monspur Milton, and Monspur Premier, all offspring presumably, of I. monnieri X I. spuria of unknown variety-— perhaps /. halophila which has 44 chromosomes unlike most of the spuria complex with 20. With few exceptions the modern hybrids are descendants of Foster’s hybrids — or at least we think they are.

Among the earlier modern hybrids with recorded parents, though none too specific, were: Azure Dawn, (Nies ’42) I. ochroleuca X Monspur; Bronzspur, (Nies ’40), I. ochroleuca X Monspur, second generation: Dutch Defiance (Nies ’42) Bronzspur X Saugatuck; several other Bronzspur children include Fifth Symphony, Michigan State, and Pastoral (all Nies ’42). Eric Nies, Thomas Washington, Phil Corliss, Jemina Brannin and others carried the ball through the 30s, 40s and 50s, but not to be overlooked was Carl Milliken whose Wadi Zem Zem (1943) is perhaps the most famous of spuria parents though Wadi’s parents are unknown. Other notable parents were Dutch Defiance, Saugatuck, and Sunny Day (H. P. Sass ’31).

Among Wadi’s famous children are: Anacapa (Walker ’64) , widely featured as the “New Look” in spurias, Dawn Candle (Ferguson ’65), Elixir (Hager ’65) , Golden Lady (Coombs ’57), Good Nature (Ferguson ’58) , Media Luz (Hager ’67) , Morningtide (Walker ’55) , Oroville (Walker ’67), Pink Candles (Ferguson ’69) , Wakerobin (Ferguson ’58) . They in turn produced many children and Wadi’s descendants are legion.

In the 1963 spuria check list only approximately 200 cultivars appear. By 1973, the list exceeded 300 registered and introduced varieties. Many have contributed to the modern hybrids, working toward broader petals, clearer colors, ruffling and even a little flut¬ ing, and no longer are the falls violin-shaped as the hafts have been broadened and shortened.

40

Marion Walker of Ventura, California, introduced many of the later Nies varieties and originated many of the first “New Look” spurias including Anacapa, Oroville, First Voyage, and Lydia Jane. His originations are now being introduced by the Schreiners, among the latest ones being Navigator and Sierra Nevada. Eleanor McCown has been a prolific hybridizer of fine spurias with her Highline and Imperial series. Highline Lavender and Imperial Bronze won the Eric Nies Award (the top achievement for a spuria iris) in 1971 and 1975 respectively. Tell Muhlstein in Utah, Bernice Roe and Bryce Williamson of California have added some fine varieties. Ben Hager, also of California, has made a good beginning with five Eric Nies Awards since 1967!! (Elixir, Connoisseur, Port of Call, Archie Owen, and Marilyn Holloway) He could easily pass the retired-farmer-turned-spuria-hybridizer who is still winning awards though he retired from hybridizing six years ago and died three years ago. Walker Ferguson, known as Fergy to his many, many friends is a legend of poetry (which he wrote) and beauty (which he created) . He registered and introduced fifty-six spuria cultivars dur¬ ing his twenty years as a hybridizer and has won six Eric Nies Awards. At least three of his seedlings have been registered and introduced since his death.

New arrivals on the spuria hybridizing scene are Joe Ghio, Cali¬ fornia; Dave Niswonger, Missouri; C. Blythe and H. Collins, both of New Zealand. Hager, McCown, and Walker are still in the field, but only three new spurias were registered in 1977, all by Ghio.

Fergy read an article in the AIS Bulletin in 1952 that said the spuria hybridizing field was wide open (he was then sixty-six) and so he began. In those days spurias were for California, Arizona, Texas and nearby states, but now they are being grown north, south, east and west. While Fergy felt his native Minnesota did not need spurias because they could grow peonies and lilacs and Siberian irises, his introductions involving the antique Premier (Monspur Premier) made spurias thoroughly successful in the north.

Spuria irises are hardy— winter hardy in Minnesota; tough — re¬ sisting heat and drought; adaptable— growing almost anywhere in the US without coddling; and beautiful — if you haven’t seen them, picture a large florist’s iris with flowers stacked one above the other on a tall stem. In many parts of the country they begin bloom at the end of the tall bearded season and thus extend the iris season by several weeks. Spurias are fine, long-lasting cut flowers, far less delicate than the TBs. They have a different season, a different shape and a long way to go. So won’t you join us — the Spuria Iris Society— on the go for new and better spurias (while preserving the old). The field is as wide open now as it was for Fergy in 1952.

41

Robins

In the “Flight Lines” section of our Bulletin, Sam Reece has chosen excerpts from various Robins currently in flight. As you can tell from reading them, there are round robins that discuss many, many different subjects.

What you cannot tell from these quotations is how many long- lasting friendships have begun through robins, or how much people across our country (and internationally as well) have learned through the Robin program. This program can truly offer something for everyone who has the time to read and write. This is true for both novice and advanced growers. Advanced growers may discuss the best parents for breeding particular types of iris, or newer iris- arians may learn how to solve a growth problem. At all levels, you have the opportunity to acquire advice, swap information on more new irises than you alone could ever hope to grow, swap pollen or irises, or beat the drum for particular varieties or types of iris that you feel should be grown more widely. And you can get all of this merely for the cost of the postage!

At the last Convention, Sam Reece put together a booklet giving the history of the Robin program, and this stirred considerable inter- est among those who attended. New members of the AIS receive information on the Robin program when they join. We Robin mem¬ bers also would like to invite participation by other interested AIS members. The requirements are few and the benefits many. If you are interested, contact me or else the Chairman of the section that most appeals to you (listed below), and we will be glad to start the ball rolling. What better way to prepare for next spring?

Mary Alice Hembree,

Robins Chairman

Robins Sections and Chairmen

IRISES IN GENERAL: Mrs. Eunice Carter, Box 151, JamuL CA 92035

TALL BEARDED: Otis R. Skinner, Jr., Box 902, Yorktown, TX

78164

HYBRIDIZING: George Bryant, 1909 Calle de Suenos, Las Cruces,

NM 88001

INTERNATIONAL: Mrs. Mary Herd, Box 57, Jacksboro, TX 76056

HISTORICAL: Mrs. Harriet Segessemann, 380 Crescent Dr., Frank¬ lin Lakes, NJ 07417

SPECIAL INTERESTS: Space Age, Novelty, Artistic (includes Arts & Crafts), Arils-Arilbreds, Fragrance, Teens & Twenties): Mrs. Dan Edelman (Faye), Box 591, Fort Morgan, CO 80701

42

REBLOOMING IRISES: Dr. Norman Noe, Mallard Dr., Martinsville, NJ 08836

MEDIANS: Mr. Cleo Palmer, Route 3, Geary, OK 73040

SIBERIANS: Mrs. Marjorie Barnes, 1806 N.E. 73rd St., Seattle, WA 98115

SPURIAS & LOUISIANAS: Mrs. A1 Spencer, 2539 East 17th St., Tulsa, OK 74104

EVANSIAS, JAPANESE, SPECIES & NATIVES: Mrs. Alan Reid,

41866 McKenzie Hwy., Rt. 2, Springfield, OR 97477

REGIONAL: Mrs. Delbert Long, P.O. Box 33, Virgil, KS 66870

Sam Reece, Editor

1843 E. Brown Ave., Fresno, California 93703

It is with deep regret I say good-bye to a fine editor. It has been a pleasure to serve as “Flight Lines” Editor for it gave me an oppor¬ tunity to work closely with Phil and I value our friendship. Once in a life time one has the fine association with one so dedicated to irisdom.

His search has been constant over the years for the irises of yore. He is keenly aware of the role of the historical iris throughout the footprints of time. He is sensitive to their beauty and their stamina. He senses the love and devotion of those early hybridizers, and he realizes the stature they attained. Truly, history is being preserved by his efforts and dedication.

We wish him continued success in all his endeavors.

Hybridizing

Bill Maryott, California: Regarding number of seeds to use. First, plicatas are very fertile and give a high germination rate. Old amoe- nas prior to Progenitor are a lost cause, and many strong bicolors are reluctant to germinate. I’m inclined to think one should have about 10-30 seedlings on an outcross and 30+ on a finishing cross. You need to be very choosy on a finishing cross, but outcrosses will be rather rough. Male fertility seems to vary some from year to year. Large well-grown flowers are more likely to have pollen on marginal varieties. We found this year that Sapphire Hills had only one good large fluffy anther of pollen on over ten flowers. All the

43

others were bare. Kilt Lilt and Queen of Hearts come to mind as two others without much pollen (also Going My Way). Pink breed¬ ing will give some yellows, although most yellows I’ve seen in pink lines are pale washed out and not vivid like good yellow lines. The most common colors in pink breeding (for me) are raspberry, pale lavender, medium lavender, and tangerine-bearded whites. Pink Angel gives high bud count, height and good substance. Sunny Delight (a Solano seedling of Walt Luihn) crossed to other yellows (i.e. West Coast, Launching Pad, etc.) gave good whites and yellows. Dialogue, Amigo’s Guitar, Gala Madrid and Lemon Mist gave me good things.

Gordon Plough, Washington: The “hard” lines are the ones that I like most to tackle. My first love was to develop a good contrasty pink amoena. We still have lines going for this difficult combination of colors. We have outcrossed to blue amoenas, yellow amoenas, and anything that I thought might give more contrast. Then I outcrossed with lines from other hybridizers, Varieties showing in our lines are Baby’s Bonnet, Campus Flirt, Charm of Eden, Cloverdale, Emma Cook, Fairy Magic, Festive Skirt, Heady Wine, Java Charm, Java Dove, Little Susie, Love’s Labor, May Romance, Melodrama, My Darling, Numero Uno, Pink Sleigh, Pin-Up Girl, Pipes of Pan, Snowline, Snow Peach, Touche, Tulip Festival, Whole Cloth, Wine and Roses, etc. We’ve worked quite a lot with a line for pink stan¬ dards and blue falls. The standards usually come out buff-pink and the falls lavender-blue. But we’re not giving up as eventually a real pink and blue will come. We’re using Azure Lace, Baby’s Bonnet, Gaily Clad, Gift of Love, Lady Dawn, May Romance, Melodrama, Pin-Up Girl, Touche, Victorian Days, and Whole Cloth. We’ve worked a lot trying to develop a jet black iris with fair success. Now we’re trying to put a red beard on them. When we get a good red beard, we seem to lose the blackness, or if a good black shows, the beard lightens to tangerine. But last year’s crosses showed promise, so we’re staying in there. In this program are Black Market, Charcoal, Devilish, Edenite, Formal Fashion, Hell’s Fire, Indiana Night, Interpol, One Desire, Swahili, and Study in Black. Quite recently we’ve been at work on near black and white plicatas. Some quite startling things are showing up. In the back¬ ground of our varieties are these: Cracken, Dark Spice, Exotic Star, Going My Way, High Life, Kalahari, Kent Pride, Night Out, Odyssey, Triple Play, and Winner’s Circle. It is not difficult to breed brown irises, but getting a brown with a red beard is something else. When the red beard appears, the brown gets an apricot tone. When a good rich brown shows, the beard is inevitably yellow or orange. But we’re plugging away and feel we’ll eventually reach our goal. We’re using Apricot Lustre, Cotlet, Firebreak, Flame and Sand, La Pa- loma, Melbreak, Orange Crush, and Techny Chimes. We do try to study out our crosses and make only those that seem right. Wild or wide crosses are fine if made for a purpose and not in quantity. Sometimes they pay off. I can’t think of a wilder cross than Rain-

44

bow Gold with Whole Cloth. Yes, that cross produced Milestone, one of our all-time greats. We still grow it. When you make a cross, remember that you are starting a chain that is very expensive to follow through until the progeny blooms. It costs no more to raise plants from seed from a good solid cross than it does from a cross that will produce only muddy colors.

Josephine Yordy, Pennsylvania; A tip, if anyone wants and crosses a lot of irises. I use Magic Marker and write the crosses on the iris stem and an “x” on the base of the bloom outside; peel cover and mark the “x” on the ovary. So there are no labels to carry and remove. It’s fast and usually permanent. On specials I some¬ times also write on the leaf.

Arils

George Bryant, New Mexico: You shouldn’t get many aril character¬ istics from AB-TB crosses unless the AB has a high percentage of aril— -1/2 or % (C.G. White type). Those in the Genetics Robin say that the pod parent has the most effect on appearance of offspring, due ot the cytoplasmic inheritance factor. There is DNA (or is it RNA?) in the cytoplasm of a seed as well as in the chromosomes. Wilma Vallette says that she has found more aril characteristics in the aril-median crosses when the aril or arilbred is used as the pod parent.

Beverly Dopke, Arizona: Big Black Bumblebee has lavender standards with rosy-violet falls. The black signal looks just like a black bumbleebee. Esther The Queen has lavender standards streaked darker lavender. The falls are beige streaked violet and the beard is brown-black and wide. Bangledesh has blue-violet standards and rose-violet falls. The beard is gold. The colors are very smooth. Rare Spice has parchment standards and beige falls stippled mulberry. I would suggest that everyone try a couple of these oncos, as they are very interesting.

Convention

Marguerite Baldwin, Washington: At Joe Ghio’s garden we saw Well Endowed, a huge gold. He will introduce it in 1979. It’s a child of New Moon. It was at his garden I saw so many arilbreds. Prince Thou Art I must have. At the Lawyer garden in Oakland were many older varieties. Mme Chereau (Lemon 1844), a short small purple and white plic.; San Francisco (Mohr) the 1927 Dykes win¬ ner; Chivalry (Wills ’44) ; Wabash, 1940 Dykes, just to name a few. The whole garden — on a slope, facing San Francisco — was clever. Noted a sign on their compost pile- — scissors-knives-and small garden tools! Its all too true (I found two knives in my compost pile at home last week) .

Donna Sylvester, Washington: The first day we traveled about 180 miles, saw much interesting country and went first to the Keppel/ Gatty garden. They have a lovely older brick house with many inter¬ esting plantings surrounding it — -foxglove, tritoma and great irises.

45

Some that I saw there and especially liked were Temple Gold (Luihn), frilled and ruffled gold with good branching; Michigan Pride (Berndt), goldish standards burgundy falls edged gold. Per¬ haps my favorite was Gold Field— -5-way branching, good substance, ruffled lemon yellow. Sand and Sea (B. Jones)— gold standards and blue falls edged gold, and Miss Comment (Gibson), smoky yellow and very frilly. The second garden we toured was the Melrose gar¬ den. It was the largest garden on tour. I especially liked Ann Crowning, a Louisiana. Some of the TBs that I saw and liked at Melrose were: Isle of Capri (Spahn ’77), a ruffled orange; Dream Affair (Gatty), a light yellow with very good substance; Flamenco (Keppel ’77), gold-brown standards, and falls yellow and burgundy plicata. Lovely Jan (Hamblen 77) a rich pinkish-plum; Play Girl (Gatty 77) a frilly pink; Lux Aeterna (Tompkins 75), yellow standards crinkled and tight with falls ruffled and very flaring— good substance but low bud count; Double Delight (Berndt 77) a bril¬ liant gold, very flaring and ruffled; Pearl Chiffon (Varner 72), mauve-lavender-pink blend, very good branching. The first garden we went to Friday was Joe Ohio’s garden. In the San Jose area the iris seem to bloom much nearer together, timewise than they bloom in this area, as the spurias, Louisianas and TBs were all in bloom.. At Ohio’s two spurias caught my eye immediately: Marilyn Hollo¬ way, lavender standards and yellow falls with lavender edge, and Ila Crawford, a white and yellow. I saw Green Eyed Lady at Ohio’s and it seemed very greenish there; here in my garden it doesn’t seem nearly so green. To me Ohio’s Magnifique (1978) is his best; it is a chalk white with a red beard. Next we went nearly to the top of a mountain to the Coleman garden. It was so high that only dwarfs and medians were in bloom. Some that I liked were: Soft Air —yellow and white; Virtue— very flaring purple IB; Wow— yellow with burgundy falls edged yellow; Omen— a lemon yellow; and especially B 157- 15 (B. Jones) a very flaring blue dwarf. After lunch we went to the Maryott garden. I liked: Happy Bride (Sexton), a crinkled and ruffled white, and Distant Thunder, a spuria with purple standards and yellow falls. Then we went to the Williamson garden. Those I liked were: Pink Confetti (Gibson 76), a really good pink plicata; Happy Halo (Gibson 73), a nice lavender plicata, and Geometrics (DuBose 75) a ruffled white with excellent branch¬ ing. Saturday morning the first garden was the Lawyer garden, which has been built on a hillside. They had lovely plantings of Iceland poppies, nemesia and an arbor covered with wisteria. I am afraid I spent most of my time looking over their extremely inter¬ esting rockery. They had many many succulents and cacti all labeled. Next we went to Glenn Corlew’s garden. They grow their iris in raised beds . . . Those that I liked: El Grandee (Corlew 76), a salmon pink with good substance and branching; Sapphire Gem (Schmelzer 75), a very flaring blue dwarf; Rancho Rose (Gibson 75), a rose plicata; Dixie Melody (Carter 75), a very ruffled pink; Del Monte (Luihn 75), a crinkled lavender. And Feminine Charm (Kegerise 74) ; this is where it won the President’s Cup as it was

46

perfect, very crinkly salmon pink, excellent branching and had five open blooms in perfect placement. The last garden we toured was the Cottage gardens. They have a lovely old cottage for which the garden is named, and inside many lovely iris artifacts. There I saw McWhirter J77-44-1 a lavender with very round flaring falls and frilly standards; Lucy Blocher (Blocher), very flaring and very ruffled light lavender; and Lavender Blue Lace (Schortman ’74) — just what the name says, very lacy and flaring.

General

Alfred Markward, Washington: I had a grand showing of iris this year. I had about 98% of my iris to bloom, and had over 1,000 visitors from seventeen states. On June 4th at my open garden it took three of us to handle the people. The people came from as far away as Delaware, Oregon, Arizona, and an iris grower came from South Carolina. The television people came down from Rochester, and showed my garden on the six o’clock news. The next morning at 7:30 the people started to come, and at ten o’clock the visitors from northern Iowa and western Wisconsin started to arrive. I had a lady visitor from Brazil, and a young lady from the Marianas Islands. So you can see it is a small world.

Bill Clough, Pennsylvania: I am trying something different for me. On one of those late planted clumps I covered the ground and rhizomes with what we call pea gravel. Pea gravel is a gravel made up of stones about the size of a large pea. This I spread out a little more this spring, but left it on the ground and even over the rhizomes themselves. This looks like it might keep the weeds down. It does not seem to stop the new increases as they have come up through the gravel. If this is true perhaps the pea gravel will help control leaf spot also. ... it seems to me that where irises are kept clean they get more leaf spot than where the ground is covered with grass. I have also found when irises die back and dry down they come through the winter with no problems. Then in early spring you see little tips of green sticking out of a dry, healthy rhizome. These never have any rot in them.

Elliott Munroe, Washington: The fire (interest in iris) was started nearly forty years ago when I worked at the Walla Walla post office. . . . When riding my bicycle to work one morning quite early, I passed a garden with a number of irises in bloom and noticed a lady sitting beside one at that early hour. Out of curiosity I stopped and asked what was happening. She said Cherie would open soon; it was to be a dramatic new development in pink iris; breakfast could wait, the first fall was beginning to spread. Her interest was so great; her joy so profound, I stopped on my way home to share in this marvelous event. Her name was Mrs. Hazel Schmelzer. I caught the infectious fever, and it never quite left.

47

In Memoriam

William Buchanan MacMillan

W. B. MacMillan, well known hybridizer of Louisiana irises and day- lilies, died September 3, 1978, at his home in Abbeville, Louisiana, at the age of ninety-five. Mr. MacMillan joined A1S in the early 1940s and was one of the organizers of the Society for Louisiana Irises. He was the first collector of Louisiana natives to discover the fields of remarkable large red irises near the town of Abbeville and to use them in his hybridizing program. Known at first simply as the “Abbeville Reds,” they later were accorded specific rank as Iris nelsonii. Many irisarians will remember the striking MacMillan origi¬ nation Black Widow, a favorite of Louisiana iris growers and winner of the Debaillon Award in 1988. Among his more recent introductions are Harland K. Riley, Margaret Hunter, Roll Call, Uptown, and Oliver Mgnett. During the last twenty years his hybridizing talents were directed to daylillies, and his introductions rapidly moved to the top of daylily awards lists and popularity polls. “Mr. Mac” will long be remembered for his contributions to the flower world as well as for his dedicated work with iris and daylily organizations.

Marie Caillet, Louisiana

Tell Muhlestein

(1913-1978)

As Tell was . . ,

I met this remarkable person at a local iris show. Naturally, where else? We seemed to at once become close friends and remained as such during the ensuing thirty-five years. In that time I learned much from him “irisly” and came to the realization that had there been no Tell Muhlestein the Iris World, as we know it, would have been far less exuberant, far less abounding in blossom beauty than it is today. And because of his undying support, his steadfast adher¬ ence, and his unstinted generosity toward others, both in a friendly advisory capacity and in the sharing of plant life, many budding en¬ thusiasts have come on to become competent, proficient iris hybrid¬ izers.

No firm recollection comes to mind as to why and when Tell embarked on this fascinating, exciting line of livelihood. The “why” was likely because of his admiration for the “rainbow flower,” the without-a-doubt flower of his choice. The “when” is some revealed, in the condensed data at hand (sincere thanks to Melba Hamblen for use of the following relevant facts) : “Tell acquired his first irises in 1934, from a lady in his home town of Provo, at the non-inflationed price of 5$ to 25$ per plant. Saw Mrs. East’s garden the next year— bought a few more from. her. She gave him addresses of commercial dealers— soon he had more than 400 (25$) varieties. Made first crosses in 1938, placing pollen on beards— learned of error later. Bloomed Mount Timp and Cool Lemonade in 1942; both were intro¬ duced, Mount Timp (’45) and Cool Lemonade (’47)— -his first intro¬ ductions.” Clearly by then Tell had become engulfed in the art of

48

iris growing — in slang language had been “smitten by the iris virus.” It enveloped both his mental and his physical faculties. In short, Tell became a devout leader in the pursuit of iris progress.

Tell issued his first catalog (a single sheet) in 1944, and each succeeding edition became a more authentic, more treasured source of information and guidance. He became first RVP of Region 12 (then comprising the states of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico), serving from 1947-1950. He was instrumental in establishing the Utah Iris Society, officially organized in 1945, and became its first president. The road to success stretched ahead. . . .

Because of his affable manner and also because of his high quality introductions, many honors and awards came to him and his origi¬ nations. His most notable accomplishments were among the pinks and included such solid favorites as Pink Formal, Party Dress, Pink Enchantment, Pink Fulfillment, and June Meredith (remembered as a runner-up for the Dykes Medal). At the height of their popu¬ larity his many fine pinks were making a BIG SPLASH in the iris sea of superiority. But there were many others, of different colors, including stately Utah Valley, a consistent Queen winner at local exhibitions; gorgeous Swan Ballet, symbol of white perfection, the 1959 Dykes Medal choice; richly blended Martel; and more recently the sparklingly clean and bright Joyce Terry. His introduction of Esther Tams’ Dream Lover, the 1977 Dykes Medalist, verified his ability as that of a highly qualified judge.

Come future iris bloom times, Tell, with pollen box tucked under arm, will again stroll our garden paths, meander about through our iris rows suggesting and making “this-to-that” cross, etc. Yes, Tell will be with us there — even though only in thought.

Les Peterson

He attracted friends by the qualities he displayed; he retained them by the qualities he possessed. — Anon.

Tell Muhlestein was a man who had a broadening influence on the lives and achievements of many persons. He was not only an in¬ spired iris breeder — he was an inspiration to iris people throughout the iris-growing world. During the 1950s and 60s it is unlikely that there was an iris enthusiast who did not know about Tell and his work. Which in itself is remarkable, since his serious work did not begin until 1940. However, when Tell decided to make irises his vocation he applied himself so diligently to the study of every facet of irisology that his phenomenal ascent to the summit was not unexpected.

Undoubtedly Tell’s versatile background contributed greatly to his successful iris career. He was an accomplished composer and pianist. He had roles in numerous plays at the Brigham Young University and the Theatre Guild. At the age of ten he began raising roller canaries and he became a world renowned breeder and judge of these melodious birds. Even his irises did not interfere with this lifetime avocation.

49

“Tell crossing a bloom of Lady Albright”; from the cover of his 1951 catalog.

As a speaker — quiet spoken, imaginative, articulate — Tell fascinated many audiences with vivid descriptions of innumerablie irises, their complex pedigrees and, quite often, an item of human interest about the hybridizer. He gave credit where credit was due, and never let us forget our debt to Foster, Dykes, Bliss, and the many pioneers of modern irises. And who else but Tell could casually mention “all of those iris babies in Heaven waiting for some hybridizer to set the stage for their birth”?

Tell’s creative pen brought him almost as much fame as his be¬ loved irises. His versatile articles appeared in many AIS Bulletins and in countless Regional publications. He had more than a fathom¬ less knowledge of irises — he had empathy and concern for his fellow travelers. He gave unselfishly of himself and was, for many years, the nucleus of the iris fraternity that circles the globe.

Priceless information concerning irises and hybridizers increased the value of the Muhlestein catalogs. In the foreword of the modest 1947 catalog, Tell offered a few “hints,” including the suggestion that success in pollinating William Mohr was more likely if the buds were opened just before they were due to open normally, and pollen placed on all three stigmas before they had a chance to dry out.

Response to the “hints” was greater than anticipated. Tell’s next catalog contained four pages of Hybridizing Hints. He apologized to iris fanciers for the brief and unpicturesque descriptions of the

50

4

listed irises, explaining that since his “love” was hybridizng, space was needed for pedigrees. This catalog also included an account of a visit to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Craig of Los Angeles. The personal touch had been added.

Tell’s fun-loving nature surfaced in his 1950 catalog. He was less formal in the foreword, and more authoritative in the Hybridizing Hints (now relegated to the back section of his catalog and consisting of ten pages in 8-point type.) Among the introductions in this cata¬ log were several from various hybridizers who represented a wide geographical range.

Comments from H. Senior (John) Fothergill, England, that ap¬ peared in the 1951 catalog, opened the door to Tell’s biographical nuggets about the many iris breeders for whom he introduced irises during the next 25 years, golden nuggets resulting in lasting friend¬ ships between iris growers throughout the world.

My valued friendship with Tell began when I visited his garden in 1947. Blooming for the first time was one of the most beautiful pink irises I have ever seen, No. 47-72. Large, heavily substanced blossoms of infinite perfection were displayed on a strong, well branched stalk. After I had spent my excitement in praise of the flowers, Tell drew my attention to its lack of increase. However, he harvested 150 seeds from 47-72 X Pink Formal and bloomed the seedlings in 1949.

The best of this series, 49-1 1C, appeared to be another lost chord; but later it produced increase, was named Pink Fulfillment, and introduced in 1954. Another 1954 introduction, the deep toned Pink Enchantment, came from 49-11 X Raspberry Ice Cream. Tell’s third “pink” introduction in this Utah AIS convention year was the highly rated June Meredith, the result of a happy cross between Party Dress and Pink Fulfillment; and since pollen from a June Mere¬ dith sib, June's Sister, produced Glittering Amber for the Ham- blens, many of the Hamblen irises also have that lovely lost chord, 47-72, in their background.

Through the years Tell received many high honors and awards, among them being: the AIS Hybridizer’s Medal in 1956; the Firenze Gold Florin (Premio Firenze) from Florence, Italy, for Swan Ballet in 1958; the Dykes Medal for the same iris in 1959. In 1962 Utah Velvet was awarded a silver tray from the City of Florence for its having been judged the best “red” iris in the competition that year.

Genes of any number of Tell’s originations are in iris gardens wherever irises are grown— a memorial eqauled only by the en¬ couragement and help that he gave to others, and in such quotables as these lines written for the 1949 Utah Iris Society Yearbook: Yes, it (hybridizing) is fun — the most delightful fun imaginable. But it is also much else. ... As Luther Burbank expressed it, the possibilities open to the hybridizer and the worth of his efforts can hardly be estimated, his “creations are not alone for one year, or for his own time or race, but are beneficent legacies for every man, woman, and child who shall inhabit the earth ”

Melba Hamblen

51

High Commendation — 1978

Tall Bearded

Sanford Babson Ghost Riders (6)

Louise Bellagamba 2576 (5)

Clifford Benson 76-33 B (7)

74- 23 A (6)

76-9 (7)

Clarence Blocher Beverly Nichols (5)

Bob Brown

75- 10 (6)

73-20 Muted Melody (15)

Bay Rum (16)

Opal Brown

73-11C5 (7)

Fortune Wheel (5)

73-14-A-5 (10)

73- 4B7 (10)

Ora Burton

0J-50-9 Eleventh Avenue (7) Glenn Corlew

895-5C Acclamation (32) Volare (6)

Crystal Ball (10)

873-5A Story Book (18)

Mrs. William Dalton D9-1 Fan Club (5)

Don Denney

D 74-22-3 Regents’ Row (8) Bob Dunn Tarde (8)

Mary Dunn Charro (5)

Perry Dyer

Blazing Saddles (6)

Joseph Gatty Lyrical (7)

Heavenly Angels (8)

Lemon Punch (6)

G 49-1 (6)

G 53-1 (8)

G 49-2 (14)

Larry Gaulter

74- 99 (5)

Joe Ghio

Flare Up (11)

Well Endowed (9)

San Jose (6)

Bettermint (5)

75-172-T (5)

74-63H Wild West (5) Truman Gladish 1-78 (5)

4-77 (5)

Ben R. Hager

Beverly Sills (18)

Horny Lorri (5)

Graphic Arts (6)

T 2382 B (5)

Space Odyssey (5)

Melba Hamblen H 74-64 (9)

H 71-28 A (12)

H 73-42 A (7)

H-73-14 B (9)

Christmas Rubies (5) Evelyn Horner

78-2 White Snowball (8) Odell Julander J-73-5 (6)

J-73-24-1 (10)

Evelyn Kegerise

74-105-A (5)

Keith Keppel Patina (15 )

74- 35 A Mistress (13) Phoenix (7)

Santana (6)

71-14 A Wo6dcraft (7)

71-61-E (6)

71- 21A (6)

72- 39D Morocco (16)

72- 34A (6)

73- 13D (7)

Stuart Loveless

75- 34 (6)

Walter Luihn

Song of Norway (11) Western Spring (5) Robert Mallory VSO-73-11 (6)

James Marsh 73-23 (5)

52

Duane Meek

Lemon Lyric (9)

Cherry Smoke (6)

James McWhirter Barbary Coast (14)

J77-23-3 (17)

Roger Nelson 73-5-1 (19)

Metropolitan (7)

O.D. Niswonger 1-73 (5)

Dorothy Palmer

6274 N Sheer Poetry (6) 7374 E Bright Outlook (5) 7874 B Receptive Mood (5) Les Peterson

LP-75-88 Pleasure Promise

(6)

LP-75-33 (5)

Stan Peterson NO-76-1 (5)

Robert Reinhardt 78-7 (6)

Caroline Richards CR1 (10)

Elvan Roderick P-7404 (7)

Keith Keppel 72-12A (8)

71- 12A Gremlin (17)

72- 43 C Desperado (7) Ben R. Hager

Something Special (12) Maybelle Wright BB-7 (5)

O. D. Niswonger

Marmalade Skies (5)

Bernice Roe

Misty Moonscape (10) Nathan Rudolph 77-11 (7)

76- 31X (6)

77- 20 (5)

Schreiner’s

Navajo Blanket (5)

H609-C (6)

H936-A (5)

1718-4 (5)

1164-7 (5)

Neva Sexton

Homecoming Queen (5) William Simon 25-23-1 (7)

9-21-2 (8)

Dorothy Steele D 74-10 (8)

D 74-11 (8)

Ralph Stuart

72-71 Georgia Romance (5) C. W. Waltermire CW 74-25 (6)

John Weiler

Fresno Calypso (7)

Bryce Williamson 1775-4 Armistice (5)

Border Bearded

Hal Stahly

71- 4-B (6) Joseph Ghio

72- 130A (6)

C. M. Reynolds

62-64 (8)

Mrs. J. R. Hamblen M73-06J (10)

Intermediate Bearded

Joseph Gatty

Frosted Crystal (5) Joseph Ghio

72-130A Small Hours (5)

Bion Tolman 66-158-1 (8) 71-1-26 (8) Melba Hamblen M74-2-5 (6)

Miniature Tall Bearded

Mary Louise Dunderman X224 (7)

Standard Dwarf Bearded

Perry Dyer

Jade Mist (5)

Joseph Gatty

Joyful (6)

Sterling Innerst Jabberwocky (5)

Mrs. Karl Jenson

Music Lady (6)

Bennett Jones

Keith Keppel

Brass Tacks (9)

Marvin Shoup

76-22 (5)

Bion Tolman

73-29A-1 (6)

69-120-1 (7)

Dorothy & Anthony Willott 75-34 Cat’s Whiskers (5)

M257-15 Rain Dance (15) 75-37 Burgundy Doll (5)

M157-15 (25)

Miniature Dwarf Bearded

David Sindt D. & A. Willott

Snow Sparkle (6)

230 Zipper (7)

76-83 (5)

Pinto Pony (5)

Jonnye Rich

Jeweled Veil (5) Veiled Intruder (8)

Arilbred

Les Peterson

LP 77-7 A (7)

LP 78-13AA (7)

Ben R. Hager

Ping & Pong (6)

Spuria

Glenn F. Corlew

SPO-6A Social Circle (15)

Ben R. Hager

Sparkle (5)

D. Steve Varner

Ann Dasch (7)

Siberian

New Wine (7)

Carl Wyatt

SW1-76 (6)

Ben R. Hager

Full Eclipse (6)

Mary Dunn

King Creole (7) Monument (11)

Louisiana

L-18-3-73 (5)

Joseph Mertzweiller

71-55 Yellow (5)

Joseph Ghio

Oath (8)

Dr. Shuichi Hirao Peacock Strut (6)

Japanese

Jill Copeland

78-12 (5)

Joseph Ghio

PV 177 KV (6)

PV 153 C (6)

City Hall (7)

Californicae

Californian PV177KS (6) Casa Pacifica PV 186J (10) Del Rey (7)

54

1979 New Membership Campaign

The 1979 New Membership Campaign began on January 1, 1979 and will end on September 30, 1979. Competition will be on an individual basis. Participants will be credited for the actual number of new members that they have obtained. Credit will be awarded as follows:

Single 1 recruit

Family 2 recruits

Change from single to family 1 recruit

During the 1980 National Convention, a trophy will be awarded to the individual who obtains the greatest number of new members.

A list of new members, along with their recruiters, will be printed in the Bulletin.

RULES

1. Notice of each new member must be sent to the RVP or Regional Membership Chairman within one week after it is secured.

2. Each new membership should be reported on a separate slip of paper (postcard size) showing name and address of the new member, the Region, and the name address of the participant securing the new membership. This slip should then be used by the RVP (or Regional Membership Chairman) in reporting to the National Membership Chairman.

3. Only those new Memberships properly reported to the National Membership Chairman will be counted.

4. New memberships are to be credited only to the participant actually securing them.

5. Renewal of memberships after a lapse of one year will count as a new member.

6. New memberships received by the Membership Secretary after September 30, 1979, will not be counted.

1979 Membership Renewal Campaign

Competition in the 1979 Membership Renewal Campaign will be

on a Regional Basis and conducted in accordance with the following:

• The Membership Renewal Campaign will cover the period of October 1, 1978, through September 30, 1979.

• Regions will be ranked on the percentage of renewals for mem¬ bers on record as of October 1, 1978.

• Renewals received by the Membership Secretary after Septem¬ ber 30, 1979, will not be counted.

NOTE: The new AIS Membership Chairman is James G. Burch, 717

Pratt Avenue, NE, Box 3, Huntsville, Alabama 35801.

55

COTTAGE GARDENS

Proudly Presents

REGENTS' ROW $25.00

Don Denney '78. (Pop O Sha X McWhirter sdlg.: (Sterling Silver x Babbling Brook). H.C. '78.

Please order from this ad or write for free catalog featuring introductions of:

Bob Brown James McWhirter

John Nelson Don Denney

Virginia Messick

COTTAGE GARDENS

JIM McWHIRTER DON DENNEY

22549 Center StM Hayward, Calif. 94541

See complete listing of 1979 introductions in Spring AIS Bulletin.

56

NEW FOR 1979

VIVIEN HEAVENLY ANGELS

(Keppel) (Gatty)

MARMALADE

(Keppel)

Available From

KEITH KEPPEL

P.O. Box 8173 Stockton, California 95208

See Advertisement this issue

57

Changeover: Messages From the Editors

That there were changes in the offing for the Bulletin Editorial staff has been no secret to anyone who reads the Board of Directors Meeting minutes or who is well-connected into an information grape¬ vine. Early in 1978 this editor foresaw increasing business respon¬ sibilities that would leave virtually no free time if the Bulletin position were to be maintained; and not wanting to become an arm¬ chair gardener yet ( growing irises still is more exciting than writing about them), the only reasonable solution seemed to be a regretful resignation. Even the most interesting work can become burdensome when there is no time to escape from it without guilt.

Fortunately for AIS, and to the great relief of this editor, a suc¬ cessor was appointed before the ink was dry on the resignation. Her personal profile and first message appear below, but before turning the page over to Ann Dasch I am going to seize the opportunity to put in my two-cents-worth. First point in her favor is that she stepped forward and said she would be interested in editing the Bulletin. Not many members would have the desire combined with the time to do so. And added to the interest is qualification: she, too, is a professional editor, so knows what she is doing and what she will be getting into. That, in particular, pleases me because it assures a competent transition that will in no way be to the tem¬ porary detriment of the Bulletin. And though we both are editorial professionals, the differences in our fields (hers is journalism, mine books) are bound to be reflected to some degree in a shift in style or tone— operating, of course, within the confines of appropriate Bul¬ letin material. I find it exciting to contemplate, and know we will be grateful beneficiaries.

In mentally composing a “final message” for this issue, it dawned on me that this is not final but merely the conclusion of a particular degree of responsibility. I am pleased to be retained as an Associate Editor (as a “resource”, I believe it has been stated) and look for¬ ward to specialized editorial work that will constitute pleasure but not pressure. And, of course, this legitimizes my position as Ann’s kibitzer!

In conclusion as Editor-in-Chief I want to communicate a general message of thanks to AIS members — for your generous assistance (both when called upon and voluntary), for your kind words that have sometimes arrived out of the blue at particularly appropriate moments, and for your patience during a period when a number of “unusual” circumstances arose to affect all of us. This has been an extraordinary and enriching experience.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF — ANN DASCH

When Phil Edinger asked me to write an autobiography to introduce myself as the future Bulletin editor-in-chief, I quipped, “Will 17 pages be enough?” Faced with a blank page, however, I am per¬ plexed by the strange chore of writing about myself.

58

Professionally, I am wordy: a journalist, writing a newspaper column and widely assorted news and feature articles. I do some public relations work for a small organization, and I have been a free-lance artist and taught English and geography, b.c.— before children.

My son Rob (Robert B.) is a tall, rangy 16-year-old, rather serious and stalwart, with a multitude of interests. Val (Valerie A.) is a liberated woman of 14 with a deliciously whimsical sense of humor. I can say without prejudice, of course, that they are among the world's finest teenagers. Both are AIS members, as are my parents, Mary and Stuart Branch of Virginia.

With a semi-zoo of animals, including a pet donkey (no asinine jokes, please!), we live on two acres of perversely rocky land west of Baltimore. A state environmental area and wildfiower preserve lie across the little country road from. us.

My interest in irises probably dates from admiring them as a child. 1 splurged on a few in the 50# to $2 range when we bought our first house. My knowledge that there was an AIS, and a creeping involvement in its activities, began through Alice Miller, Retta and Maynard Harp, Claire and Bill Barr, and Rosalie Figge in a local iris club.

When Maynard, then Region 4 EVP, convinced me to be regional youth committee chairman, and Fred Stephenson convinced me to attend a judges' training class, I stepped into deeper involvement.

59

The late, and very great, AIS President Bill Bledsoe led further when he selected my design for the commemorative medal. Natural¬ ly, I “had” to go to the 1970 convention in New York to be awarded one.

At this, my first national convention, I became firmly addicted to seeing the latest in irises and the nice people who make AIS the great pleasure that it is. I agreed to chair the national youth com¬ mittee and continued for seven years.

In 1977, I accepted a nomination to the AIS Board of Directors and was elected that autumn. I was serving as Awards Committee Chairman when the Board elected me to be the next Bulletin editor. Frankly, I am delighted with the responsibility.

I enjoyed editing my college newspaper and have written for various newspapers and magazines. The idea of combining my loves of wordsmithing and irising offers an invigorating challenge. I am not concerned about the quantity of work, as long as the quality of the final product can be high.

As I mentioned to Phil, he’s a hard act to follow. No two editors are alike but I will strive to maintain the high standards of content that readers expect.

My philosophy is that important scientific features must be bal¬ anced with AIS news, cultural theories, varietal comments, and historic information, with a dasch (pardon the pun) of lighter ma¬ terial.

While I cannot promise that every reader will be delighted with every article, I can promise that we will do our best to produce a timely, balanced quarterly magazine for the membership. Articles, photographs, letters to the editor, questions and suggestions will all be appreciated. Readers’ comments will serve as a barometer of members’ interests and direct our future efforts — let me hear from you!

ASSOCIATE EDITOR— PATRICIA McCALLUM

Masthead readers will have noticed the appearance of Pat McCallum’s name beginning in the Summer 1978 Bulletin, replacing that of Ron Mullin who was going to be so thoroughly occupied with his new duties as Membership Secretary that no time would remain for edi¬ torial work. In the paragraphs that follow, Pat introduces herself — to which your outgoing editor will add that she possesses the winning combination of enthusiasm, energy, and a facility with the language: three qualities that make her a most valued addition to the Bulle¬ tin stalf.

“I am currently a Laboratory Office Coordinator in the Industrial Tape Division Laboratory of 3M Company — my home away from home for twenty-one years.

“Gardening is a “we” project with the McCallums and is concen¬ trated in irises, peonies, and daffodils, with excursions into many other perennials. In 1968 my husband Bill and I bought a house surrounded by lots of grass and with three square feet of moss roses by the back door. Bill became bored with mowing uninterrupted

60

grass, and I’ve never been overly impressed by such lack of variety, so small “gardens” were worked up gradually and I started agitating for a small-iris border around one of them.

“Fortunately, an article appeared in the Minnesota “Horticulturist” magazine, featuring the small iris specialists Glenn and Zula Hanson of Riverdale Iris Gardens in Minneapolis. One fun and informative visit, baited with a gift of three MDB varieties, and we were hooked on growing and showing. Gus and Charlotte Sindt, exhibitors par excellence, became our mentors in showing; the Hansons continued their always enthusiastic support, and AIS and DIS conventions added to the adventure.

“It seems we never replace, only add; so those first three MDBs have burgeoned into a collection of about 1200 varieties of irises: MDBs, SDBs, IBs, BBs, MTBs, pure arils and arilbreds, Siberians, Japanese, Louisianas, spurias, various species, and a few seedlings that Bill has come up with — space being his only limitation.

“Now Bill is no longer bored (his grass is down to paths around and between gardens and borders), and I have all the variety I can handle! We have been members of the Iris Society of Minnesota and the American Iris Society since 1972 and have served our local society in various positions over the past six years. It’s been a ball!”

Congratulations to Dr. Currier McEwen

Bee Warburton, Massachusetts

Dr. Currier McEwen, latest recipient of the Foster Memorial Plaque of the British Iris Society for his dedication to the improvement of the Siberian irises, is a man of tremendous accomplishments. Before his retirement he was for thirty years Dean of the New York Uni¬ versity medical school, and he was and remains an international authority on arthritis. For a time before retirement in 1968, Dr. McEwen maintained gardens for his work in plant breeding both in New York and in Maine. He had worked successfully with the induction of tetraploidy in the Hemerocallis, but had begun to transfer his efforts to the Siberian irises, a new field for tetraploid induction. When he retired, all of his material moved with him to his Maine location.

The McEwens’ retirement home, within sight of the house where he spent his early childhood, is a charming gray cottage with gar¬ dens overhanging the rugged Maine coast. A path widely bordered with a magnificently grown collection of Hemerocallis and Siberian iris plants leads to a series of large plots enclosed by tall native shrubs against Maine’s wintry winds. In these gardens are the frames for growing on new plants germinated under laboratory conditions in the workshop between garage and house. Here are the seedling rows, for the young and for the blooming size new plants. Here are the rows of breeding material, some flowers with caches of plucked stamens within the cup of their styles, and pollinating labels every¬ where. Here is the famous microscope for determining whether or

61

not the pollen of a plant is tetraploid, crucial test as to the success of the colchicine treatment. Here also are the novelties from special¬ ists around the world, the wildlings and strange hybrids for testing, and the Japanese irises in which he has more recently succeeded in inducing tetraploidy.

In this beautiful spot, within sound and sight of the Atlantic Coast, Kay and Currier McEwen offer warm hospitality to their many devoted friends. . . .

Retirement to Dr. McEwen means no let-down in any part of his life. He simply transferred his energy and talents to new accomplish¬ ments in both profession and hobby. He is deeply involved in arthritis research and care throughout the state of Maine. For his work with the Siberians, his tool is colchicine. We have been warned that it is a dangerous cancer-inducing drug, but to Currier it is a valued remedy for arthritis-related pain as well as a tool for in¬ ducing chromosome changes in the plants he breeds. Successful as he was in his work with Hemerocallis, when he turned to the Si¬ berian irises his work became one of the major accomplishments in the history of iris breeding. He was uniquely successful not only in producing a few solidly tetraploid plants, but also in creating a strain of interfertile tetraploids in several distinct color lines. This is a feat that can be truly appreciated only by those who have tried the process, for there is no spontaneous doubling of these chro¬ mosomes such as expedited the transition to tetraploidy in the tall bearded irises. In the Siberians, complete doubling of all cells of a plant is much rarer than a seemingly random doubling of plant parts so that even a flower with the most delightful tetraploid qualities may have diploid pollen and be impossible as a tetraploid parent. Such plants are known as chimeras.

The first plant introduced from Dr. McEwen’s colchicine work was registered, in 1968, not as a tetraploid, but as a chimera. This was Big Blue, which he still grows because it was his first, and big it was indeed but with a strange form, what he has dubbed “propellor” shape, with three long and rather narrow horizontal blades. He later registered a number of his treated irises as chimeras, with caution lest they prove to be only partly tetraploid. Some of these chimeral plants, only partially tetraploid and with much reduced fertility, are still favored garden Siberians. They include, besides the initial Big Blue, whose dubious form proved all too inheritable, the lovely dark red Polly Dodge, Dreaming Yellow, not really yel¬ low but giving promise for the future, and Ruffled Velvet, with luscious deep violet ruffles in heavy velvet.

In 1969, the year of his first registrations from the Maine coast, Dr. McEwen registered his first true second generation and stable tetraploids, Fourfold White and the blue Orville Fay. These were followed in 1970 with bright red-purple Ewen, and in 1971 with more blues, Blue Burgee and Blue Pennant. Navy Brass, in dark blue with bright gold shoulder patches, and Silver Edge, also dark blue with edging of white, were registered in 1973 along with Snow Bounty and Yankee Consul, another dark blue with white blazes.

62

In 1975, Dr. McEwen registered Peg Edwards, medium blue with paler fall centers, and in 1976, the blue Bee, Dark Circle in shades of dark violet, Outset, first of the reblooming tetraploid line, a dark violet-blue with gold-white veining, and in 1977, Harps well Haze, light blue with dark veining.

For all of these years Dr. McEwen has continued to spend long hours, during the Maine winters, in his home workshop treating individually thousands of seeds from his diploid lines in order to translate their good qualities into the more diverse tetraploid types. In the meantime, despite the lethality of the treatment, these diploid lines have produced, among the survivors, delightful new treasures. His garden shows diploid lines for true blue, of which Dear De¬ light is the key parent; for real yellows, both solid yellow and what could be called yellow amoena, such as Butter and Sugar; for min¬ iatures, of which the latest are Blue Snippit and Little Blue; and recently for rebloomers, or perhaps rather repeat bloomers, some of which seem to show promise of everbloorners. Such is the 1977 diploid On and On.

An annual visit to the McEwens in Siberian season is a pure de¬ light. In 1973 we were happy to have with us on this trip, Dr. Bill McGarvey, whose work with the Siberians is world-famous. Bill, who is primarily interested in genetics, has confined his own efforts to the diploids. Here is what he has to say about the tetraploid work—

HURRAH!! FOR CURRIER AND KAY McEWEN

William G. McGarvey, New York For those of us who are fortunate enough to count the Currier McEwens as our friends, any honor awarded to Currier is a compli¬ ment to us as well.

Currier is an irisarian’s irisarian. He is sincerely interested in our iris activities as well as in his own. When he becomes informed about one of our interests he will volunteer to help, and what is more important, he will think about and discuss our interests. His enthu¬ siasm for his own interests is contagious.

Currier joined the Society for Siberian Irises soon after it was formed. He immediately and cheerfully got to work. He served on the first committee for developing judging standards for Siberian irises, and was an active member of the current committee. He has served on a number of other committees including one charged with developing logical positions concerning the nomenclature for Siberian irises. As a result of this latter work he was invited to report those findings to an internation congress held in Czechoslovakia in 1974. The McEwen report on this trip to Europe is “must” reading for any¬ one interested in the history of Siberian irises.

Currier was appointed to the position of president of the Society for Siberian Irises when Peggy Burke Gray found it impossible to complete her term as president, and afterwards served from 1972 through 1974. He was one of our most active presidents and has continued to serve actively as a member of the Board of Directors.

63

Concerning the Siberian irises produced by Dr. McEwen I was not overly impressed by the results of his first experiments with inducing tetraploidy. But my visit to his garden this past summer was an exciting one which caused me to revise my opinions about tetraploid Siberians very sharply. He has a lovely well-tended garden, but my excitement grew from the evidence that the variability added by tetraploidy to the diploid traits of Siberian irises will bring the McEwens praise and great satisfaction.

To cite just one example of new variability: where the diploid form of one of Currier’s seedlings is not velvety, its tetraploid form is heavily velveted and it is a lovely thing. I also saw a row of tetraploid seedlings which defy speedy evaluation because they are so uniformly good.

Currier has had more success than I have had in producing a 28- chromosome Siberian with lasting yellow color. He tells me that his yellow amoena Siberian, Butter and Sugar, has yellow falls which do not change to white at any stage of its flower life.

In searching for a word to describe Dr. Currier McEwen, adequate to the range and excellence of his iris activities, it occurred to me that he has the qualities of a renaissance man — RENAISSANCE IRISARIAN — seem just about right. I am glad that we have him.

MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

Pantlind Hotel, Grand Rapids, Michigan November 3-5, 1978

The regular fall meeting of the Board of Directors of the American Iris Society was called to order at 8:30 P.M. Friday, November 3, 1978, by President Wolford with the following in attendance: Vice President Stahly, retiring Vice President Vogt; Secretary Ramsey; Membership Secretary Mullin; Treasurer Pettijohn; Editor-elect Dasch; Directors Hamblen, Harvey, Owen, and Waite; Directors- elect Corlew and Rockwell; Registrar Nelson; Librarian Howard; Committee Chairmen Copeland, Harder, and Rice; Special Committee Chairman Koza; 1979 Convention Chairman J. Burch; RVPs J. Overholser (6), R. Miller (7), Wade- kamper (8), and Wade (17); RVP-elect Kennedy (24). [Guests present at the various sessions included members Foreman, D. Overholser, Simon, Welch, A. Willott, D. Willott, and Wright (6); L. Miller (7); Waters and Weiler (14); B. Burch and C. Burch (24).]

The reading of the minutes of the previous meeting in San Jose, California, April 26 & 27, 1978, as printed in AIS Bulletin No. 230 was dispensed with. There being no objections, the minutes stood approved as published.

President Wolford directed the Secretary to have the minutes reflect that Olive Rice was duly appointed and approved as Chairman, Public Relations Committee, by mail ballot.

Reporting on the election of Board members, the Secretary advised that Corlew, Jones, Owen, and Rockwell had been duly elected and qualified as AIS Directors with terms expiring in 1981. The President extended a special welcome to the two new Directors, Corlew and Rockwell.

Membership Secretary Mullin presented the AIS Membership Strength report showing a total of 5695 members as of September 30, 1978, with Region 18 having the largest membership, followed by Regions 15, 6, 14, 17, 7, 22, and 21; and reported a good response to the decision to eliminate sending membership cards to renewing members, with very few receipts being requested.

Treasurer Pettijohn submitted the financial statement for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1978. Stahly moved, Mullin seconded, to accept the report, with publication in the Bulletin authorized. Motion passed.

Editor Edinger’s summary of the Publications Seminar held in San Jose,

64

detailing procedures in the printing of a Bulletin, was distributed. For Edinger, Basch expressed his gratitude for the extraordinary and interesting experience in serving as AIS Editor.

Editor-elect Dasch reported that a survey is underway soliciting opinions and suggestions on Bulletin content, and that the response to date has been excellent. Dasch reported on cost estimates and capabilities of a number of printing firms, and recommended that: The Spring 1979 Bulletin be printed by Williams Printing Company, the Summer 1979 Bulletin by Agihotra Press, and the Fall 1979 Bulletin by Printing Post, with a final decision on a permanent printing arrangement to be made later based on performances, quality, and cost considerations. Harvey moved, Corlew seconded, to accept the recommendation of the Editor-elect. Motion passed.

Advertising Editor Nelson discussed suggestions received to sell the front cover of the Bulletin for advertising. The board declined to take action because this is contrary to AIS policy on Bulletin covers, and directed the Secretary to restate the Board policy in the minutes:

“That the use of color be continued on Bulletin covers: that in each year, one cover picture the Dykes Medal winner, that two covers feature tall bearded AM winners which did not win the Dykes Medal and are no longer eligible, and that the fourth cover feature an AM or AM-equivalent winner which is not a tall bearded iris and is no longer eligible for the Dykes with the editor having the option of substituting a garden scene for one of the covers: and that the choice of pictures be left to the discretion of the Bulletin editor with catalog pictures to be used if one of sufficient quality is available.” (AIS Board minutes, Lansing, Michigan, June 1976, Bulletin No. 223, page 79.)

Dasch recommended that Phil Edinger and Patricia McCallum be appointed as Associate Editors, non-salaried positions. Stahly moved, Harvey seconded, to approve the recommendation. Motion passed. Dasch further recommended that non-salaried positons of Sub-Editor be authorized. Stahly moved, Mullin seconded, to approve the recommendation. Motion passed.

President Wolford, clarifying the changeover in Editors, stated that Editor Edinger is responsible for completion of the Winter 1979 Bulletin and will remain on salary through December 31, 1978, and that Editor-elect Dasch will assume the office of Editor and begin drawing salary January 1, 1979.

The meeting recessed at 11:00 P.M. Friday, and reconvened at 9:05 A.M. Saturday, November 4, 1978.

Mullin discussed the “Invitation to Section Membership” cards which are included with all dues renewal notices and also sent to new members, that in the past the Sections paid for these cards, and that there is a need for a definite policy in view of impending Section dues increases, printing and supply needs. Based on Mullin’s recommendations, the Board took the following actions regarding Section Invitation cards:

1) Mullin moved, Dasch seconded, that each year, only a one-year supply be printed. Passed.

2) Ramsey moved, Corlew seconded, that AIS pay the cost of printing. Passed.

3) Mullin moved, Owen seconded, to establish a policy that any Section raising or changing its dues must notify the AIS Membership Secretary by July 1 of any change that will become effective the following January 1. Passed,

Registrar Nelson discussed proposed revisions in the registration application form. With the Board in agreement on the revisions, Ramsey moved, Stahly seconded, that the Registrar be authorized to have printed 5000 copies of the revised application form. Motion passed.

The Board discussed the naming and offering for sale of non-registered irises under garden names. The Board agreed that when such cases come to her attention, the Registrar may use her discretion in contacting those responsible and calling their attention to the international registration system for naming irises.

Based on bids received by the Registrar, Dasch moved, Waite seconded, to authorize the Registrar to have printed 750 copies of the 1978 Registrations and Introductions. Motion passed.

Librarian Howard distributed an updated inventory, and reported that sales for the second half of the fiscal year amounted to $5,313, including $3,907 for

65

The World of Irises, and $76.50 for iris print sales handled for the Historical Committee. Howard further reported that the ad for publications has been revised for the Winter Bulletin, with all prices now including postage and handling.

Responding to Howard’s request for direction in proceeding with the binding of the Librarian’s set of the Bulletin, Stahly moved, Corlew seconded, that the Librarian receive bids and submit them to th Executive Committee. Motion passed. The Board directed that the set belonging to the Historical files be sent on a temporary loan basis to the office of the AIS Secretary, recognizing that such a temporary transfer is made possible because of Historical Chairman Harder’s generosity in having available his personal set of the Bulletin for historical file use.

The Librarian recommended that the Board consider a price increase for The World of Irises and set a discount for book dealers and agents. Rockwell moved, Corlew seconded, that the price of The World of Irises be raised to $15.00 effective immediately for non-members; effective with the release of the Winter 1979 Bulletin for AIS members; and that a 20% discount be author¬ ized for dealers based on the $15.00 price. Motion passed.

Ramsey quoted bids received for the AIS Logo Seals, and recommended that because the bids were so high no action on reordering be taken at this time. The Board agreed on the desirability of stocking the AIS Seals and directed the Secretary to look into the matter further, and temporarily withdraw the Bulletin ad.

Affiliates and Sections Chairman Owen reported that 58 Affiliates had been provided with sets of show medals this year, and that all Regions except Regions 10, 16, and 20 have affiliates. For the Special Committee to Study the Affiliation Program — Owen, Chairman, members William Barr, Robert Brooks, Copeland, Pettijohn, and Ramsey — Owen presented the committee’s recom¬ mendations :

1) Continue affiliate program providing one free silver medal, one free bronze medal, one free slide program, one free AIS Bulletin subscription each year, and the privilege of Section membership.

2) Require Regional Vice-Presidents to verify AIS memberships of the affiliates in their region and forward them to the AIS Chairman of Affiliates.

3) Approve revised requirements for affiliation.

REQUIREMENTS FOR AFFILIATION WITH THE AMERICAN IRIS SOCIETY

A local iris society may become an affiliate of the AIS upon application to the Regional Vice President who will verify the AIS memberships. The applica¬ tion will then be forwarded to the AIS Chairman of Affiliates. The local society must meet the following requirements.

1) All of the officers of the local society must be members of the AIS.

2) There must be at least 10 AIS members in the local society.

3) The date of the annual election of officers must be stated.

4) The society must participate in the AIS system of registrations and awards, and must adhere to AIS show rules.

5) The society must state its affiliation with the AIS on show schedules, publi¬ cations, and publicity releases, including when possible an invitation to join the AIS, with appropriate membership information.

6) If the above requirements are met, societies with 50% of their members belonging to the AIS will be affiliated without charge. If less than 50% AIS membership, there will be an affiliation fee, currently $25.

7) After having initially qualified, a society must submit annually a list of its officers and members to the RVP of its region who will verify AIS member¬ ships and forward to the AIS Chairman of Affiliates. Failure to report will result in automatic disqualification.

Mullin moved, Owen seconded, adoption of the committee’s report. Motion passed.

Owen suggested that the different sets of bylaws of the various Sections present a confusing picture and possibly contain some provisions in conflict with AIS bylaws. Owen moved, Corlew seconded, that the President appoint a committee to study the Section Program. Motion passed. The President ap-

66

pointed Owen to chair the Special Committee on Sections, to apopint her own committee and report the committee membership before the end of the meeting.

The meeting recessed at 12:00 Noon, Saturday, and reconvened at 1:30 P.M. the same day.

For Convention Liaison Chairman Jones, Wolford reported that conventions are scheduled through 1981, and that locations for future meetings are under con¬ sideration. 1979 Convention Chairman Burch provided copies of the tentative schedule of the Huntsville meeting.

Awards Chairman Dasch presented a comprehensive report on awards, ballot¬ ing, tabulation, notification of winners, coordination with other AIS committees; specific problem areas; suggested solutions; and special committee consideration underway for streamlining and division of work load. Statistical study charts of ballot trends were shown and some will be published in the Bulletin. Con¬ cerning varieties incorrectly listed or left off the eligibility list, the Board reaffirmed that the Awards Chairman is empowered to automatically provide relisting in case of errors. Concerning a possible extension of the ballot dead¬ line date, the Board declined to consider any change because of related dead¬ lines involving other committees. Discussion ensued concerning Dykes Medal requirements and supplemental balloting. Ramsey moved, Pettijohn seconded, to postpone indefinitely consideration of the Dykes requirements. Motion passed.

Because several irises originated overseas are soon expected to be introduced by U.S. commercial outlets, Nelson requested a Board policy statement regard¬ ing awards eligibilty for such irises. The Board restated AIS policy as follows:

Irises not originated in America but which are registered and initially in¬ troduced in America will be eligible for AIS Awards, but will not be eligible

for the Dykes Medal because the Dykes Medal, being a British Iris Society

Award, is subject to BIS rules.

Nelson requested the Board’s direction on placement on the ballot of inter¬ specific hybrids not otherwise classified. The Board directed that such irises not be listed on the ballot eligibility list until a sufficient number of introduc¬ tions exist to provide adequate competition.

Dasch presented a request from the Oklahoma Iris Society for a Board ruling concerning replacement of a show medal that had been damaged while being engraved. The Board agreed that in such circumstances a local society may purchase another medal.

Exhibitions Chairman Copeland advised that the complete 1978 Exhibitions Report appears in the Fall 1978 Bulletin. Copeland reported that there is great interest in having a separate show medal designed for Youth exhibitors, similar to the AIS show medals but of a smaller size, and that the initial cost is estimated to be $700 which is proposed to be financed by active youth groups. Stahly moved, Dasch seconded, that the Board supports pursuing the project for separate youth medals and those interested should bring to the Board a definite proposal with financing details worked out. Motion passed.

Copeland announced that in a letter to President Wolford, October 2, 1978, she had submitted her resignation as Exhibitions Chairman in order to pursue long standing educational goals, expressed her thanks for the opportunity of serving in this most pleasant and interesting task, and especially thanked Sylvia Eddy who worked so ably in helping her. On behalf of the Board the President thanked Mrs. Copeland and commended her willingness and hard work in taking on the job at a most difficult time and bringing to it order and organization. Rockwell moved, Owen seconded, to accept the resignation. Motion passed.

Historical Chairman Harder reported on new acquisitions, and progress in sorting and indexing historical file materials, with the nature and scope of the project dictating a slow pace. Harder thanked Region 24 for not only gathering material from that region but also donating a cabinet to house the material.

For Honorary Awards Chairman Walker, Ramsey presented the report of that committee which recommended that 1) no additional Hybridizers Medal be awarded in 1978, and that 2) Philip Edinger be awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. Owen moved, Dasch seconded, to accept the recommendations of the committee. Motion carried unanimously.

Ramsey reported that the stocks of Distinguished Service and Hybridizers Medals are almost exhausted, submitted bids on a new supply, recommended

67

that ten each of the DSM and HM in appropriate cases be ordered, and so moved. Rockwell seconded, motion passed.

Judges and Judges Training Chairman Rockwell reported on judges’ activities, training, and performance in 1978; outlined training sessions planned for the Huntsville convention; and presented her recommendations for 1979 as follows:

1) The appointment of the following to Senior Judgeships:

Mrs. Michael Birkholtz, West Chicago, Illinois

Mrs. G. D. Bletcher, Spokane, Washington

Mr. John L. Briggs, Kalamazoo, Michigan

Mr. Franklin E. Carr, Bordentown, New Jersey

Mrs. N. R. Carrington, San Diego, California

Mrs. Harry B. Frey, Riverside, California

Mrs. Dick Hadley, Riverside, California

Mrs. William D. Hawkinson, El Monte, California

Mr. L. P. Irvin, Kissimmee, Florida

Mrs. Lois K. Joris, San Bernardino, California

Mr. William D. Kelley, Lewisburg, West Virginia

Mrs. A. I. Kuykendall, Guntersville, Alabama

Mrs. Joe M. Langdon, Birmingham, Alabama

Mrs. L. Brooks Lawson, Kalispell, Montana

Mr. Melvin Leavitt, Whitehouse, New Jersey

Mrs. Frank McCann, Jackson, Mississippi

Mrs. J. B. McConnell, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Mrs. William H. McKinley, Roswell, New Mexico

Mrs. William Messick, Weston, Connecticut

Mr. Russell Morgan, Parsons, Kansas

Mrs. Thomas Osguthorpe, Salt Lake City, Utah

Mr. H. M. Parker, Richland, Washington

Mrs. B. D. Pilley, Grants Pass, Oregon

Miss Marilyn Redenbo, Smithboro, Illinois

Mrs. C. C. Rockwell, Jr., Fentress, Texas

Mrs. S. M. Sisley, Spokane, Washington

Mr. M. D. Smith, Thornhill, Ontario

Mr. Paul Smith, Sanatoga, Pennsylvania

Mr. William Thomson, Stamford, Connecticut

Mrs. Lewis Trout, Moses Lake, Washington

Mrs. R. P. Van Valkenburgh, Huntsville, Alabama

Mr. Vernon D. Wood, Pinole, California

Miss Nadine Yunker, Taycheedah, Wisconsin

2) The 1979 Roster of Judges with publication in the Winter 1979 Bulletin authorized.

Hamblen moved, Ramsey seconded, to accept the report of the Judges and Judges Training Committee. Motion passed. Consideration of Honorary Judges was postponed until later in the meeting.

Membership Chairman Corlew, for the Special Committee Reviewing Mem¬ bership Campaigns, members Maynard Harp, Jane Johnson, Owen, Don Saxton, Stahly, reported committee agreement on the worth of continuous membership recruitment campaigns, recognition of problems in the present campaign and the need for an overhaul; and presented the committee recommendations that:

1) The present New Member and Membership Renewal Campaigns be discon¬ tinued at the end of the present year.

2) A new recruitment program with the following features be adopted effective January 1, 1979.

a) That persons reporting new members will be credited with the actual number of individfual members they have obtained. No distinction to be made regarding the type of membership — except that family memberships will count as two. No credit to be given for changes in the type of membership.

b) That a list of new members, along with their recruiters, be published in each edition of the Bulletin, such listing also to indicate any Sections that may have been joined along with the AIS membership. Any memberships sent directly to the Membership Secretary without record of a recruiter will be credited to the Membership Committee.

c) That each year the person recruiting the most members will be declared

68

the winner and receive the Membership Trophy with proper recognition at the annual Awards Banquet.

Dasch moved, Corlew seconded, to adopt the committee’s recommendations.

Motion passed.

Public Relations Chairman Rice, reporting for her committee, members Lee Eberhardt, Koza, Ruth Schulz, and Rockwell, recommended that the following projects be initiated:

1) With the purpose of supplying the American Iris Society with illustrations of excellence and variety, the setting up of a photography contest for black and white pictures. All entries would become the property of the AIS, not returnable. Directors or officers of the AIS and their families not eligible to enter.

2) National file for qualified speakers on the genus iris, with the purpose of supplying reliable growing data; to be located in the office of the Librarian.

3) To expand writing on the genus iris, production of a promotion package for garden writers, designed to produce reliable information.

4) To have publicity suggestions available in the office of the Librarian for societies needing such flyers. These should be very low budget and as practical as possible.

Rise further reported that it is planned to focus on the Iris, not to the Society, feeling that the iris itself will lead the gardeners into the society. Corlew moved, Dasch seconded, to adopt the recommendations of the committee report. Motion passed. The Board encouraged Chairman Rice to explore ex¬ panding the scope of the committee.

For Scientific Chairman Allen, Ramsey presented his recommendation that an additional grant of $300 be made to Yale University for the cost of greenhouse facilities for the genetic study project being done by Dr. Kenneth Kidd, and so moved. Hamblen seconded, motion passed. Wadekamper advised that his scorch project had been completed and he would not need the full sum of the original grant and was therefore releasing the unused $1000.

For Slides Chairman Nearpass, Wolford reported that new slide sets included the San Jose convention slides and a Huntsville preview; that other sets are being updated; especially thanked Adolph Vogt, Keith Keppel, James Burch, and Region 14 for contributions of slides; and advised that slides income continues greater than expenses.

Test Garden Chairman Vogt reported that we now have 16 Regional Test Gardens with 460 seedlings from 71 hybridizers; that this is an increase of five gardens and includes one for Siberians and one for Japanese; and that Regions 7 and 8 received five test garden awards.

For Youth Chairman Ritchie, Ramsey expressed the committee’s appreciation of the permanent endowment from Region 15 of the Youth Achievement Award Trophy in memory of Dr. Cosgrove; reported encouraging growth in youth memberships; and made the following recommendation for a procedure to be followed by someone wishing to present a youth membership as a memorial:

1. The Youth Chairman be contacted by the person wishing to make this award (The Awarder), and the awarder can then work out the necessary details and any special qualifications desired.

2. The Youth Chairman can then ascertain from the available records which youth member is most highly qualified. Two Youth Committee members will be consulted.

3. The Youth Chairman will then notify the awarder in writing of the best qualified youth member, and will send a copy of the notification to the mem¬ bership chairman.

4. The awarder will send the check for the membership for that youngster to the membership chairman.

5. The Youth Chairman will notify the youth member of the award. Dasch moved, Corlew seconded, to approve the recommendations of the Youth Com¬ mittee. Motion passed.

President Wolford summarized correspondence with British Iris Society Pres¬ ident E. H. Pierson concerning the establishment of an AIS Award for the British Iris Society and the official BIS recommendation that this Award be in the form of a Hybridizers Medal. Waite moved, Stahly seconded, that a Hybridizers Medal may be awarded annually to a British hybridizer deemed

69

most deserving on the recommendation of the British Iris Society, and con¬ firmed by the American Iris Society Board of Directors. Motion passed.

For BIS President Pierson, President Wolford advised that the British Iris Society Vice Presidents had unanimously recommended that the 1978 Hybrid¬ izers Medal be awarded jointly to Leonard and Marjorie Brummitt. Corlew moved, Hamblen seconded, to approve the recommendation. Motion passed.

Ramsey expressed concern that there exists only the one official copy of AIS minutes dating from 1920, and asked the Board’s permission to photocopy this record. Dasch moved, Mullin seconded, that the Secretary be granted the authority to photocopy important papers. Motion passed.

The meeting recessed at 5:30 P.M. Saturday, and reconvened at 8:55 P.M. the same day.

Chairman Koza, for the Special Committee to Index AIS Bulletins, members A1 deGroat, Tom Jacoby, Harriet Segessemann, Bee Warburton, presented a comprehensive analysis of index requirements, sample copies of the proposed Index, cost estimates, and a proposal for immediate initiation of the project. The proposed first step is the indexing of the 1977 Bulletin in a form similar to that used in Registrations and Introductions, with 300 copies printed and release in early 1979; the next step, similar handling of the 1978 Bulletin; followed by a ten-year index in 1979; and subsequent ten-year indices of all past issues of the Bulletin with printing needs determined by previous demand. Harvey moved, Rockwell seconded, that the Board approve the project and allot $300 from the AIS Publication Fund to finance the initial phase of the project. Motion passed. The Board commended Chairman Koza and his com¬ mittee for the excellent presentation and the amount of time and effort they have given.

Stahly reported on progress with the new award certificates and displayed the new Silver, Bronze, and Section Award certificates produced on parchment stock; and outlined plans for the remainder of the certificates. With the Board’s approval, Stahly was directed to proceed with the project.

Sections Chairman Owen presented a petition from the Dwarf Iris Society to become a Section of the AIS, reviewed the DIS bylaws, and moved that the Dwarf Iris Society be accepted as an AIS Section. Rockwell seconded, motion passed.

Ramsey read a letter from Professor A. J. Pertuit concerning the Clemson University Horticultural Gardens and the need for iris cultivars for that garden. As it is contrary to AIS policy for the national organization to make donations of irises, the Board directed that the matter be referred to Region 5 with the suggestion that this be made a regional or local iris society project.

Ramsey reported on the status of the Xerox University Microfilming project: That contracts were signed in 1974 to provide a complete file of the AIS Bul¬ letin to University Microfilms International; that the file sent so far includes only those issues from 1974; that at this time the company does not want the complete back file because of storage problems; that we are contractually obligated to later provide a complete file; and that no photographing of the file has to date been completed because there has been no demand.

For Francesca Thoolen, Ramsey read her report on the International Iris Congress, Orleans, France, which appears in the Fall 1978 Bulletin. The Pres¬ ident thanked Mrs. Thoolen for so ably representing the American Iris Society as its official delegate and also thanked Mrs. Warburton and Dr. William McGarvey who also particiapted in the Congress. Special mention was made of the magnificent Sevres vase which was awarded to the AIS as the Grand Prix in appreciation of the cooperation and response of the AIS to the Inter¬ national Congress, that the vase has arrived safely in the U.S., and that a photograph is being prepared for an upcoming Bulletin. Feeling that black and white photography would not do justice, the Board directed that the vase be photographed in color for use as the optional fourth issue cover.

For the Special Committee on Computer Services, Ramsey reported that the committee had considered five different proposals and was unanimously recom¬ mending that the Plant Science Data Center of the American Horticultural Society be engaged to handle all computer services for the AIS. Stahly moved, Ramsey seconded, that the recommendation of the committee be approved. Motion passed.

70

The President declared that nominations for officers were now in order. Dasch moved, Mullin seconded, to nominate Wolford as President. Corlew moved, Stahly seconded, that nominations cease. At Wolford’s request, Stahly temporarily assumed the chair for the vote. Motion passed and Wolford was elected.

Mullin moved, Waite seconded, to nominate Stahly as First Vice President. Ramsey moved, Pettijohn seconded, that nominations cease. Motion carried and Stahly was elected.

Hamblen moved, Rockwell seconded, to nominate Harvey for Second Vice President. Dasch moved, Owen seconded, to nominate Ramsey for Second Vice President. Ramsey declined the nomination and requested withdrawal of her name from consideration, and the chair so ordered. Corlew moved, Dasch seconded that nominations cease. Motion passed and Harvey was elected.

Mullin moved, Stahly seconded, to nominate Ramsey as Secretary. Hamblen moved, Rockwell seconded, that nominations cease. Motion passed and Ramsey was elected.

Ramsey moved, Owen seconded, to nominate Pettijohn as Treasurer. Corlew moved, Dasch seconded, that nominations cease. Motion passed and Pettijohn was elected.

Wolford advised that the election of an Editor had already taken place with the election of Dasch in San Jose.

The President reappointed Mullin as Membership Secretary, Nelson as Regis¬ trar, and Howard as Librarian. Ramsey moved, Owen seconded, to approve the appointments. Motion passed.

President Wolford announced the following committee appointments:

Affiliates and Sections . Archie Owen

Awards . Kenneth Waite

Convention Liaison . Harold Stahly and all RVPs

Exhibitions . Glenn Corlew

Historical . Larry Harder

Honorary Awards . Marion Walker

Judges and Judges Training Ellene Rockwell

Membership . James G. Burch

Public Relations . Olive Rice

Registrations . Keith Keppel

Robins . Mary Alice Hembree

RVP Counsellor . Harold Stahly

Scientific . Ray Allen

Slides . D. C. Nearpass

Special Publications . Melba Hamblen

Test Gardens . Bennett Jones

Youth . Jayne Ritchie

Commenting on the makeup of the Convention Liaison Committee, Wolford pointed out that no group is more concerned with future conventions than are the Regional Vice Presidents, nor is any group more fully informed about local and regional considerations, and that it was felt much could be gained by more involvement on the part of the Board of Counsellors in this important part of AIS planning. Mullin moved, Dasch seconded, to approve the President’s committee appointments. Motion passed.

Judges Chairman Rockwell presented the list of nominees as new Honorary Judges for 1979, having been duly recommended by their respective RVPs:

Mr. Bennett S. Azer, Mio, Michigan Mrs. E. P. Miles, Birmingham, Alabama Mrs. Raymond Miller, Memphis, Tennessee Mrs. A. K. Primes, Jackson, Mississippi Mrs. Glen Suiter, Nyssa, Oregon

Dasch moved, Harvey seconded, to approve the appointments. Motion passed unanimously.

Editor-elect Dasch recommended the dissolution of the Bulletin Editorial Board, that in its place an Editorial Committee be established, and that the following be named to that committee: Ben Hager, Wadekamper, George Waters, Phil Williams, and Betty Wood. Ramsey moved, Stahly seconded, to approve the recommendation and the appointments. Motion passed.

71

Sections Chairman Owen announced that she had appointed the following to serve on the Special Committee on Sections: Marie Caillet, Mullin, Rice, and David Sindt. Dasch moved, Hamblen seconded, to approve the appointments. Motion passed.

Personnel Committee Chairman Wadekamper recommended that the amounts paid for AIS salaried positions be made a Board motion so that it can appear on the record in the minutes. Owen moved, Rockwell seconded, to authorize the following salaries monthly for fiscal 1978-1979:

Bulletin Editor . $ 200.00

Registrar . $ 187.50

Advertising Editor . $ 212.50

Motion passed.

Editor-elect Dasch requested that the following statement be recorded in the minutes so that her position would be clearly a matter of record:

“In reference to my election (Spring 1978 meeting) as Editor-in-Chief Bulletin of The American Iris Society, to begin January 1, 1979, I have made the following decisions.

“Article VI, Section 1, paragraph b. of the Bylaws states: ‘Those members holding the following offices shall be ex-officio members of the Board, unless they are already serving as elected members of the Board: President, First Vice President, Immediate Past President, Secretary, Treasurer, Editor. These members shall have full voting privileges unless filling a salaried position with the Society.’

“As an elected director (Fall 1977), I will retain my directorship, but sur¬ render the right of voting privileges as of January 1, 1979, in order to accept the usual salary commensurate with the position of Editor.

“I reached this decision in view of the fact that, as an experienced pro¬ fessional journalist, I hope to use my abilities to produce the most economical and appropriate magazine for the membership.”

The statement was submitted to the Board in writing and signed by Ann Branch Dasch.

The President presented the names of those who had been duly nominated by their respective regions for Regional Vice President. For appointment as new RVPs:

Region 7 — Dr. Hubert C. Mohr, 1649 Linstead Dr., Lexington, KY 40504 Region 11 — David M. Durnford, 1504 S. Seventh West, Missoula, MT 59801 Region 13 — Jack Boushay, Route 1, Box 329, Cashmere, WA 98815 Region 15 — Janice Chesnik, 130 W. La Cienega, San Marcos, CA 92069 Region 16 — John McMillen, Route 1, Norwich, Ontario NOJ IPO Region 20 — Dr. John R. Durrance, 4301 E. Cedar Ave., Denver, CO 80222 Region 24 — Grady Kennedy, 9610 Todd Mill Rd., Huntsville, AL 35803 Owen moved, Hamblen seconded, to approve the appointments. Motion passed. For reappointment as RVP, having served one or two years :

Region 1 — Robert Sobek Region 2 — Lynn Carmer Region 3 — Evelyn Kergerise Region 4 — Roy Epperson Region 5 — Jane Johnson Region 6 — Jayne Overholser Region 8 — Julius Wadekamper Region 9 — George Rodosky

Region 12 — Ora Burton Region 14 — Elsie Mae Nicholson Region 17— Jesse Wade Region 18 — James Rasmussen Region 19— - B. J. House ward Region 21 — Allan Ensminger Region 22 — Oren Campbell Region 23 — Patricia Clauser

Region 10 — B. H. McSparrin

Corlew moved, Harvey seconded, to approve the reappointments. Motion passed.

The meeting recessed at 11:50 P.M. Saturday, and reconvened at 9:00 A.M. Sunday, November 5.

On behalf of the Iris Society of Minnesota, Wadekamper invited the Board to meet in Minneapolis for its fall 1979 annual meeting. Stahly moved, Harvey seconded, to accept the invitation of the Iris Society of Minnesota. Motion passed.

Corlew moved, Hamblen seconded, that acting on Honorary Awards Chairman Walker’s recommendation to restructure that committee, the Board authorize the Executive Committee to study the matter and bring a proposal to the Board at the next meeting. Motion passed.

72

Owen moved, Waite seconded, that in appreciation of the devotion and dedi¬ cation to the American Iris Society demonstrated over many years, Mrs. Robert Carney be made an Honorary Life Member of the American Iris Society. Motion passed unanimously.

The President outlined some promotional projects which are being looked into at this time. Daseh moved, Corlew seconded, that the Executive Committee continue investigation of such projects and present its proposals to the Board. Motion passed.

Exhibitions Chairman Corlew requested that he be authorized to appoint an Exhibitions Advisory Committee. Ramsey moved, Dascfa seconded, that the request be approved with Corlew to appoint his own committee. Motion passed. Corlew appointed Past Chairman Copeland, Mullin, Ramsey, and Rockwell to serve,

Stahly expressed his concern about the Judges Handbook and moved, Ramsey seconding, that the need for a new revision of the Judges Handbook having been demonstrated, and that it is a priority consideration, the Executive Com- mitte, plus whatever appropriate personnel is needed, be authorized to seek a chairman and committee to undertake said revision, and that the committee report no later than the next meeting of the Board with the intent of full authorization to proceed with the revision. Motion passed.

Stahly suggested that some method be established by which the winners in international competitions can be immediately notified. The Board agreed and directed the Secretary to explore the matter.

Petti john moved, Corlew seconded, that because all publication prices now include postage, that 15% of the amounts credited to the Publication fund be allocated to general funds to cover postage costs. Motion passed.

Petti john recommended that, the free show medals sent affiliates be charged against the Affiliates and Sections account, changing the present practice of charging these against the Exhibitions account. There being no objection, it was so ordered.

A discussion of Life Membership funds and policies covering that account ensued. Corlew moved, Hamblen seconded, that the Board update its policy. The Board agreed that this was premature in view of the study presently underway by the joint committee appointed by the AIS Board and the AISF Trustees. Pettijohn moved, Stahly seconded, to table the motion. Motion passed.

Treasurer Pettijohn presented the budget for fiscal 1978-1979. Harvey moved, Mullin, seconded, adoption of the budget as amended. Motion passed. The Board commended Treasurer Pettijohn for his successful efforts in revising the budget format and on presenting a balanced budget for 1978-79.

The Secretary read a letter from Treasurer Pettijohn, dated November 2, 1978, in which he stated that due to a combination of personal and businss factors, he would not be able to devote the time required to the position of Treasurer during 1980, and was therefore submitting his resignation to be effective no later than December 31, 1979. Pettijohn expressed his pleasure in working with the Board, and his hope to be of further service at a future date. Ramsey moved, Rockwell seconded, to accept the resignation. Motion passed.

On behalf of the Board, President Wolford thanked the Grand Valley Iris Society for its hospitality and the fine arrangements for the meeting, and extended special thanks to the GVIS President, Stuart Loveless, Region 8 RVP Jayne Overholser, Airport Hospitality Chairman Bob Mallory and his assistants, Bob Joyce and Frank Grodiek, and to Doris DeHaan for the dinner arrange¬ ments and beautiful favors.

1979 Convention Chairman Burch requested an authorization to place a sur¬ charge on the Huntsville registration fee to be earmarked for the AIS general funds. The Board asked the Executive Committee to meet following the close of the Board meeting for consideration of the request. (Subsequently, the Execu¬ tive Committee met and declined to take any action, expressing its feeling that the matter needs to be fully explored, with membership input desirable, and consideration at some future time by the entire Board) .

There being no objection, the meeting adjourned at 11:30 A.M. Sunday, November 5, 1978.

Carol Ramsey, Secretary

73

AIS Foundation Contributions

March 27, 1978 to October 27, 1978

CONTRIBUTIONS IN MEMORY MRS. THORNTON ABELL (CA) John and Kay Tearington (CA) MRS. GERTA BEACH (PA) Pittsburgh Iris and Daylily Society (PA)

JOHN F. BLACKISTON (MO) SEMO Iris Society (MO) WILLIAM T. BLEDSOE (TN) AIS, Region 1

Dr. and Mrs. Robert L. Bledsoe (SD)

Iris Society of Dallas (TX) Jackson Area Iris Society (TN) Walter A. Moores (TX)

Mr. and Mrs. Stay ton Nunn (TX) Wisconsin Iris Society (WI)

J. H. BURGE (TX)

Rudolph A. Fuchs (TX)

Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Hamblen (UT) Mrs. Helen McCaughey (OK) Oklahoma Iris Society (OK)

Mrs. C. C. Rockwell, Jr. (TX)

Mr. and Mrs. Leon C. Wolford (TX)

BILL CARTER (MO)

SEMO Iris Society (MO)

EDGAR CLEMONS (OK)

Mrs. Helen McCaughey (OK) Oklahoma Iris Society (OK) CLARKE COSGROVE (CA)

AIS, Region 1 Mrs. Peter J. Baukus (WI) Central Valley Iris Society (CA) Fresno Iris Society (CA)

Larry Gaulter (CA)

Iris Society of Dallas (TX) Walter A. Moores (TX)

New Braunfels Iris Society (TX) Mr. and Mrs. Stayton Nunn (TX) Mrs. Archie M. Owen (CA)

San Diego — -Imperial Counties Iris Society (CA)

Jake H. Scharff (TN)

Society for Pacific Coast Native Iris (CA)

OF:

Southern California Iris Society (CA)

Sun Country Iris Society (AZ) John and Kay Tearington (CA) Wisconsin Iris Society (WI)

MRS. CLARENCE P. DENMAN (TX)

Mr. and Mrs. William E. Barr (MD)

MRS. CAROLINE ECKERD

(OK)

Mrs. Helen McCaughey (OK)

Mrs. Betty McMartin (OK) Oklahoma Iris Society (OK)

MRS. OTIS FARRINGTON (OK) Mrs. Helen McCaughey (OK) Oklahoma Iris Society (OK)

PEGGY SEXTON FREEMAN

(TX)

Mr. and Mrs. Leon C. Wolford (TX)

GERTRUDE FULLER (TX)

Mr. and Mrs. Russell Day (TX) MRS. VERDA GEARHART (ID) Pollen Daubers Iris Society (ID) TONY GOULET (MA)

Cordon Bleu Farms (CA)

PEGGY BURKE GREY (CA)

Mr. and Mrs. John A.

Bartholomew (NH)

Mrs. Helen McCaughey (OK)

Mr. and Mrs. Stayton Nunn (TX)

FISHER and MARGARET HARRIS

Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Hamblen (UT) Mrs. Elsie Henke (ID)

Pollen Daubers Iris Society (ID) GEORGIA HINKLE Mrs. Helen McCaughey (OK) ROY JOHNSON (NB)

Elkhorn Valley Iris Society (NB) Mr. Gene Gaddie and Mrs. Anne M. Gaddie (NB)

Roger R. Nelson (NB)

74

TELL MUHLESTEIN (UT)

Glenn F. Corlew (CA)

Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Hamblen (UT) Marilyn Holloway (CA)

Walt and Vi Luihn (CA) Kathleen McKinney (CA)

MS. BESS OWNBY (MO)

SEMO Iris Society (MO)

MRS. WILLIAM PFOTENHAUER Mrs. Helen McCaughey (OK) Oklahoma Iris Society (OK) ELMIRA PURDY Mr. and Mrs. William E. Barr (MD)

Marydel Chapter, Region 4, AIS MRS. CARL A. QUADROS (CA) Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Hamblen (UT) Sacramento Iris Society (CA) EDWARD B. RAY (AR)

Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Hamblen (UT) JACK O. RILEY (CO)

Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Hamblen (UT) Dr. and Mrs. Carl J. C. Jorgensen (CO)

Mr. and Mrs. Richard V. Ramsey (KS)

CONTRIBUTIONS IN HONOR

OF:

MRS. MARY LOU BLEDSOE (TN)

Walter A. Moores (TX) RUDOLPH FUCHS (TX) Walter A. Moores (TX)

PAUL HORN (TX)

Walter A. Moores (TX)

GENE LAWLER (TX)

Walter A. Moores (TX)

JAMES E. MARSH (IL)

Fond Du Lac Iris Society (WI)

GEORGE STAMBACH (CA) Southern California Iris Society (CA)

HERMAN STORY (NY)

Mrs. Helen McCaughey (OK) Central New York Iris Society (NY)

Mrs. Dorothy Yoerg (NY)

MRS. EFFIE V. WALTER Walter A. Moores (TX)

CHARLES A. WALTERMIRE

(OK)

Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Hamblen (UT)

MRS. BARBARA WALTHER

(NJ)

Mrs. Helen McCaughey (OK) MRS. WILOH WILKES Mrs. Helen McCaughey (OK) John and Kay Tearington (CA) IRA E. WOOD (NJ)

Mrs. Dorothy Yoerg (NY)

CONTRIBUTIONS:

Dr. Donald B. Koza (MN) Mrs. Eleanor McCown (CA) Dr. Anne L. Lee Estate (VA)

KAY NELSON (NE)

Walter A. Moores (TX)

MRS. ELLENE ROCKWELL

(TX)

Walter A. Moores (TX)

San Antonio Council Flower Show Schools (TX)

MRS. EDITH WOLFORD (TX) Walter A. Moores (TX)

LEON C. WOLFORD (TX) Walter A. Moores (TX)

75

AIS Judges For 1979

Mrs. C. C. Rockwell, Jr., Chairman of Judges

These rosters by Regions include four categories of judges: Ac¬ credited Judges, Exhibition Judges, Senior Judges, Honorary Judges, and Apprentice Judges. In the lists, Accredited Judges are identified by a G, Apprentice Judges by an A, Senior Judges by an S, and Honorary Judges by an H.

Those judges who have served as Regional Vice Presidents have an asterisk (*) preceding their names.

Attention Show Chairmen: To aid Show Committees, it is noted that Accredited (G) Judges may judge shows individually or as a part of a panel; Apprentice (A) Judges may ONLY serve as student judges under the tutelage and supervision of Accredited Judges. Senior (S) and Honorary (H) Judges are fully accredited and may function the same as Accredited Judges, but should be consulted as to their availability.

REGION 1

G

S

s

G

S

G

S

G

S

G

S

s

G

S

G

A

G

Massachusetts

*RVP Mr. Robert Sobek, Westford Mrs. Thelma G. Barton, Gardner Mrs. Irving W. Fraim, Waltham Mrs. John Johnson, Quincy Mrs. Stephen C. Kanela, Walpole Miss Eleanor L. Murdock,

East Templeton

Mrs. Beatrice Palmer, Westford Mrs. Edward Schmuhl, Bedford Mr. Kenneth W. Stone, Fitchburg

G Mrs. Carlton J. Ulm, Taunton S *Mr. Kenneth M. Waite, Westfield G Mrs. Kenneth M. Waite, Westfield G Mrs. Joseph E. Walsh, Quincy H Mrs. Frank W. Warburton, Westborough

G Dr. Denis R. A. Wharton, Natick G Mrs. Barbara B. Whitehouse, Plainville

Connecticut

Mrs. Burleigh Allen, Prospect G

Mrs. C. A. Bahret, Danbury Mrs. Edwin D. Bartlett, Guilford G

*Mr. Frederick W. Gadd, S

Wethersfield G

Mrs. Frederick W. Gadd, S

Wethersfield

Mr. John E. Goett, Monroe S

Mr. Frederic A. Jacobs, Meriden Dr. Kenneth K. Kidd, New Haven S

Mr. Walter Kotyk, New Britain G

Mrs. William Messick, Weston S

Mr. Carroll L. O’Brien, Wallingford

Maine

Dr. Warren C. Hazelton, Norway G

Mr. Bernard W. McLaughlin, G

South Paris G

Mrs. Phillip Mollicone, Augusta G

Mrs. Carroll L. O’Brien, Wallingford

Mrs. Marie Panikoff, Glastonbury *Mr. Carl G. Schulz, Meriden Mrs. Carl G. Schulz, Meriden Mr. Coulson H. Squires, Killingworth

Mrs. Charles I. Stephenson,

New Haven

Mr. William Thomson, Stamford Miss Shirley Varmette, New Haven *Mrs. Troy R. Westmeyer,

Stamford

Mr. Russell B. Moors, Auburn Mrs. Russell B. Moors, Auburn Mrs. Maurice B. Pope, Gorham

Mr. Clayton H. Sacks, Nobleboro

New

H ♦Mr. John A. Bartholomew,

Laconia

S Mrs. John A. Bartholomew,

Hampshire

Laconia

A Mrs. Janet Merrill, Epsom G *Mr. James R. Welch, Londonderry

76

0 > ca 0 WQ> q X&OX QWQ mo w Q Q Wwmqqmo wq

REGION 2

New York

G *RVP Mr. Lynn K. Carmer, Spencerport

A Mr. James G. Burke, Lackawanna G Mrs. Lynn K.