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16 Mae A.J. BLISS À 
I do not think that a crimson Iris his unattainable on this consi- 
deration only, but it suggests that it might be best to choose those | 
varieties which are least affected by lack of lime in the soil, if 
otherwise suitable. Such varieties may be recognized by their 
comparative freedom from the spot disease (Heterosporium gracile) 
in soil deficient in lime. 
Many of the crosses made in the course of my experiments are 
not worth recording, as they were made rather with the object of 
exploring every possible combination than with any expectation of 
obtaining results in the desired direction. But three definite lines 
were pursued and carried through long enough to warrant drawing 
some conclusions. 
l‘Intercrossing pallida only, — chosing the reddest of the red- 
purples which were available. 2° Crossing variegata forms (inclu- 
ding self yellow and squalens) with ‘ red ” pallida and neglecta to 
test whether there was any hope of obtaining a crimson through the 
combination of the violet-purple of pallida with the yellow of 
variegata. And under this head may be included experiments with 
[lavescens. 3° Crossing plicata with all other types. 
lo The intercrossing of pallida, where they were undoubtedly 
pure pallida, gave no advance whatever towards a red. But including 
in these experimental crosses all- varieties which were formerly 
classed as pallida such Assuerus, Queen of May and rubella 
which are obviously not pure pallida, as well as such varieties as 
Leonidas, in which the alien mixture is not so evident, many ‘‘ red ” 
seedlings were obtained, which though no nearer a crimson than 
Assuerus (the reddest variety then available) were improvements in 
other respects in height, habit, size and form of flowers and brightness 
and depth of colour. These were used in subsequent experiments in 
_ crossing with gariegata and plicata forms. Only one seedling, 
_Roseway, was actually redder, that is, freer from the purple tone 
and that only slightly though distinctly. Otherwise, none were really 
any improvement on Verdier’s Edouard Michel on the whole, though 
generally brighter coloured and freer flowering. They were however 
useful for further experimental crossing, especially as Edouard Michel 
is a poor seeder, since, having tested the varieties originally used, I 
now knew which contained flavescens or variegata or plicata in their 
ancestry, and could observe the different effects of these varieties 
or species in future combinations. 
_ 2° With the idea that possibly a crimson could be obtained by 
some proportion of the combination of the yellow of variegata with 
the violet of pallida, crosses were made of the above mixed pallida 
with red squalens and red neglecta (using chiefly Jacquesiana and 
Cordelia), and also with the self yellow Mrs Neubronner. To sum 
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