feel it is a step forward in the green direction and hope to introduce it next year 
along with its white sister Glistenglow. 
Last spring, there bloomed among our plants of N. J. Thomas a large 
blackish-purple with the form still similar to N. J. Thomas, but even better. At 
first we thought some other rhizomes has been planted with this variety by mis- 
take, however, at last it “dawned” on us that here was a rariety---a true sport, and 
luckily this sport sets seed with ease and the pollen is very fertile. What it will 
do in breeding still remains to be seen, however, Mrs. Crosby and | both used 
it in crosses. I have registered this sport as Sporting Thomas and hope to introduce 
it next year. The only iris | know even approaching its coloring is, perhaps, The 
Black Douglas, and speaking of this variety here is an iris overlooked for its breed- 
ing qualities in the black-purples. The Black Douglas together with Sable, Storm 
King and Black Forest should give US ever increasing dark irises. 
Well, I have rambled much, Saying very little, really, but you may find 
some helpful hints in the catalogue and the descriptions. ! should, perhaps, de- 
scribe the long narrow box I use as a “pollen file’ which I find most helpful in my 
hybridizing work. As you know iris pollen kept dry will remain fertile for at least 
six weeks under ordinary room temperatures. Our state is not humid so I do not 
find it necessary to keep the pollen in vials or capsules. I would say, however, 
to those who wish to ship pollen or keep it in capsules the stamens with the pollen 
on should be dried thoroughly before they are put into air-tight capsules or en- 
velopes, otherwise the moisture from the stamens will spoil the pollen. Of Course 
the dry pollen may be scraped off into the capsules, but I like to use the stamens 
in the process of pollinating. I do not feel a brush should be used. A brush is so 
easily contaminated with other pollen grains from previous hybridizing work. 
The small box is approximately two inches wide and three inches tall. The length 
may be governed by the vastness of one’s hybridizing plans. Of course, if you 
only use a dozen envelopes to keep pollen, a file is not necessary---a pocket on 
shirt or apron will do, but hundreds of envelopes may require a box well over a 
foot in length. Half sheets of typing paper are folded into open- topped envelopes 
and then rallen (on the stamens) gathered as the flowers bloom---the envelopes 
marked and filed chronologically, whether named or numbered. Ordinarily pol- 
linating a fresh flower in the morning, or early afternoon, only one stigma need 
be pollinated to obtain a full pod, however, with difficult parents like Wm. Mohr 
and its derivities I cross on all three stigmas in the hopes that some pollen erains 
will reach their destination. If one wishes to be “extra sure’ no outside source 
will contaminate a cross the falls should all be removed as well as the stamens 
(if they have pollen, and some varieties like Purissima and Snow. Flurry have 
no pollen) for we have found the ordinary yellow pollen thrip will crawl up on 
the stigma leaving some pollen grains and many “takes” are had, especially in 
the late part of the season when pollen thrips have reached their “peak.” Some 
sections of the country have the Bumble bee to WOITy about. Only rarely do we 
see one in Provo. Of course with nicotine sulphate and D.D.T. sprays the thrip 
problem can be eliminated. D.D.T., too, by the way, is highly recommended by 
Dr. Fraim and Mrs. Lowry to destroy the iris borer. Fortunately, we in Utah do 
not have this pest to contend with. Oh, yes, on my blunt tweezers, which I use 
to gather the stamens, I tie a long white string, for those tweezers have a way of 
dropping or becoming lost. If a string is attached it’s easy to pull out of a pocket, 
find if on the ground, or in the grass. 
I think you will like our new introductions including the fine Spuria; Fairy 
Light, produced by Mr. Herman Thorup of Salt Lake City. Spurias should be- 
(5) 
