This and That 
The tenth anniversary issue of this catalog, and feel that it calls for 
a word of sincere thanks to all Iris friends who have helped to make 
our hobby—and business—ever more enjoyable. 
It will be a pleasure to welcome the members of the Iris Society 
to this region in forty-nine, when the annual meeting will be held in 
Portland, Oregon. 
The winter just past will probably be spoken of as the “winter 
of many snows.” I remember writing to a New England friend that 
we have little, if any, snow here! 
Weather through the 48 Iris season couldn’t be termed “favorable.” 
However, many varieties more than made the best of it. Blue Glow 
larger than ever—a beautiful flower. Other pleasant recollectings include 
a really fine planting of Black Forest. Memorable bloom on _ Solid 
Mahogany. The perfect flowers of Helen McGregor. Snow Velvet as 
a top ranking variety here. Chivalry blooming in the same fine style 
through any weather. Splendid stalks on Berkeley Gold, Blue Rhythm 
and Sylvia Murray. Never better Louise Blake and Extravaganza. Azure 
Skies one of the best. A notable new one, Blue Valley. Exhibition stalks 
of Tobacco Road. Lamplit Hour with blooms twice the size of those 
of the preceding season. To name only a few. 
After years of Iris growing there is the same enthusiasm for “next”’ 
sedson as in the beginning. A year seems a long time, and then the 
stalks are shooting up and the first early variety is out. Probably Sable. 
Soon the whole show is on, including seedlings. The first of the seedlings 
seem most unattractive, as though Nature might be playing a joke. 
And there will be hundreds to discard for one that may be marked for 
further trial. Occasionally, a lucky cross from which several will be 
saved. In ’48, fourteen were numbered from Snow Flurry x Lake Shannon. 
And then there are the surprises,—the unexpected results, as the fine 
pure white from Mary Clotilda x Blue Rhythm. And, not too frequently, 
the exactly-as-hoped-for seedling, as in the smooth orange-tone red, 
from Orelio. 
Likewise the fun of discovering that you may have a lucky break 
in this breeding for pinks! Seedling No. 6-44, neither a tangerine bearded 
variety itself nor from that line, but a large blend which produces 
tangerine bearded flowers either as seed or pollen parent, wherever 
crossed with those varieties, first generation or otherwise. 
Also using Alona for pinks. A seedling of Alona x Hall 42-10, 
crossed again with tangerine beards, gave large, flaring pinks with 
excellent substance, in 748. 
There are lavenders and “apricot -parfaits” as a side line of the 
pink breeding. And last year a brown with the red beard appeared in a 
series of pale creams from a cross made for red bearded yellows. Un- 
fortunately, parentage lost. 
Color of beard can make a difference in other than the tangerine 
group. Self beards are as intriguing. A new blue was compared with 
a named variety, and found to be quite similar except for the all-blue 
beard on the seedling which gave it the different look. And also from 
