Tools for the Hybridizer 
Necessary tools of the hybridizer are the following: A blunt pair of tweezers—these can be 
tied to a string which may be carried around one's neck, crossing tags—these can be small 
marking tags procurable at office supply stores, or one may use plastic or wooden-plant labels, 
a pencil to mark the cross, and if you are to do a great deal of hybridizing, I’m sure you will 
find a pollen file most helpful. | make a long narrow box about two inches wide and three 
inches high; the pollen envelopes are made of half sheets of typing paper folded to fit into the 
file. It is wise to use a rather poor grade of paper for this allows the stamens to dry out. 
Waxed paper, or heavy paper, does not permit the stamens to dry and the pollen becomes 
useless. Pollen gathered (or sent for) will keep at least six weeks at ordinary room temperatures, 
however, in sections of the country where the climate is extremely damp it may be necessary 
to prepare special pollen vials—this method is described in Sidney Mitchell's new book. Although 
if one intends to make only a few crosses it sometimes happens that a rain or hail storm will 
destroy all the pollen of a variety one wishes to use at a later date, so if one will gather pollen 
at the start of the season it will be available when needed. Many fanciers like to use pollen 
directly from fresh flowers. This is perfectly satisfactory so long as the right parent is blooming 
at the desired time, yet, early blooming varieties may be gone when some late flower opens 
and suddenly the desire comes to cross these widely separated blooming varieties, however, 
if one has gathered pollen he will have what is needed in his pollen file for such a cross. 
The Stigma 
Every experienced hybridizer knows the parts of the iris well, but some novice may not know 
just where the stigma is located, so I will describe this. As we all know an iris has a perfect 
trinity of parts: three falls, three standards and style arms, and it is on these three style arms 
the stigmas are located—and this little ''shelf'' or stigma is best seen when the tip of the style 
is pulled back to expose it. A fresh and receptive stigma has a frosty-like sheen and one that 
is too old to receive pollen will look slick and dry. Some varieties are best pollinated even 
before the flower has opened and this is especially true of Wm. Mohr or other difficult parents, 
for the stigmas undoubtedly contain a sticky substance which helps the pollen to grow down into 
the ovaries. When the stigma has become dry there is little or no chance for fertilization to take 
place. Thé best time to make the cross, then, is preferably on a freshly opened flower with 
pollen that is dry and fully ripe, and on dry days, however, in event of rain a paper bag, 
cellophane, or other shield, over newly pollinated plants will permit a take. Fertility is very high 
even in very cold weather, provided the flowers are not wet for a few hours after the cross has 
been made. It is best to use the stamens themselves in spreading on the pollen. With varieties 
that set seed with ease where one is using the same chromosome count to hybridize (be it 
dwarf, species, or tall bearded) pollen on one stigma will suffice, however, with parents that 
are difficult to get pods of seed pollen should be used on all three stigmas, for it sometimes 
happens that one or more of the surfaces may have become dry or injured in some way. If a 
camel's hair brush is used in pollinating, the brush should be changed or dipped in alcohol and 
dried between each pollinating. The tweezers can be used to gather up pollen grains which 
have fallen off stemens in the envelopes and after each cross the tweezers should be wiped 
clean with fingers or a soft cloth. 
After the pods have started to form there is always the worry of these being lost in one 
way or another until the seed has been gathered in their labeled sacks or envelopes and properly 
planted. In some sections rain followed by heat often causes the pods or stalks to rot. To 
prevent pods rotting on the stalks it is wise to peel off the spathes around each of the pods 
(those green sheaths at the base of the pods) and the extra leaves at the various branches on 
each stalk. Of course if the pods are broken off too soon there is not much that can be done, 
however, if they have been growing three or four weeks the seeds may be finished if poked 
into moist sand in a shaded place, but if the stalk is broken off this can be finished in a sugar 
and water solution in a vase, or if far enough advanced just in a dry vase will do the trick. 
One should continue to keep track of the crosses for without the pedigree these "children" 
may be beautiful but far less interesting and important in further hybridizing work. 
It is not easy to guess parentages or the background of seedlings lost track of. After the pods 
have developed for about two months they will ripen and start to crack open or turn yellow 
or brown—it is at this stage the hybridizer is kept busy gathering the various crosses. If one 
is to be away and cannot gather his seed in advance it will be wise to tie little bags made of 
cheese cloth, or other material, over each of the pods—with the crossing tags inside—then if 
the seed pods burst open the seeds will not be lost or scattered. Should the seed become 
mouldy in drying or in drying too slowly do not become alarmed—this will not interfere with 
its fertility or its germination. It is advisable, however, when gathering the crosses, where there 
is any amount of seed, to spread these crosses in open sacks or boxes—being sure to shake 
up or stir the seed until it has dried. In some sections where there is not a great amount of 
cold weather it is advisable to plant the seed immediately; this hastens germination. 
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