and Rose Ames, and, of course, with other plicata derivities like Jake and Snow Velvet. Their purity 
of color is so refreshing. They might be employed with coarser-hafted whites, or yellows, to improve 
finish. Actually Moonlight Serenade does not go here, although when it was first exhibited at Salt 
Lake City in 1949 I thought it was a very light lemon-yellow self. It is really an off-white with a 
warm (or should we say cool?) lemon-yellow cast due in great part to the center of the flower, the 
beard and the under sides of the petals. But as an exhibition flower it will be difficult to surpass. 
We know, too, it is going to prove a remarkable parent for many colors: whites, blues, violets, creams 
and superb PINKS. 
REDS 
Yes, they, too, have come a long way. True red has not yet been achieved, but that goal is not 
far distant with such fine new varieties as Color Sergeant, Ebony Echo, Big Time, Pacemaker and 
Redwyn. Tompkins’ new reds out of his Manana (a child of Aria) are probably the closest approach 
to red. His 50-90 is from the pollen of Technicolor and as a host parent we think this variety is going 
to be really great, and it branches very low and carries a great many buds. For size, height and 
branching Color Sergeant, though, impressed us greatly. Lapham’s Red Waves and Lights On are 
proving fine breeders. We know his careful breeding is going to yield other advances in this color 
for few breeders have stayed with one color so long as Lapham and few know their goal and parents 
as he. We can look for a host of ‘’hot’’ reds in that fancier’s plots. Not red in themselves, but known 
carriers, we would recommend using Lodestone, Rocket, Damascus, Moontide and Baghdad. But 
we would use Apex, Orelio, Garden Magic, Garden Glory, Burmese Ruby, Red Valor, Cape Bon, 
Parowan, Casa Morena, Tobacco Road, Ranger and Velvet Mantle. Burmese Ruby gave me a host 
of fine reds in various crosses. I do think, however, it will be best used with brown-reds like Techni- 
color and Aria, rather than purple-reds. Although short our new introduction, Deep Maroon (No. 
49-18 A) has that same richness, smoothness and quality of its parent, Garden Glory, and it passes 
these qualities to its children. It, too, will better combine with reds containing a lot of yellow in 
their makeup. It crossed on Velvet Mantle produced very rich, smooth things, and 3 or 4 truly dwarf 
varieties of a richness of color seldom seen—frankly, I am hoping they may remain dwarf—there 
will be a place for them, since their blooming season coincides with the tall bearded. 
DEEP PURPLES AND “BLACKS” 
Ethiope Queen, Dymia and Sable were among the first. Black Forest and Gulf Stream came 
later, as have many of their derivities, and the class is growing by leaps and bounds. Dymia has 
contributed a self-colored beard to Gulf Stream and in that respect it will be a fine breeder as 
already attested by Dr. Franklin Cook’s 1951 Introduction, Northwestern (Blue Glow x Gulf Stream) 
and Schreiners have contributed Black Forest and now Black Diamond. Fay gives us Black Hills 
and Mrs. Nesmith, Black Satin. Not to be overlooked as breeders we should consider Storm King 
and its three children: After Midnight, Night Life, and Night Spot, which has height, branching and 
good flaring form to offer. Sasses have contributed Ebony Queen and DeForest’s Envoy looks good. 
Down East and Dusky Night will be fine breeders. Paul Cook’s work in this color is almost like 
Lapham’s in reds. We bloomed his Sable Night last year and for sheer blackness in the falls it 
would be difficult to imagine anything in the floral world more black. Sable Night will be introduced 
this year. It has Sable in its pedigree twice, as well as blood of Modoc that*stems from Dominion 
heritage. We look forward to the second blooming of Ben Holt, when it should be at its best. Night 
Life, though, gave us the blackest and heaviest substanced dark iris we had last year when crossed 
with a Black Forest x After Midnight seedling. We look forward to future bloomings of this seedling. 
Fothergill of London has sent us his Egyptian Night (Black Forest x After Midnight) that has received 
high praise abroad and was selected for trial at Wisley. 
PINKS 
How the fancy has taken these to its heart! Perhaps the long years of waiting for their advent 
make them the dearer and more startling. Since Melitza and Flora Zenor, then Overture and Dream 
Girl, this color and quality have come a long way. Loomis had, undoubtedly, the first break in 
Sea Shell (a half sister to Morocco Rose) then Hall, through careful line breeding, brought out a 
new strain of pinks in 1942, which undoubtedly came through the concentrated use of Morocco Rose 
blood. Flora Zenor came from Dore (a yellow and white combination) and it would be interesting 
if we knew the other parent. But Flora Zenor has been quite a disappointing parent and grandparent 
due to its size and unclean hafts. I would warn the beginner to avoid its use. Flora Zenor’s strong 
faults seem to carry through generation after generation, and it would take a braver man than: | 
to carry on long enough to reach the ultimate goal we all seek in pinks. Melitza, however, on the 
other hand, is a good grandparent and an even better great grandparent when combined with good 
pinks of the Loomis and Hall lines, and perhaps some of the richness found in the Sasses lines 
through Prairie Sunset, Matula or Midwest Gem. Prairie Sunset with the shell pink line seems to 
work wonders, as attested by Pink Formal, Cloudcap, Gay Orchid and Apricot Glory, and, of course, 
this same blood appears in the pedigrees of all of Hall's new pinks as well as my Salmon Shell and 
Pink Salmon, and might account for the wide range of lovely shades found in the seedlings from 
these irises. Last year’s blooming revealed Salmon Shell to be such a superb parent, we recommend 
it highly for pinks and the associated new colors. Because of the Midwest Gem blood the stalks are - 
usually heavy and strong, the branching better than average among its seedlings. Party Dress 
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