Comments and Hybridizing Hints 
Because the past few years I have given extensive hybridizing hints, listing the various color 
classes, I am, this year making only slight comment on the subject. Most of the American Iris 
Society membership and, in fact, a good many iris lovers, know the mechanics of hybridizing and do 
some ‘dabbling’ to procure seedlings. There is no thrill to compare with that of raising seedlings, 
and the satisfaction that comes when a real jewel unfurls its petals to view for the first time. 
We have a goodly supply of 1952 Hybridizers’ Catalogs and Handbooks left over from last 
year, so anyone who may not have a copy and would like the breeding hints included therein 
may have one by sending 5c to cover cost of mailing. 
Leaving out the many pages of breeding hints will enable us to get the catalog out a bit sooner. 
Unforeseen delays have held us up this year, and this, too, has caused us to make the above 
decision. I will, however, mention a few new iris that should prove superb parents, and suggest 
some uses for them in the breeding program. 
NEW TRENDS 
Some recent trends have been planned while others have come by chance and the hybridizers 
are working to expand their possibilities. We might mention a few of these. 
_ RUFFLING 
With the advent of Snow Flurry a new iris shape came into being. And with Midwest Gem 
came the “laced”’ edge found in such iris as Chantilly, Song of Songs, Gold Ruffles and Truly Yours. 
Lavender and Gold Lace came from a sister to Midwest Gem (Matula) and therefore carries similar 
blood lines. We are not quite sure where Party Dress inherited its ruffling, although back of SQ 72 
we suspect Purissima blood and, of course, the parent of Hall's 42-10 is Golden Eagle whose parent, 
Prairie Sunset, boasts some of the same blood found in Sass’ Midwest Gem and Matula. It is quite 
likely that blood of the Diploid (24 chromosomes) may be in part responsible for ruffling since a 
diploid is the pollen parent of Snow Flurry. At any rate ruffling is here and is adding much charm 
to a good many modern iris. Chantilly is proving a delightful parent and grandparent—it giving 
some splendid pinks with ruffling attested by Rosedale, and still others to come, including some 
true pink selfs. We have combined the blood of Party Dress and 49-11C, now named Pink Fulfill- 
ment, with pleasing results and retaining the ruffling of Party Dress and the great-grandparent 
Gold Ruffles. Clara B is proving a superb breeder for ruffling. One of its seedlings, a white with 
heavy laced edges, is so ruffled and laced the petals open with some difficulty, being interlocked 
one with the other, but once open it is a delight to see. Azure Lake has the ruffled, or laced, edges 
on the fall-petals and perhaps inherited this quality to a great extent from its parent Azure Skies, 
so we would recommend Azure Skies as a breeder of ruffling, and it might be combined with the 
fore-mentioned varieties. Any of the children of Midwest Gem such as Salmon Shell, Ruffled Gem 
and Pale Primrose, could be useful to breed ruffling. In the browns Hellebore, Ruffled Gem and 
Brownland may be used. Ruffled Gem is proving a fine parent for Shell Pinks, and its by-products, 
and combined with Chantilly has produced a host of heavily ruffled seedlings for my friend, Willis 
Madsen. We have heard of some lovely things produced by Mrs. Ralph Nelson from Chantilly 
and Rose Splendor. One thing we would suggest in using Chantilly—try to breed it with very wide 
flaring varieties if possible. 
TRENDS IN REDS 
This color has long evaded the iris hybridizer, but some great strides have been made in recent 
years. The use of Aztec Copper, Matula, Garden Glory, Apex, Damascus, Rocket and Casa Morena 
(with considerable line-breeding) gave C. W. Tompkins 50-90 being introduced this year as Defiance. 
A study of his lines could help any breeder working in this color. Lapham’s reds coming through 
Red Gleam, also showing line-breeding, are a good case in point and should be studied. His 
Pacemaker, and its parent Red Waves, cannot be overlooked in a red breeding program. The 
Kleinsorge browns and coppers will be useful in the quest for better reds. We are most happy 
to see Carl Taylor come up with Hellebore from this type of breeding for we think the blood of 
Snow Flurry has much to offer in the way of form, stalk and vigor, and of course an almost entirely 
new line of red-breeding. We look for width and ruffling to come through Hellebore. We like the 
finish and color Garden Glory gives its ‘children’ and the one thing to guard against, perhaps, in 
its use is its height, so it would be wise to select parents that are tall tc give the seedling a chance 
for greater height. Yet some iris we like just as they are, and they have their place at the front 
of the border. (What a sad sight the iris garden might be if every variety grew exactly the same 
height.) My Burmese Ruby and Deep Maroon are both proven fine parents for reds, and should 
find a useful place in the “red” line. Craig's Molten is proving a great breeder in this color. We 
rather suspect Oriental Glory might give some superb things, as should Campfire Glow, although 
these two will have a strong tendency, perhaps, to produce red blends rather than pure red selfs. 
Relentless crossed with Pacemaker gave Lapham his finest red to date, from all reports, and is a 
cross that could be repeated time and time again with pleasing results. Moontide, a yellow, having 
Red Gleam as a grandparent, is proven. Technicolor cannot miss as a good breeder. Ranger, while 
fine in itself, produces rather rough hafts and gives a good many of its offspring a finish prone 
to rub off (or:mark easily)}—giving the petals an injured appearance. We like Quetchee, Color 
A2 
