Re: AIS: interesting presentations

From: Bill Shear <BILLS@hsc.edu>

I was in Richmond on Saturday for Clarence's talk.  It would be very
difficult to summarize all he covered in his remarks in a short e-mail.
Most of his talk concerned newer bearded irises and the work of some of our
most important hybridizers.

Clarence said that you always get one big idea from a good presentation or
talk--and for me that was Clarence's remark that Japanese iris either
exhaust the soil in which they are planted, or exude a substance into it
that is harmful to themselves and other irises--UNLESS that soil is
constantly leached by water, as at the pondside or by a stream.  This
explained a good deal of my own experience with these irises.  Japanese
iris decline irreversibly after 4-5 years in the same place, and recover
only if they are moved somewhere else.  Not much you can do to refresh the
soil aside from complete replacement.  He quoted Hirao as saying that the
return of the soil to full health can take a decade or more.  I could add
much of my own anecdotal evidence to this, but will forbear for the moment.

I would also say that if you can get Clarence Mahan to come and talk to
your group, you will get many, many times your money's worth.  Clarence is
witty, articulate, urbane and has a depth of knowledge about irises that is
duplicated in very few others (Mike and Anne Lowe are further examples).

Mike Lockatell is the new president of the Central Virginia Iris Society.
He informed me about the meeting via e-mail, but I do not believe he is a
list member.  Mike is full of great ideas for promoting irises in our
region.

Bill Shear
Department of Biology
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney VA 23943
(804)223-6172
FAX (804)223-6374
email<bills@mail.hsc.edu>

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