OT: Lookalikes & seedlings
From: Sharon McAllister <73372.1745@compuserve.com>
Message text written by INTERNET:iris-talk@onelist.com
>But I
feel it is so easy for these lookalikes to slip inadvertently to others who
are not as particular as the original gardener to identify it as such and
the error is compounded forever. It is so possible for seedlings to be
entered into commerce that way - which is not ethical - if it is not good
enough to be intreoduced, it should not be passed on either deliberately or
innocently of the rules and ethics involved..<
I wholeheartedly agree about the problem lookalikes pose, but must take
exception to the matter of sharing seedlings. Breakthrough breeders are
priceless in the hands of knowledgeable hybridizers, even though they
aren't always appropriate for the average growers and therefore are not
introduced.
Case in point:
Just try to imagine today's world of arilbreds if Wiloh Wilkes and Eugene
Sundt had not shared their special seedlings with other hybridizers....
1. Scratch most Foster introductions, including C.G. White Award
winners Bethlehem Star and Bethlehem Song -- and scratch ALL of their
descendants, whether introduced by Foster or others.
2. Scratch most Hunt introductions, including C. G. White Award winner
ESTHER, THE QUEEN -- and ALL of her descendants, no matter who introduced
them. This alone eliminates the vast majority of today's gardenable
halfbreds.
3. Scratch many Flanagan introductions. His DOVE SONG, which proved
to be a valuable breeder, came from a Sundt seedling. Scratch ALL of its
descendants, whether introduced by Flanagan himself or by others.
4. Scratch many Brizendine introductions, including C.G. White Award
winner Syrian Moon and its descendants. [This is still a very important
breeder in the quest for pastels with signals.]
5. Scratch most of my introductions. When I try to come up with
examples that don't involve someone else's unintroduced seedlings, only
OPALS FOR ETHEL comes immediately to mind.
There are, undoubtedly, many other examples -- but I hope you get the
picture:
If hybridizers had not shared their breeding stock, we'd be stuck in the
1950s with C.G. White-type halfbreds that are beautiful but not always
gardenable.
I certainly do not intend to diminish White's monumental work in any way --
but I've studied it enough to believe that he himself would say that he
only provided the foundation. His goal was gardenable iris with aril
characteristics, and he certainly made the critical breakthrough. Had he
lived, I believe he would have accomplished much more -- but he didn't.
So others followed through, using both his breeding stock and the knowledge
gained from his work. Sharing THEIR breakthrough breeding stock with other
hybridizers was an integral part of that process.
Sharon McAllister
73372.1745@compuserve.com
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