Hager, cut stalks, award judging

Clarence M. Thank you for the info on the Dykes book. I bought on impulse and
was suffering a little remorse. As it turns out I got a bargain. Glad to hear
you have some of my things. Very hard for a newer hbyridizer to get
distribution let alone awards.  I would be interested in knowing how my
intros hold up in other areas. I love the Emma Cook pattern and have worked
with it for some time. In addition to Age of Innocence we have introduced Vict
oria Circle and there will be more in the future. I have a BB that won the
seedling cup at Region 14's "mini national" convention. Very clean with
extremely dark edge. I might have enough to introduce in 1998.
Rick T. I hope you are well above water. We are high and dry, thank goodness.
Larry Lauer had a little rearrangement of the yard but no water in his house.

I am undertaking the accumulation of all of Ben Hager's Tall Bearded
introductions including the rebloomers, spacers and other novelties. Keith
Keppel was kind enough to send me a list of all of Ben's bearded intros,
about 350! Ben has very nearly all of them, but I would be interested in
buying or trading for the following: Brass Section (85), Burning Coals (68), B
asic Black (71), Decolletage (70), Dolce Vita (89), Final Curtain (80), Foray
(61), Glad Rags (85), Golden Bonaza (68), High Tech (93), Igloo (78), Just
for Laughs (84), La Raspa (68), Lingering Spring (92), Mister (68), Moonwalk (
72), Perfect Doll (91), Pleasure Dome (82), Savage Queen (61), Sense of Humor
(63), Sun Worshiper (72), Touchstone (66), Towering Finale (92), Tucson (70),
Unfurled Flag (83), Yvonne B. Burke (77).

I cut a nice stalk to day of 9486D: ((Progressive Attitude x (Hot Streak x
Queen in Calico)). Dark burgundy standards with a star burst of white in the
center. Falls golden yellow with wide burgundy hafts. Gold beards. Domed,
ruffled and semi-flaring. I think objectivity goes out the window with cut
stalks. Average seems good, good seems excellent and excellent is at least a
Dykes Medal! Evaluation in the garden is much more objective. Which brings me
to my soap box: judging.

I personally do not vote for any variety which I have not grown. I know this
is not possible for all judges (being commercial does have its advantages)
but judges who are essentially "iris tourists" voting for things seen in
convention or travels out side their region but not in their own region are
not doing a good job. Even worse is voting for a variety which does not do
well in your own region. AIS judges are essentially allocated on the basis of
the number of members in the various regions. If we vote on things that grow
well and look good in our own regions we will have a pretty good index of a
varieties worth over the entire country. On the other hand, I would never let
the lack of an AIS award keep me from growing (and hybridizing with) a
variety which is good in my region (or more particularly my garden). 

Fred Kerr, Rainbow Acres USDA 9.
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