Re: HYB - TB: "Throwbacks" (Re: CULT/HYB: Harvest of Memories)

>At 01:08 PM 1/1/98 -0700, Jeff wrote:
>
>> However, I think that Linda as
>>referring to something else, which is that when at least one of the parents
>>in a cross is a Schreiner intro, all or nearly all of the seedlings tend to
>>have flowers with a form that is reminiscent of an earlier stage of
>>development of TB iris than that of the parents - hence the term
>>"throwbacks". Her comment made me go back and review my own hybridizing
>>records, and though I have not made a large number of crosses with
>>Schreiner iris, from my experience it seems that Linda's statement is
>>basically true, and that far from seeing an "advance" in form in the
>>seedlings from such crosses, or even form that resembles that of the
>>parents, almost without exception the form has been about twenty years
>>*behind* that of the parents.
>>
>>If this observation can be confirmed by the experience of others, it could
>>be quite useful not only to those who wish to achieve further "advances" in
>>TB form, but also to those who may be interested in hybridizing iris with a
>>"Retro" look.
>
>How interesting!  Can anybody else address this comment?  Why would
>Schreiners' things give a higher percentage of "throwbacks" than other
>hybridizers' irises?  Very curious.
>
>Sharon? Rick? Walta? Gary? other hybridizers --what say you?
>
>Dorothy
I have used Schreiner irises a lot in my breeding, because they have often
been exceptionally hardy, while those from other West Coast growers might
not be. This was truer 20 years ago than at present. One gets throwbacks in
almost any cross. In the search for hardy rebloomers there have always been
many. Crosses for recessive amoenas have been especially bad in this
regard. A few years ago I made two crosses that were planted side by side.
The first cross had wonderful growth on all the seedlings, but not one
"keeper" in the whole lot. The second cross, also of amoenas, had poorer
growth and I nearly threw them all out, but the only two that bloomed that
first year had very interesting form. One that bloomed the next year was
introduced as JEAN MARIE. But I would still like to have that wonderful
growth of the first cross, even tho' JEAN MARIE is a good grower.  Lloyd
Zurbrigg in Durham N>C> Happy New Year to all.
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