HYB - TB: Reg. 7 Irisarian Reprints #11

> A series of articles reprinted from the Region 7 IRISARIAN with myself as
> Editor in 1990-91.  [Gary Sides--Jan. 1998:  Posted to Iris-L]
> 
AN OFF-BEAT LOOK INTO HYBRIDIZING AT COOLEY'S GARDENS
RICHARD ERNST     Silverton, OR
	    
Few will disagree that the greatest joy and excitement of irising is the
early morning walk through the first year seedlings.  Taking notes is out
of the question, as I might spill my coffee if I attempted to write at the
same time.
	    
Nearly as enjoyable is the evening walk -- a sort of winding down.  The 12
hours that pass in between is an anxious, frantic time of visitors (up to
4000 per day), making crosses, taking notes, wishing it wouldn't rain, and
attempting to photograph irises, all in the midst of running a business.
	    
1990 will be my eighteenth year of hybridizing, and hopefully, my most
promising batch of seedlings.  My first crosses started with Larry
Gaulter's lines.  It's difficult to use one of Larry's irises and not come
up with a good branch.  Unfortunately, most of my crosses, well-branched or
not, yield a surprising number of narrow, dirty hafts.  What a shame
they're not on my list of "goals".  When that seedling opens with falls so
broad they overlap, and the flower has to be pried open to find any sort of
marks, one can only ask the question:  "Why is there only one flower on
this bloomstalk?"  Or, "Too bad there's no increase, I would have like to
have seen this one next year."
	   
 Seriously, I doubt if my own frustrations are any different from those
experienced by the most seasoned Dykes winners or the first-time hybridizer
watching his "dog patch" bloom.  Regardless of the results, there are
certain constants that always hold true:  the anxiety, the anticipation,
the excitement, the satisfaction.  Disappointments?  Surely.  It goes with
the territory.  Reading back through the breeding records you ask yourself:
 "What was I thinking about?  Were my bio-rhythms down?"
	    
I would never dream of telling someone what to cross with what, although
I've been told by just about everyone.  I seldom make crosses that are
suggested by outside sources.  I'm working with my own lines, now, and for
the most part, "new blood" generally makes more mess than improvement. 
However, new blood can start a new line, so what's it going to hurt?
	    
I have two "favorite" lines.  Rims and dark tops.  All my rims are from my
"AFTERNOON DELIGHT" lines.  Growth-wise, none are as prolific as the
original parent, but newer, cleaner, more interesting colors are coming
along nicely.  Dark tops come from HULA GIRL and/or IRENE NELSON.  Here the
end result often lacks buds or width, but the colors are too intriguing to
abandon the line.
	    
My advice to new hybridizers is fairly simple:  "Enjoy it."  You don't have
to please anyone but yourself.  Don't be overly critical, as even some
Dykes winners have serious faults.  Don't expect other hybridizers to be
immediately impressed with your brilliance.  And last, don't quit
hybridizing.  All hybridizers have had bad years, and most will admit it. 
Happy irising!
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