RE: COMP: HELP!!!!!

Steve, I've had as many as three updates from Symantec in one day for new
virus definitions and/or updates to the Norton Anti-virus program.  I have
cheerfully shelled out the cost of the service when the automatic one that
comes with a program purchase runs out--usually in six months.

I wish it were as easy to plug in a genetic program into irises to keep *them*
virus free.  Orville Fay had the right idea about going back to *I. pallida*
clones to get that beautiful blue-toned foliage typical of the larger, taller
*pallidas*.  Breeding that into pink lines, as well as going to those ruffled
whites that had the *pallida* magic virus resistance like SNOW FLURRY and NEW
SNOW.  Those subsequent generations had the Snow Flurry *look* that I loved in
other offspring of this incredible bench-mark breeder.  Both Fay (and thus,
Moldovan) and several western hybridizers, including Tell Muhlestein and Melba
Hamblen, incorporated the *pallida*-rich whites and blues into pink lines,
giving bursts of quality similar to those happening in Illinois and Ohio.

The pinks and their various red to orange tangerine offspring look like they
could stand another infusion, which we are getting through the work of Keith
Keppel.  By bringing HONKY TONK BLUES into tangerine-bearded lines already
heavy to the Fay/Moldovan/Rudolph bloodlines he has lifted the type into new
levels of quality.

And example of this breeding includes Keppel's WISHFUL THINKING and its child,
FOGBOUND, which is proving an amazing breeder of tall, branched, multi-budded
pinks and any other t-bearded color one could imagine--with that same increase
of virus and other disease resistant qualities gained in previous
incorporation of blue and white breeding into the pinks.

Fogbound also has the interesting habit of increasing generously, but also
sending up delayed bloomstalks from the more mature inner increases near the
mother rhizome.  Not only does this extend the bloomseason for the variety, it
also gives some insurance for those of us subject to damage from abrupt frosts
following tenderizing warmth during the late winter and spring.  Even with
this extra bloom, increase for the next season is ample.

From some comments included in the description of the several FOGBOUND
seedlings included in Joe Ghio's current introductions, the trait of the
delayed secondary bloom appears to be inherited by his wide, ruffled, handsome
introductions.

It is beginning to look like Fogbound descendants in a wide range of colors
are going to be plentiful as well as being of a step or two up in quality for
their type.  I'd go as far as to say this is one of those benchmark breeders
that come along rather rarely.

But then, the same could be said about a number of other quality parents, such
as LOUISA'S SONG,  ROMANTIC EVENING as just two examples from a field of many.
We do indeed live in interesting times.

Those of us that neither would nor could grow seedlings in the tens of
thousands Schreiners, Mid-America, Keppel or Blyth do can only enjoy, enjoy,
enjoy and applaud from the sidelines as well as growing the fruit of their
efforts.

Neil Mogensen     z  7  mountains of western NC

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