Re: Licensed Hybridizers

:Tom:
:
:What a copout on this subject!  I assume you're just stalling while you're
:composing your thoughtful response.  (  :

OK, Lowell, I'll bite.

I couldn't abide by any system of licensing hybridizers, although I thoroughly
agree that we have a huge problem of too many TBs being introduced each year.

The American Iris Society does not exist to say who should breed and sell
irises; if it became such an organization, I would leave. It's great that
we have a network of AIS judges who come along _after the fact_ and help
separate the good from the not-so-good. It's like writing and publishing.
Anyone who wants to can write a book. Anyone who wants to can breed irises.
The writer can then try to sell the book, either by convincing a large
publisher that it's worth their trouble to do so, or by publishing himself
if he's determined. Likewise, the hybridizer can arrange to sell his irises.
It's only after the fact that the book (or iris) gets reviewed by the
critics (judges) and public; and that's the way it should be.

No one would want to shut down small presses that are not "licensed" by
some board of literary critics.

I think Lowell's suggestion of stretching out the time between awards is
a very good idea. We currently seem to be rewarding novelty and instant
popularity, rather than an iris's staying power as a proven performer
across the country.

Another very important point is that no judge even makes an attempt to
evaluate all the irises that are eligible for HM each year. Irises from
famous hybridizers end up in many judges' gardens, and scoot through
the awards system almost automatically. Irises from "nobodies" are just
never seen outside the gardens of the hybridizers themselves and their
small circle of friends. The solution, I think, is to have perhaps
half a dozen national test gardens where all hybridizers can send their
new introductions for evaluation. Awards (at least HM) could then be
based on the *average* rating an iris receives from all the judges who
evaluate it, rather than the *total* number of judges who happen to
see it and vote for it.

The current system rewards an iris's "exposure", not its quality. Test
gardens would get us back on track.

I'm sure the AIS has discussed test gardens; I'm not sure if they've
ever discussed using an average rating from many judges, rather than a
vote total, as the basis for awards.

But no, let's not license hybridizers. If we do, I'll start an unlicensed
iris black market, just to be difficult.


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Tom Tadfor Little         tlittle@lanl.gov  -or-  telp@Rt66.com
technical writer/editor   Los Alamos National Laboratory
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Telperion Productions     http://www.rt66.com/~telp/
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