REF: Dr. Shear's Iris Book

From: HIPSource@aol.com

Greetings,

It has been suggested here that I do not appreciate Dr. Shear's recent
publication, The Gardener's Iris Book. This conclusion was derived from a
comment in an ongoing private conversation with a friend which was posted
inadvertantly. Although I feel that inadvertant postings should be ignored, as
one should other involuntary noises made in public or other private
correspondence upon which one may stumble, I do want to revist the scene of
the crime briefly to state clearly that this suggestion is not accurate.   

I support Bill Shear's book and he knows I support his book. I have posted my
appreciation of his book,  and we have had private conversations about it and
the marketing opportunities for it in this town. I have offerred suggestions
based on my professional experience in the book business, and I stand ready to
help him in this regard. 

Bill set out to write a basic book, which he clearly distinguished at the
outset from a book designed to meet the needs of the more experienced iris
gardener. A book for beginning irisarians and general gardeners has been
needed, and this is a good one. I have recommended that several people
purchase this book, including the person to whom my comments in question were
directed. Furthermore, Bill's book, which is beautiful, is the most current
book on iris culture widely. As such it is doubly notable. 

I have one reservation about this book. Had I been writing it I might--I said
might--have gone into more detail about treating disease problems. But this
was not my decision to make and there are strong arguments in favor of
handling these topics exactly as Bill did, which is to emphasize correct
culture--always the most important thing of all--but not thrash around in
prolonged discussions of chemicals and so forth. The first argument for Bill's
decision is that by dwelling on negative possibilities one encourages the
counterproductive and erroneous impression that these plants are difficult.
Second, specific information about chemicals and so forth rapidly becomes out
of date information and as such is useless, possibly even dangerous, to the
gardener who may not realize it is no longer valid, and also to the
environment. Third, whereas dated information in the appendices can be
corrected fairly easily in subsequent editions, wholesale revision of interior
text is not aways feasible and a "timeless" text will endure better than a
dated one, both for the publisher, who must make some money after all, as well
as for the reader. Fourth, since Bill is conservative in the use of many
chemicals, it is consistent that he not implicitly encourage over-reliance on
these by novices. I myself, on the other hand, tend to seek and value
technical information, perhaps overmuch, because I have poor growing
conditions and suffer frustration regardless of how carefully I grow my
plants. These are all questions about which reasonable people may disagree.  

Finally, simple books, basic books, and children's books for that matter, are
no less important or worthy or valuable than sophisticated books, and they
need no defense. And surely everyone here respects beginning iris gardeners,
and wishes them every success. Bill Shear has written a book to help them
achieve it.

Which is all I intend to say on this subject.

Anner Whitehead
HIPSource@aol.com

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