Safari for Historics

I have recently embarked on a search for historic TB's and any other types
of iris which might present themselves at my place of work.  My place of
work happens to be a large federal government controlled tract of land about
the size of a typical county in my state.  The federal government acquired
this land from local landowners some time around the early 1950's.  Since
that time, the land and old home sites have been frozen in time.  Of course,
the original homes and buildings were removed by the feds, but there still
remains the evidence of local towns and neighborhoods which were once
populated by people (some of which I'm betting had to have grown at least a
few iris).  

So far the closest that I've come to irises are some very old, hardy
gladiolus with blossoms of an unusual orange and apple-green color and
foliage and corms that make today's glads look downright anemic.  I've only
begun to scratch the surface on the "safari" for irises, so there's always
hope.  However, there is always the possibility that the local people were
so disenchanted that they took their irises with them when they practically
gave up there land for the good of the government.  I think scouting this
winter will probably be more productive since the green foliage of bearded
irises is more visible when all of the underbrush foliage is dead and brown.

-Donald


Donald Mosser
dmosser@southconn.com
North Augusta, South Carolina, USA
On the South Carolina and Georgia Border
Zone 7b-8
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