Iris 101
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Iris 101
- From: I*@aol.com
- Date: Sun, 14 Sep 1997 11:24:34 -0600 (MDT)
In a message dated 97-09-13 16:26:09 EDT, Rusty writes:
>
>I know you didn't *intend* to make me feel stupid, but I do anyway. Is
>there some sort of iris hybridizing school you can go to to learn about
>genetics, etc.???
Well, Rusty.... I can't help you on that since I just put "pretty on pretty"
BUT... you raise an important point that I think should be mentioned
(again), that being that we were all new once... that none of us were born
into this world with a head-full of iris lore... and that somewhere along the
line someone helped us. So Rusty's on the learning curve (beware the dreaded
referral to the FAQ pages... I'm sure that's coming).. and so are lots of
other folks who may not step forward. SO... I'm here to tell you how you
might get up to speed:
1. The first and most obvious way is to join AIS .. and even a section or
two. Although you'll find much of it confusing... you'll also find
beginner's articles... and if you force yourself to read the rest (except for
stamp collecting), you'll begin to learn by osmosis
2. Join a local club. Most clubs have some kind of 'beginner's program".
In WNY, for example... we begin every meeting with a 1/2 hour BEGINNER'S
CORNER devoted to some basic part of irising. The reason it's held 1/2 hour
before the meeting is so long-time members can plan to arrive for the part
THEY'RE interested in
3. READ... read this and read iris books
4. ASK QUESTIONS! Most of us are happy to respond to the things we CAN
respond to! And may I suggest that a fitting subject "clue" might be IRIS
101, as I have written so that people may read or not. If we were to do all
this privately, of course, the lurkers too shy to ask would never learn... so
that is my suggestion
5. TRY IT. There's nothing like the school of experience to help you to
learn... AND to help you to frame questions! Don't know an MDB from an SDB
from an MTB, etc.... go to your local sale or iris catalog and just select
some to try. No need to have the latest and greatest....
6. As for hybridizing.... write to the hybridizers you most admire. Most of
them (in my vast experience) are happy to answer questions.
7. Oh, and Rusty.... they teach genetics in SCHOOL <VBG>
Kathyguest.... just back from a wonderful daylily meeting in Ontario and
needing a nap, bigtime
6.
