|
Updated 03/02/07 |
|
|
The 1985 seed crop was small, compared to previous years, but as the available space was extremely limited only a small portion of the harvested seeds were processed. I concentrated on the crosses I considered of greatest importance in obtaining answers to my questions regarding the genetics of arilbreds. For the most part, that meant the experiments that had produced the largest number of seeds so that I could carefully observe the variation within each cross. Only 17 crosses were lined out, but six of them produced introductions. This was the year I finally broke through the "magic" 1 in 100 mark - my 10th year of serious hybridizing. |
|
|
85-3: Boaz X Jean Ralls. This was a test cross. I'd been able to find no pedigree for one of Gene Hunt's most striking selected seedlings (which I introduced for him as Child of God) but in going through his records of crosses for that period the one of Boaz X Jean Ralls struck me as the most likely to have produced that pattern. I repeated it on a large scale and ended up with more than 20 finalists under consideration for introduction. 85-3-4 became Big Country; 85-3-12 became Son of Boaz; 85-3-15 became Fortune's Fancy; 85-3-16 became Maxine Perkins; 85-3-18 became My Etchings and 85-3-21 became Grizzled Old Warrior. |
|
|
85-4 Bold Sentry X Whither Thou Goest. A fertility test of Bold Sentry, mixing up the genes to see what would turn up. The result was an interesting array of patterns and range of shades of violets and grays. I selected the two most luminous ones: 85-4-8 became Blackbeard's Ghost and 85-4-14 became Ghost Dancer. |
|
|
85-7: Esther's Son X Expert Advice. A cross of pinkish lavender and pinkish buff in quest of concentrated carriers of pink. Lots of interesting pastels and one near pink, 85-7-5, which became Close Approach. |
|
|
85-8: Koko Knoll X Asha Michelle. A dual-purpose cross, testing maternal inheritance in quarterbreds and hoping to get some with intricate dotting and veining. Two were worthy of introduction: the reddish-violet- on-near-white 85-8-5, which became Dream Catcher, and the yellow-and-rust-on-ivory 85-8-7, which became Fine Feathered Friend. |
|
|
85-9: Boaz Sib "A" X Asha Michelle. Another dual-purpose cross, testing maternal inheritance in quarterbreds with a secondary goal of getting patterns with intricate dotting and veining. Seedling 85-9-1 combined plicata-like stitching with rounded onco-like form and eyelashes on its style arm that got it the name Old Fashioned Girl. |
|
|
85-10: Boaz Sib "A" X Dunshanbe. From a cross made to test maternal inheritance in unbalanced tetraploids, came one several interesting seedlings and one striking selection. Seedling 85-10-1 was named Code Talker. |
|
