The Summer 2003 Newsletter - Society for Louisiana Iris

SLI NewsletterSLI Conventioneers Enjoy Wells-Anaya GardenNo. 192 A Quarterly Publication of the Society for Louisiana Irises Summer 2003

SLI NewsletterA QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OFTHE SOCIETY FOR LOUISIANA IRISESOFFICERS & BOARD OF DIRECTORSKevin VaughnPresidentP. O. Box 350, Stoneville, MS 38776kvaughn@msa-stoneville.ars.usda.govPaul GossettVice-President8410 S. 77th East Ave., Apt # 1243Tulsa, OK 74133-3933pwgossett@juno.comTom W. DillardSecretary12 Normandy Rd., Little Rock, AR 72207-4231tomd@cals.lib.ar.usRichard SloanTreasurer118 E. Walnut, Alma, AR 72921rjsloan10@earthlink.netBOARD MEMBERSJeff WeeksRon BetzerHarry WolfordJoe MusacchiaEarline Sudduth Dr. Wendell Hall IIIFarron CampbellPast PresidentNEWSLETTER STAFFTom W. DillardEditorTim Nutt Associate EditorPatrick O’ConnorAssistant EditorDavid Nitka Assistant EditorWendall Hall Assistant EditorRebecca WongAssistant EditorIn This IssueSummer 2003 Number 192President’s Message ........................................................................ 3SLI Convention Garden Memories Recounted ............................... 5Patrick O’Connor takes readers along as he remembersthe wonderful gardens on tour at the 2003 SLI conventionDouble, Double Toil and Trouble: Efforts Toward the PerfectDouble Louisiana Iris ............................................................... 8by Kevin VaughnAnd the Winners Are ......................................................................... 10The annual SLI Iris Show was filled with a few surprises,but lots of smiles. The list of winners is included in this issue.Texas Hexagonae: Stalking Wild Louisiana Irisesin the Lone Star State ......................................................................11by Eric A. DeaningMore About Our Archives ................................................................ 13A charter member of SLI reminscences about keeping recordsfor the Society, by Marie Caillet of Little Elm, Texas.In Memoriam ..................................................................................... 15SLI mourns the loss of two from our family.Marie CailletEditor EmeritusSLI Newsletter is published quarterly, inMarch, July, September, and December.Publication office is located at 118 E.Walnut, Alma, AR 72921. Bulk postage paidat Jackson, MS.Other publications may reprint from the SLINewsletter without express permission aslong as printed attribution is given to theauthor and to the SLI Newsletter (includingissue date, source and page number).Articles may not be edited without permission.Tearsheets must be mailed to theeditor within two weeks of publication.Display advertising accepted.elsewhere in this issue.See ratesThe iris ‘Dalton’ was in full bloom at Durio’s Nursery duringtheSLI Tour. A full article on the tour begins on page five.Photo by Patrick O’Connor2 SLI NEWSLETTER | SUMMER 2003

President’s MessageSuccessful ConventionKevin VaughnIt was wonderful seeing so manyof you at the convention in Lafayette.Many thanks to Kathy Leonard, hercommittee, and the host gardens forshowing ussuch a wonderfultimeand suchbeautiful gardens.Thecombinationof landscapingand plant materialthat wesaw in the tourgardens was truly awe-inspiring. All ofthe hard work that went into the conventionprep and the tour gardens istruly appreciated by all of SLI.What a weird bloom season thiswas! After several years of these,maybe there isn’t such a thing as “normal.”This year, there really was nopeak bloom and the time of bloom ofmany cultivars was well off normal. Forexample, ‘Southdowns’ and ‘Ice Angel,’two cultivars that often bloom inMarch for me were fully at peak onMay 2nd. As I write this on June 15thI still have a Japanese iris in bloom. Despitethe “no peak season”, there werea lot of exciting blooms in the seedlingpatch and amongst the new named varietiesin the yard.New DirectionsAs you see, this is the first “post-Patrick” issue of the SLI Newsletter.Pat raised the standards of this Newsletterto new heights both in content andpresentation. This is an urgent plea tohelp our publication committee, headedby Tom Dillard, to send anything to himthat might be useful for publication.Even small pieces are useful as oftenthe editor finds himself with a columnof Newsletter with no material and thatlittle morsel is just what he needs to fillthis empty space.An SLI PioneerElsewhere in this issue you will findnews of the passing of Marvin Granger.Marvin’s contributions to Louisiana iris.have been numerous, both in terms ofservice to SLI and hybridizing. His perseverancein the double LA irises fromthe found iris ‘Creole Can-Can’ to thedevelopment of the present doubles isa testament to hybridizing vigilance thatwe could all emulate. His pinks suchas ‘Deidre Kay’ and ‘Kay Nelson’ willlong grace our gardens. Last spring hekindly sent me a division of his latestregistration ‘Margaret Reid’ for safekeeping.Only days before his deathhe had written me with excitement overthe germination of his first seedlings fromthat plant. We miss you greatly Marvin.KevinSOCIETY FORLOUISIANA IRISESFounded 1941MEMBERSHIP. To join or renewmembership, send dues along withyour name, address, telephonenumber and email address (if any)to Richard Sloan, Treasurer, 118 E.Walnut, Alma, AR 72921. Makechecks payable to the Society forLouisiana Irises. Memberships arestaggered beginning with the quarterin which dues are paid.DUES. Rates for membership are:USAIndividual: Yearly, $10.00; Triennial,$25; Life, $125.Family: Yearly, $12; Triennial, $34INTERNATIONALIndividual: Yearly, $15; Triennial,$40; Life, $125Family: Yearly, $18; Triennial, $40AIS. SLI is a cooperating societyof the American Iris Society. However,membership in the AIS is notautomatic with membership in SLI.Individual AIS dues are: Single Annual,$20; Dual Annual, $25. Duescan be sent to: Mary Brown, MembershipSecretary, P.O. Box 2968,Baltimore, MD 21229;aismemsec@earthlink.net..Rates for overseas or extendedmemberships can be obtained fromthe Membership Secretary. The informationis also on the Internet at:http://www.irises.org/MEMORIALS. Memorial Gifts inthe name of a deceased person, andgifts in honor of living persons, areaccepted with gratitude by the Society.Please send Memorial Giftsto Richard Sloan at the above address,and enclose a note indicatingfor whom the contribution ismade. A gift will be acknowledgedin the Newsletter unless expresslyrequested otherwise.SUMMER 2003 | SLI NEWSLETTER 3

From the EditorI have a problem saying “no.” Ido not have the time nor skills to editthis newsletter, but when no one elsestepped forward to take on the task Ifoolishly accepted. Actually, what Iagreed to do is chair an editorial committee.I am grateful that severalpeople have stepped forward to serveon the editorial committee and to workas assistant editors.The Society for Louisiana Irises isfortunate to have had editors willing tocreate a journal that has not only withstoodthe test of time, but it has alsobecome recognized as one of thebest specialty plant newsletters in thenation.Patrick O’Connor of Metairie,Louisiana is the most recent of oureditors. I am somewhat intimidatedat the notion of following such a fineeditor as Pat. Not only is he an outstandingeditor, Pat is also an intelligentand interesting writer. He alsohas lots of computer skills.I have very little in the way ofcomputer expertise, but I have thenext best thing—Tim Nutt is associateeditor. Tim, whom I have knownand worked with professionally forover a decade, is a veritable computergenius—plus he knows how todesign newsletters. I am counting onhim to bail me out whenever I getlost on the far side of the digital divide.I am indebted to David Nitka andRebecca Wong of Massachusetts,Wendall Hall of Little Rock, andPatrick O’Connor for serving as assistanteditors.Here are my goals for the SLINewsletter. First and foremost, Iwant it to be interesting. SLI is fullof fascinating people, and people4 SLI NEWSLETTER | SUMMER 2003who can tell interesting stories. Second,I want us to publish accurate andvaried articles that cover the full spectrumof the Louisiana iris world. I wantthe Newsletter to be well designed andprinted. Toward that end outgoing editorO’Connor has been investigating thepossibility of incorporating color into themagazine—an investigation I will continue.Finally, I want everyone in the horticulturalworld to feel free to submitmaterial to this journal. While SLI hastraditionally been centered in Louisianaand the American South, in recent yearswe have seen people around the worlddiscover the beauty and garden worthinessof Louisiana irises. Even theWooly Bully for Louisiana IrisesJapanese are growing Louisiana irises.I hope we will soon see South Africans,New Zealanders, and Europeans joiningthe Australians in growing Louisianairises extensively—and writingabout them in the Newsletter. Thephoto and caption below is an exampleof reader-contributed material that SLImembers love to read about.Now, as soon as you finish this issue,pick up a pen and start makingnotes for an article you want to read ina future issue of the Newsletter.Tom W. DillardIrisarian Christy Hensler, who lives in extreme northeastern Washington state, reports thatraw sheep wool makes a fine mulch for Louisiana irises. This photograph shows a group ofLouisiana irises growing in a plastic-lined bed that is mulched with wool. Christy reportsthat “the raw wool was initially meant only to shade the soil and hold down the rate ofevaporation, but we’ve seen an additional benefit. The “yolk” (part of the grease on rawwool) seems to act as a plant food. Within days of mulching, leaves turned a beautiful deepgreen.”Photo by C. Hensler

2003 SLI Garden Tour Rememberedby Patrick O’ConnorMetairie, LouisianaIt was a bit earlier on a Fridaymorning than the usual start time forgarden tours. The gardens selectedwere not in Lafayette but rather all inoutlying areas, from near Opelousas,about twenty miles north, to westwardbeyond Leesville, dangerously nearTexas, and then south a bit to DeRidder.There were miles to travel, andbreakfast was waiting at the first stop,the Durios’ Louisiana Nursery, so therewas good reason to hit the road early.Two buses loaded up under the directionof tour organizer Joe Musacchia,and we were gone before 8 a.m.There was some apprehension in thecrowd about how much bloom wouldbe waiting. A few weeks earlier it hadappeared that the issue would not needbe faced. Spring was coming on strong,and the timing looked perfect. ButunLouisiana-like cool weather set in andstayed. Cool nights, especially, grabbedthe developing bloom by the shirt tailand would not let it run. Since the tourgardens were north of Lafayette, wehad to wonder what was out there.The DuriosThe first stop put nervous minds atease. The Durios had very good bloom,even if peak was still a week or soaway. It was the precursor to an excellenttour.Upon arrival at the Durios’ nursery,a dilemma reared its head: what first,breakfast or irises? To get to the irisessome hundred or more yards away, onewould have to pass a great Louisianaspread of boudin, boudin balls, ambrosia,various muffins, juice and more. Itwas a real test of character and offeredinteresting insights into priorities. Someheaded straight to thetubs of iris-after-iris,while others grazed atthe buffet. Names willnot be mentioned here,but I will say that someof us discovered it waspossible to munch bothon the way in and on theway out.Ultimately, everyoneenjoyed a major visualhelping of old and newiris cultivars. TheDurios grow their irisesin tubs lined up in longrows in full sun with anample supply of water Harry Wolford (l.) and Kevin Vaughn ponder another ‘Redpiped in. The plants Velvet Elvis’ sighting at Durio’s Nurseryclearly were thriving inPhoto by Joe Musacchiawater culture, and therewas much to see.I was most interested in some of theKen Durio introductions that I had notseen. ‘Charlie’, ‘Daniel’ and ‘Carmen’are very nice irises in the red range.Ken’s ‘Dalton’ has red-violet falls andstandards that are irregularly washedand streaked with the same color overa light yellow base. ‘Bayou Rouge’ was‘Delta Dawn’looking good. It is a red-violet tet withdark violet styles with yellow edges thatenlarge the effect of the yellow signals.The signals are bright orange. A strikingiris.It was nice to see my old friend‘Cajun Caper’ with its nice blend ofrosy-orange. Dunn’s ‘Delta Dawn’was there, a nice combination of lavenderand apricot colors and still unusual.The Wells-Anaya GardenWe could have easily passed moreHow the Durios Keep Their LouisianaIrises Happy and HealthySUMMER 2003 | SLI NEWSLETTER 5

‘Jean Bush’Photo by Patrick O’Connortime among the irises, not to mentionthe wide variety of unusual plants theDurios have assembled. But the nextleg of the tour required a fairly long trekacross the South Louisiana prairie tobeyond Leesville and the garden ofJulian Wells and Larry Anaya.We arrived around noon at EmpirePoint on Vernon Lake. The Wells-Anaya Garden sits at the tip of a pointof land jutting out into the lake, andneedless to say it is a beautiful spot witha great view of the water.The garden itself is a beauty, too,especially given that Julian and Larryhave been there only since late 2000,the variety of plant material is impressive,and the landscaping is immaculate.From the high road leading in, the gardenis tiered down to the water. Amongthe many plants to enjoy was a largebed of bearded irises in good bloom,not a common sight in South Louisiana,and the daylily beds suggested that thegarden would be a great place to see inthe weeks ahead. But for now, Julianand Larry’s Louisianas were the show.They are grown under all conditions,from hillside beds to the lake’s edge,and the irises seemed most pleased withtheir surroundings.‘Red Velvet Elvis,’ the eventual winnerof the Caillet Cup, was in full bloomand looking great. The lush red is hardto describe, but the name Kevin Vaughngave it does the job very succinctly.6 SLI NEWSLETTER | SUMMER 2003Why have I not come to know DormanHaymon’s ‘Jean Bush’ before? It is agorgeous thing. Compact, reddish flowerswith a serrated yellow-beige halo.Showy yellow sunburst signals andcreamy styles. Deeply serrated standards.Quite a picture.I was struck by quite a few irises inthe Wells-Anaya Garden, but particularlyhard by D. L Shepard’s ‘FringedGold’ and Heather Pryor’s ‘Lost forWords’. Both are beauties. ‘Fringed’is red, ruffled and gold edged. A favoritefor the day. ‘Lost’ is an orangeypinkishblend and much more delightfulRobert Treadway of Arkansastakes notes at Wells-Anaya Garden‘Wow Factor’Photo by Heather Pryorto behold than describe. It really works.Heather’s ‘Wow Factor’ had peopletalking, too. I am impressed with it butnot in love. Lots of purple veins over ayellow base. It will not be passed by.Arny’s old ‘Fiesta Gal’ was nice, andmy icy blue ‘Southdowns’ was lookingas good here as I have seen it. Fouropen flowers will always cause a smile.Sandwiched in with the iris inspection,another dining opportunity arose.We enjoyed an excellent lunch of crawfishetouffe and the view of the lake.Then it was back to the irises and toosoon the end of a great visit to a wonderfulgarden.The Copenhaver FarmThe next stop took us south towardDeRidder and the Copenhaver Farm.Donald and Nita’s garden has been ontour before, and its reputation led togreat anticipation among both the uninitiated,such as myself, and those returningfor another look. Oddly, sinceit was furthest south of the gardens, theCopenhavers’ place was the least advancedinto the bloom season. Althoughthere was a good bit to see, peak hadto be around ten or more days off.The setting was magnificent. TheFarm is on both sides of the road as

one drives in. To the right, the gardencovers several acres and includes twosmall ponds where most of theLouisianas grow. Paths and an unpavedroad flow through a natural area, whichhas the feel of a walk in the woods embellishedby carefully chosen gardenfeatures. I am sure a wide range ofgarden memories were born here. Iwas drawn to a large and beautifulclump of Amsonia covered with paleblue blooms but could mention any numberof other sights.Taylor’s ruffled white ‘ObviousHeir’ was in bloom, as well as his ‘LucyPayens’. ‘Lucy’ is a nice iris, with acompact and ruffled reddish flower withcontrasting creamy styles. Taylor’s‘Heather Pryor’ was also looking great.A very nice one in pink tones with ruffles.And, it was a two-empress visit, withDorman’s dark purple ‘EmpressJosephine’ in bloom while ‘JosephineShanks’ decorated the garden as well.Back across the road is theCopenhaver’s home, a somewhat moreformal garden, and the structures thatone would expect on a farm. Refreshmentswere there, too, as well as achance to visit with Donald and Nita.Donald works in ceramics, and a verynice bird feeder he made was offeredas a door prize. After a drawing on thebus trip home, M. D. Faith took thepiece back with him to Arkansas, darnmy luck.By the end of the stop, new visitorsknew what had brought old hands backfor more. A great garden and one thathopefully will be back on tour in comingyears.The tour took us many miles, and asocial hour, dinner and slide show werewaiting back in Lafayette. As we hightailedit back down I-10, bus captainsJoe Musacchia and Mary Meredithgave out a few door prize irises, andwe coasted our way toward the rest ofthe weekend, a great start in the bag.‘Lost For Words’‘Heather Pryor’Julian Wells chats with Edna Claunch of Rochester, New York‘Red Velvet Elvis’Photo by Patrick O’Connor‘Fringed Gold’Photo by Patrick O’ConnorSUMMER 2003 | SLI NEWSLETTER 7

Double, Double Toil and Trouble:Efforts Toward the Perfect Double Louisana Irisby Kevin VaughnStoneville, MisssissippiThe Louisiana iris world owes adebt of gratitude to Marvin Granger forfinding the only double Louisiana iris inthe wild, ‘Creole Can-Can’ (Granger56), but also for using this iris to developa strain of very unique iris. As Ibegan working on this group myself, Ibegan to realize what an amazing thingMarvin had done.‘Creole Can-Can’ was found in aswamp in Cameron Parish in 1954 onone of the collecting trips Marvin madewith several fellow Louisiana iris enthusiastsof the time. Apparently it had alreadyformed a sizeable clump and eachblossom of the clump was distinctlydouble. Color-wise, the blossoms weresimilar to other I. giganticaerulea’sgrowing nearby. It is fortunate thatMarvin came on this clone when he didas hurricanes in subsequent years introducedsalt water into the area, destroyingthe wild irises in that location.(Other amazing stories of such luck arefound throughout the history of Louisianairis hybridizing.) ‘Creole Can Can’What Marvindid was to outcross‘Creole Can-Can’to non-double parentsand then crossthe resulting seedlingswith eachother.is a type of double formed fromthe conversion of an anther intoa petaloid structure. Because theanther is normally positioned underthe style tissue, thesepetaloids must grow from beneaththe style and emerge fromunder the style to the surface ofthe blossom. In many cases thisrequires some contortion of thepetaloid to achieve this positionand also means that these extrapetaloids are much less regularin form and size than the otherpetals. Now, the male or pollen-bearingstamens normallyoccur on these structures so this meansthat these plants can generally only beused as pod parents. Worse yet, thetrait is recessive so that the first generationcrosses are not doubles. WhatMarvin did was to outcross ‘CreoleCan Can’ to non-double parents andthen cross the resulting seedlings witheach other. Doubles should be producedas approximately 25% of thoseseedlings. Singles, cartwheels (six petaled,so-called “all fall forms”), anddoubles occur in a ratio of 1:2:1 in thesecrosses.Despite the handicaps of workingwith irises which had no pollen and arecessive characteristic, Marvin produceda lovely strain of doubles from‘Creole Can-Can.’ I have grown all ofthem except the pure white ‘Rokki’(Granger 81). My two favorites are‘Double Talk’ (Granger, 71) and ‘InstantReplay’ (Granger, 81). ‘DoubleTalk’ is a very dark purple and is quiteconsistently double as well. It is short,about twenty inches as it grows for me,‘Creole Can-Can’and usually only has 3 bud positionshere. ‘Instant Replay’ is a lighter shadeof blue, not too different from thoseseen in wild I. giganticaerulea populations.Although registered as short,this plant grows about thirty-eight inchesfor me in Mississippi and has up to fivebud positions. The blooms are veryconsistently of large size and the plantsare very vigorous. ‘Creole Canary’(Granger, 1976) is the most vigorousof the group and possibly one of themost vigorous Louisiana irises ever. Itis the first of Marvin’s outside the rangeof blue-purple as well, being a canaryyellow with green influence. In additionto the petaloid stamens, ‘CreoleCanary’ often produces extra petals.The styles are often pushed upward bythe large structures produced from thepetaloids ascending from below this tissue.Some describe this effect asmessy or irregular but others find it intriguing.‘Starlite Starbrite’ (Granger85), a creamy white, is classified as acartwheel, rather than a double, but for8 SLI NEWSLETTER | SUMMER 2003

me most of the flowers have petaloidstamens in addition to the six falls, makingit a double. The same could be saidof the shorter ‘Rose Cartwheel’(Granger 80). Here about 50 % of theblooms have extra appendages derivedfrom the anthers. These plants give usinterested in creating more of this typea wonderful base for further crossing.As a group, Marvin’s doubles hadtwo faults that I wanted to correct, lowbud count and less ruffling than mostmodern cultivars. At about the time myinterest in the Granger doubles waskindled, several cartwheel and doubleLouisiana irises from the Taylor linesappeared on the market. These wereless consistently double than theGranger plants, but they had large flowerson very well branched stalks andvery ruffled flowers. The doubling wasproduced by the increase in the numberof true petals rather than the conversionof anthers onto petaloids. Becausethe doubling didn’t affect the anthers,they had pollen. Crosses couldbe made directly with the Grangerdoubles without going through an intermediaryoutcross. ‘Real Treasure’‘Rokki’Photo from: The Louisiana Iris (1988)(Taylor 93), ‘Gatecrasher’ (Taylor 91),and ‘Surprise Offer’ (Taylor 91) wereall used in crosses with the Grangermaterial. The most interesting flowerscame out of the ‘Gatecrasher’ matings.‘Gatecrasher’ tends to give very vigorousseedlings too. From ‘Rose Cartwheel’X ‘Gatecrasher,’ all of the seedlingswere a beautiful clear rosepurpleto red and every seedling aperfect cartwheel type. My favoriteof these is a clear mulberry rosewith dagger-like signals on all parts.Although these seedlings wereshort, like ‘Rose Cartwheel’ orslightly taller, all had at least three(and many four) bud positions aswell. From ‘Double Talk’ X ‘Gatecrasher’came two of the most strikingseedlings. Both are tall dark bluepurple cartwheels with five-to-sixbud positions, but the signal patternsare quite distinct. One has a smallsort of netted signal on a darkpurple, ruffled blossom. The otherhas a very distinct cream dagger signalof cream on a dark purple petalwith lighter rims to all the petals. Itwears the garden name “Cloak andDagger” because of the dagger-shapedsignal and overall dark color to the blossom.Unfortunately, that name has alreadybeen taken for a Japanese iris inthe 1950’s. Your suggestions for anothername are welcome.Because cartwheels but no doubleswere obtained in the Granger X Taylordouble crossings, it is likely that thedoubling in the two lines is due to differentgenetic loci. This spring I succeededin crossing the seedlings backto both parental types and also intercrossingthese cartwheel seedlings ofmine, hoping to recover seedlings withthe genes for both Taylor and Grangertypedoubling in one flower. The mindboggles at what an iris with both petaloidanthers and extra true petals wouldbe like. It will be difficult to wait until2005 to see that group of seedlings.Although some in the society havescoffed at doubles, I find the cartwheelseedlings are some of the most well receivedin my numerous slide shows.Thus, I think there is both interest andappreciation for this relatively small butgrowing group of Louisiana iris hybrids.Come join the fun!‘Double Talk’Photo from: The Louisiana Iris (1988)SUMMER 2003 | SLI NEWSLETTER 9

The Louisiana IrisLike pioneer AcadiansNot knowing where to go,The iris drifted southwardA long, long time ago.Pushed onward by the glaciersAnd helped along by floodsIt reached the land of bayousAnd Mississippi muds.And there amidst the swamplandsAnd moss-draped live-oak trees,It settle, paying rent toThe busy bumblebees.In spring each year thereafter,Despite Gulf storm or tide.Its myriad colors coveredThe peaceful countryside.It greeted the AcadiansWhen to this land they came,In royal robes of purple,Of gold, pink, blue, and flame.For years they lived together—Watched foreign flags unfurled;Their customs quaint they cherishedApart from all the world.But now they’re in the limelight.Their faces all aglow;To eager eyes awaitingTheir treasures they must show.SLI 2003 Show WinnersHere are the results of the 2003 SLI Iris Show, which washeld in Lafayette, La., on April 11-12, at the Hotel Acadiana.Gordon Rabalais, Arnaudville, La., was show chairman.Katherine & Ray Cornay AwardOutstanding Seedling 21-01-1Dorman HaymonOutstanding Tall Seedling 21-01-1Dorman HaymonOutstanding Medium Seedling 24-98-1Dorman HaymonMacMillan Award [for oldest registered blue ribbon winner]‘Golden Fairy’ (Nies 40), Exhibited by Gordon RabalaisMarvin Granger Award [for best double in show) ‘Delta Star’(Granger 66), Exhibited by Gordon RabalaisJoe Mertzweiller Award [for best tetraploid in show] ‘ProfessorNeil’ (Mertzweiller 90), Exhibited by Jim LeonardIra S. Nelson Award [for three best specimens]1 st Place, ‘Praline Festival’ (Haymon 92), Exhibited byGordon Rabalais2 nd Place, ‘Great White Hope’ (Haymon 99), Exhibitedby Dorman Haymon3 rd Place, ‘Dixie Deb’ (Chowning 50), Exhibited byJeff WeeksSweepstakes Award (for most show ribbons won)Silver Medal, Gordon RabalaisBronze Medal, Jim LeonardAnd South LouisianaWith pride throws wide its doorTo views of rainbow colorsAnd curious ways of yore.Pearl Mary SeguraSouthwestern Louisiana InstituteReprinted from:Home Gardening for the South (May 1945)10 SLI NEWSLETTER | SUMMER 2003

Texas Hexagonae:Stalking Wild Louisiana Irises in the Lone Star Stateby Eric A. DearingCollege Station, TexasWe all know a lot aboutHexagonae irises of Louisiana, but theirrange is more extensive than just Louisiana.They exist here in Texas as well.The types found here in Texas are:I.hexagona (for which the series wasnamed) is found here too, but this ismost likely an error. I.fulvais found around the Texas,Louisiana border in southeastTexas and west toH o u s t o n .I.giganticaerulea is also inthis basic area. These twoprefer different habitats, althoughwhere the two habitatsborder each other, hybridsare not uncommon.I.brevicaulis extends itrange more northward andis probably the most westerlyof the series.Now that I have givenyou some background onthis series in Texas, I am reallywriting this to tell youabout the irises that I foundhere in the Brazos Valley area, which isabout 90 miles northwest of Houston.For practical purposes, I will refer tothem as I.brevicaulis. They were ashock to me because of the diversity Ifound all in one very small area. Thearea that I studied existed on both sidesof a dirt road and extends only aboutone city block in distance. It is a marshy,narrowl creek that drains into LickCreek. This in turn empties into theNavasota River. I was told by the personwho owns the land that irises growall up and down the creek on the sidewherein water drains from, but at thepresent, I have only studied the area justadjacent to the road.I found there was mostly a variantthat resembled a typical medium blueI.brevicaulis. I also found a few muchdarker purple ones that had a very distinctiveunderlining reddish glow. Couldthese possibly have I.fulva influence?I am inclined to think so, as I will explainlater. I also found one clone thatwas very tall. The leaves were erectand the flowers held quite high. Theleaves measured in at 39 inches. Thatis every bit as tall as I.giganticaerulea,although I am about two and a half hoursaway from any known group of thatspecies. There was some variation inthe plant size but this was the tallest one.I also hoped to find a white iris, asI know white I.brevicaulis are occasionallyfound, so I asked the landownerif he had seen any. He said he had neverseen one there. Little did I know thatas we spoke there was a white one behinda tree not but 30 feet from us. Ididn’t find it until about a week later; itmay not have been in bloom or was justtoo well hidden behind the tree. Whateverthe case, it was magic to me. Thewhole experience wasmagical. My adrenalineran very high as I dreamedof all of the beautiful irisesthis place had. It was oneof the best times in mylife. I really thank God forit. I think the white clonemay have been missed inpart because it was rathershort. There were twoseparate plants but I thinkthey are the same clone.It appears that a deer/cow trail divided theclump. Petal size variedtoo. Most typical was theaverage I.brevicaulis sizeand shape. But I found anice one that had petalsthat were very narrow. The shape wasa lot like I. murrayana except the colorwas blue. The signal was even similarto I.murrayana as well. Then I founda powder blue one that had wide, morerounded petals.I did collect some of the clones Ifound, but only responsibly. Let meexplain responsible collecting. Since aclone has a network of rhizomes, it doesnot hurt to take one small piece of therhizome. That way the clone will remainwhere you found it as well as beingpreserved in the garden. The cloneis thus still there to contribute its genet-SUMMER 2003 | SLI NEWSLETTER 11

ics. In a few years, they will re-dig theditches beside the road and most ofthese clones will not be there anymore.Development in the area also threatensto drain the marsh. This is why it is importantto preserve wild irises inthe garden. Luckily, thereis a park nearby that mayhave kept some safe.Now about the fulva influence.It is possible thatI.fulva exists on theNavasota River. TheNavasota is only about 5 to10 miles from where I foundthese irises. Although overallthese irises would be classifiedas I.brevicaulis, theywere growing in a fairly shaded areaunlike I.brevicaulis prefer.. And althoughsome had typical zigzag stemsand foliage and measures to fit theI.brevicaulis description, many plantsdefied the description.I have thus concluded that this groupfits the description of hybrid swarm, likemany known to exist in the Abbeville,Louisiana area. In support of mytheory, check out Introgressive Hybridizationby Edgar Anderson (1949)and also Jill A. Johnston’s home page:Evolutionary Ecophysiology in the LouisianaIris Hybrid System (http;//dogwood.botany.uga.edu/~johnston/johnston.html). Edgar Anderson demonstrateswhat a hybrid swarm is andhow it occurs, but Jill A. Johnston bestsupports my findings and views on theresults of hybridization. It is a way natureintroduces new genetics tothe wild; this keeps genepools revitalized. I can’tthink that after seeing andstudying these irises that thisis just a group of highly variableI.brevicaulis. It wouldbe very interesting to getsome genetic testing done.I have cross-pollinatedthese with many of myLouisiana cultivars; it willbe exciting to see whatthey produce.Most of these wildplants that I found weregrowing very deep in theground. The average wasabout 6 inches deep. ThisI figure is an adaptation toprotect the rhizomes againstthe droughts we get here.When the blooms were mostlyspent, caterpillars and other insectsvigorously attacked theplants and what few blooms were left.I am sure that deer ate many of theSLI Cultivar Check ListThe SLI Cultivar Check List has been updated to cover the earliest Louisianairis cultivars (pre-1930) through the registrations for 2000. The Check List is inan 8 1/2 by 11 format with holes punched for a three ring binder and set-up to slipin the Registrations & Introductions for subsequent years.The Check List is organized by year and indexed by cultivar name and hybridizer. For eachiris, complete registration information is given, including hybridizer, year of registration/introduction,color, height, bloom time, parentage, and a description of the flower.Checklist: $20.00, inc. postage2001 Supplement: $11.50, inc. postageOrder from Richard Sloan, Treasurer,118 E. Walnut, Alma AR 72921.Checks payable to SLI.blooms too. Moths also became abundant(i.e., iris borers). I went back laterin the hopes of finding seed for SI-GNA. There were no pods to be foundanywhere, but then this was a very dryyear. It has rained heavily now, sobloom and seed should be much betterin 2003. The foliage all died back inthe summer. This is probably an adaptationin part to keep the iris borers fromreaching the rhizomes through theleaves. It also conserves the plant’s energyto development of the seeds andthus do not direct much, if any, to thefoliage or growth at this time.I hope to continue studying thisgroup of irises and others in Texas. Iwill also look to get permission to studyfarther up and down the marshy creek.I will also be looking at the NavasotaRiver to see if I.fulva is there. I hopeyou have enjoyed reading this, and Ihope to do a follow up article next summer.I welcome any comments or questions.Just drop me a line at:Blueirisred@aol.com.[Editor’s Note: The author is a restaurantmanager in Texas. This article wasoriginally published in the SIGNANewsletter, Spring 2003.]2001 SupplementNow Available12 SLI NEWSLETTER | SUMMER 2003

More About Our Archivesby Marie CailletLittle Elm, TexasI was interested in the article by Dr.Bruce Turner about our Louisiana irisarchives at the University in Lafayette(Winter 2002 issue). My ‘collection’will eventually go there. It also broughtback wonderful memories of the earlyyears of the Society. The show picturedand labeled 1948 had to be before1946. Not only do I rememberthis, but it can be found in ScrapbookNumber 1. We outgrew our little displaysin the old two story house next tothe coliseum and moved to the old campusstudent center in 1946.Bruce Turner could better tell youwhy archives are important, but I somehowmust have known this over 60 yearsago! Some of what I have for the archiveswill duplicate what others havesent, but much will be different. I hopeduplicate material will be offered to theAmerican Iris Society Library. I shalllist a few of the items I have collectedand saved since 1941.1. There are 7 scrapbooks fullof material, such as articles fromnewspapers and magazines. Newspaperclippings back to the 1930swhen Dr. Small came to New Orleansand a Louisiana iris society wasorganized there. Unfortunately, it didnot survive. One can find such informationas officers, show winners,dates of meetings and other historicalinformation.2. A file containing membershiplists, minutes of meetings and variousprojects the Society has engagedin over the years. Probably everythingthe Society has published andsent out to members, including all theNewsletters and Special Publications.3. About 30 or 40 magazineswith articles about Louisiana irises andiris people. Many of these magazinesare no longer published and would behard to locate, even in libraries.4. One file box is full of informationon iris people - letters, articles aboutthem or that they wrote, obituaries andsometimes a picture.5. Catalogs listing Louisiana irisesback to that of J. C. Nicholls of NewYork State in 1933 and those of earlycollectors like Percy Viosca andEdmond Riggs of Louisiana. Most ofthe catalogs from Sidney Conger, W.B. MacMillan, Claude Davis, CharlieArny, Melrose Gardens, Cordon BleuFarms and some price lists from earlycollectors and hybridizers.6. A file on the Louisiana Iris Societyof America, which includes our petitionto form the organization and allthe bulletins that were published. I alsohave the American Iris Society Bulletinsback to 1940, but doubt this wouldgo in our archives.7. I have kept some of the workingmaterial from our 1988 and 2000books, such as correspondence, contracts,outlines arid letters or articlesfrom those working on the books. Notevery thing was kept here and much wasdiscarded, but there is enough to fill afile box!Where did all this material comefrom and why have I saved it? I hate toadmit I am a pack-rat, but perhaps Iam! I think it all started in the mid-1940s when I took the job of PublicationChairman and then that of Secretary-Treasurer.These jobs both requiredkeeping things. I am sure I threwaway things I should have kept, butmuch remained. In 1953 I helped withthe publishing of a handbook and a bib-Marie Caillet and Tom Dillard load boxes of SLI archives she saved through the years.Tom delivered the boxes to Dr. Bruce Turner at the University of Louisiana--LafayetteSUMMER 2003 | SLI NEWSLETTER 13

liography that required digging for materialand collecting any information wecould find. This gave me the idea ofstarting the scrapbooks to keep thingsin chronological order. These earlyscrapbooks are falling apart, but are stillhere. There are also four photo albumsand hundreds of slides. I duplicatedabout 400 slides to help start ourSlide Archives since many were of thevery early cultivars.Society publications were automatic,as I was a Charter Member.Many articles were sent to me by ourmembers - Some as far away as Australia,Germany and Japan. Magazineswere not always as easy to collect andI am sure I missed some about the irisesor iris people. I either wrote articlesor helped with many in magazines duringthe past 25 years, so have copies ofthose.A close connection with the AmericanIris Society brought in articles fromregional bulletins and several pamphletswere sent when the AIS central officein St. Louis was closed out. Earlymembers like Hattie Clark and MinnieColquitt gave me material they hadhoarded. A prime example is the book,The Genus Iris by W. R. Dykes, publishedin 1913 and now considered arare book. I have corresponded withiris people for over 60 years andMinnie in a SwampThe photograph to the rightserves two purposes: 1) to celebratethe 100th birthday of SLIcharter member Minnie Colquitt(shown here in 1948); and, 2) toshow the type of materials MarieCaillet, another SLI stalwart, collectedthrough the years in her associationwith the Society.Congratulations to bothMinnie Colquitt and Marie Caillet!worked with our publications. Editingour newsletters for 14 years was a greatway to contact people and acquirematerial.This material has been invaluablewhen we needed to check a date, aname or information about an activity.The catalogs were used for the 1982and 1990 Check Lists to check descriptionsand parentage. I often refer tothe scrapbooks and files when writingan obituary or recommendations forawards. We have used the informationwhen preparing publications and forediting articles for the two books. Ihave just used the files for writing aboutsome of the early hybridizers for ournext Special Publication. A lady inCalifornia is using letters and catalog listingsfor an article she is writing abouther grandfather, Eric Nies, one of thevery early hybridizers. A garden writerhas recently copied letters, articles andnewspaper clippings about CarolineDormon for a possible book she is writing.I sent a copy of a Christmas letterby Percy Viosca in 1952 to his son, whodoesn’t remember seeing it and wasdelighted to have a copy.I will end this by saying that I livealone and have more storage space thanI need, otherwise I doubt I would stillhave so much. Things do accumulateand I guess I AM A PACK RAT!Minnie ColquittCelebrates 100 YearsMrs. Minnie Colquitt, oneof the three surviving chartermembers of the Society forLouisiana Irises, celebratedher 100 th birthday on July 12 th .Mrs. Colquitt served as presidentof SLI during its earlyyears. She was also active inthe American Iris Society. In1951, when AIS held its nationalconvention in Shreveport,Louisiana., she served asconvention chairman. AISlater awarded her the DistinguishedService Medal.A photograph of MinnieColquitt on a collecting trip toa swamp in 1948 is reproducedbelow.Mrs. Colquitt would loveto hear from SLI members.14 SLI NEWSLETTER | SUMMER 2003

IN MEMORIAMA Tribute to Marvin GrangerShirley Caillet WelchThe iris world lost another dedicatedand prolific iris hybridizer with thedeath of Marvin Granger of LakeCharles, Louisiana. Marvin died May11, 2003 after an operation and otherhealth problems. He leaves many devotednieces and nephews and manyiris friends with whom he talked or correspondedfor over 50 years. He namedmany of his introductions for familymembers, such as May Roy, DeirdreKay and Rebecca Garber. Other iriseswere named for collectors and growers,such as Bill Levingston and SamRedburn, or for well known iris peoplelike Kay Nelson, Rokki Rockwell, andrecently one named for Helen Reid ofAustralia.Marvin said he got into the iris businessquite by accident after a niecemarried a man from Cameron Parishnear Creole, Louisiana. On trips to visitthe niece, he and his sister, Leona, begancollecting different shades and formsof I. giganticaerulea to bring home.They lived on property that borderedthe Calcasieu River and that was a naturalswamp when it rained. They laterattended a talk and slide show in LakeCharles where they met Bill Levingstonand learned about the red irises (thespecies, I. nelsonii) that grew east ofthem. This led to collecting trips to theAbbeville area, the meeting of othercollectors—like Ike Nelson and W. B.MacMillan—and joining the Society forLouisiana Irises. Marvin described themembers of the Society as the “finest,friendliest folks I have ever known.”We can say the same about Marvin,who always welcomed everyone to hishome and garden. He gave away moreirises than sold and did whatever hecould to promote Louisiana irises andthe Society. He attended most of theSLI meetings and several American IrisSociety conventions. He wrote articlesfor the SLI Newsletter and for the AISBulletin. The members from Texaswho drove through Lake Charles formeetings in Lafayette stopped by hisgarden to see what was blooming andwhat new material he might have. Itwas not out of my way to stop on myfrequent trips between Lafayette andTexas, so I stopped often. If he knewahead of a visit, he had a pot of hisstrong coffee and hot biscuits in themornings or cookies in the afternoon. Ialways left with plants, Louisiana irises,Gulf penstemon, and a seedling peartree I still grow.Marvin collected awards as well asirises. He won many blue ribbons atthe Lafayette shows and often won Bestof Show or Best Seedling. He won theDeBaillon Medal for ‘Kay Nelson’(1986) in 1995, the SLI Service Awardin 1994, and the AIS Hybridizer Medalin 2001. His collected ‘Creole Can-Can,’ the only double Louisiana iris everfound, gave us doubles and cartwheelslike ‘Double Talk’ (1971), ‘Delta Star’(1966), ‘Rose Cartwheel’ (1980), and‘Starlight-Starbright’ (1985). In all,Marvin registered 42 cultivars, butmany of the early ones are probably lostby now. I still grow about a dozen ofhis introductions, including the very oldones, such as ‘Delta Star,’ ‘May Roy’(1969), and ‘Delta Prince’ (1971).They are still excellent garden irises.It is sad to lose old friends likeMarvin Granger, who represented the“old order” of true gardeners and loversof the native irises of South Louisiana.Marie CailletSLI members who know and lovethe beautiful pink Louisiana iris named‘Aunt Shirley’ (Mertzweiller 90) will besaddened to learn that its namesake,Mrs. Shirley Caillet Welch of Little Elm,Texas died in March at the age of 99.Mrs. Welch was the sister of SLI foundingmember and leader Miss MarieCaillet.Born July 8, 1903, Mrs. Welch grewup on a farm, attended school and collegein Texas, graduating in 1925 fromwhat is now Texas Woman’s University.She taught elementary grades beforebecoming a school principal in1934. She retired in 1957, but sheserved as a substitute teacher in LittleElm until 1970. Her husband, ClydeWright Welch, died in 1992.In retirement Mrs. Welch lived in acharming home on the shore ofLewisville Lake near Little Elm, acrossthe street from her sister, Marie. Peopletouring her sister’s famed garden oftenvisited with “Aunt Shirley,” as she waswidely known.In addition to Marie, another sister,Margaret Caillet Swann of Nashville,Tennessee, survives Mrs. Welch.Tom W. DillardSUMMER 2003 | SLI NEWSLETTER 15

Thank YouPat O’Connorfor YourHard Workwww.louisianas.organd Dedicationin Producing theSLI Newsletterthe Past 5 YearsIRIS CITY GARDENSPrimarily beardless iris; Japanese,Siberian, Louisiana and SpeciesWe carry some antique iris, tallbearded iris, never-rustgarden markers and beautifulscreen savers.Call, write or email for free catalogChange ofAddress?If your address changes, pleasenotify Richard Sloan, Treasurer,118 E. Walnut, Alma, AR72921, in order to continuereceiving your Newsletter.Macey and Greg McCullough7675 Younger Creek RoadPrimm Springs, TN 38476615-799-2179 800-934-IRISwww.iriscitygardens.comemail@iriscitygardens.comAitken’s Salmon Creek Garden608 NW 119th StreetVancouver, WA 98685-3802Ph. (360) 573-4472, Fax: (360) 576-7012www.flowerfantasy.netaitken@flowerfantasy.netSend $3 for color catalogIris City Gardens7675 Younger Creek RoadPrimm Springs, TN 38476Free color catalog - 800-934-4747email@iriscitygardens.comwww.iriscitygardens.comCommercial Directory.Bois d’Arc Gardens1831 Bull Run RoadSchriever, LA 70395(985) 446-2329Catalog $1Isle of View Iris GardenP. O. Box 3126Battle Ground, WA 98604(360) 687-1567www.isleofviewirisgarden.comWrite or email for free spring catalogLouisiana SiberianCollier’s GardenP.O. Box 32Lawson, MO 64062-0032, USAPhone: (816) 580-7116E-mail: thomascollier@juno.comFREE Catalog upon RequestLouisiana Iris Farms321 W. Main St., Suite 2DLafayette, LA 70501(318) 232-6096Louisiana Nursery5853 Highway 182Opelousas, LA 70570(337) 948-3696www.durionursery.comWholesale & RetailFree List Upon RequestSeabrook Nursery and Gardens9924 N. W. 171 TerraceAlachua, FL 32615(386) 462-7999email: jseabro2@bellsouth.netwww.seabrooknursery.comWholesale& Retail~Color catalog $1Listings at the rate of $10 for four quarterlyissues beginning with the springissue. Costs prorated for listings beginningin later issues. No one timelistings. Listings may include name,address, phone, wholesale/retail status,and specialty.16 SLI NEWSLETTER | SUMMER 2003

Louisiana Iris SpecialistsPO Box 83 PENNANT HILLS NSW 1715AUSTRALIATEL: (61) 2 9144 3805FAX: (61) 2 9440 0663EMAIL: irishhaven@pip.com.auEMAIL: irishaven1@hotmail.comWEBSITE: www.irishaven.com.auHappy TogetherSEND $2US (or equivalent) to cover returnpostage for Free Catalog.We ship within Australia, and to the USA &CanadaBeginning in 2004, I will directly sell theLouisiana irises I have registered. A pricelist will be available by winter 2003, and shippingwill start the following fall. Currently, I ambuilding stock, and most things are in shortsupply.A website is under construction. Eventually, itwill contain prices and ordering information.A working version contains pictures of the irisesthat eventually will be available. Feel free tobrowse at:http://www.members.cox.net/pfoconnorPatrick O’Connor4628 Newlands St.Metairie, LA 70006pfoconnor@cox.netGo West Young ManSlide Loan ProgramSlide sets are available on Louisiana irises. Eachrents for $10 plus the expense of returning the slides.Sets may be used for two program dates if arrangedin advance.Each slide set comes with a short, customizablescript, including identification of hybridizer and dateof registration.Sets should be ordered from:Lynn Finkel20105 NE 220th CircleBattle Ground, WA 98604Phone (360) 687-1567Richard Sloan tells Tim Nutt to “Go West, Young Man” tothe 2004 SLI Convention. Next year’s convention will be held inDallas, Texas. Sloan and Nutt were enjoying the CopenhaverGarden on the Garden Tour. Mark your calendar for April 24-27,2004, and “Go West too!”SUMMER 2003 | SLI NEWSLETTER 17

Request for Guest IrisesThe Monterey Bay Iris Society will host the AISRegion 14 Spring Meeting in 2005. We invite hybridizersto send guest rhizomes of recent introductionsand seedlings under consideration for introduction.The Society is interested in receiving TB irisesas well as beardless ones. Tall bearded guests willbe accepted during the month of August 2003.Beardless irises will be accepted during Septemberand October 2003.Send all official guest irises to:Vicki Dudley17285 Tamara LaneWatsonville, CA 95076Phone: 831-663-2036Email: embercrest@aol.comEach guest rhizome should be clearly marked asto seedling number or name. Along with the rhizomes,a separate packing list with the followinginformation should be included: hybridizer’s name,address, phone number, and email address; nameor seedling number of each cultivar; type of iris (TB,La, etc.); height, bloom season, and color; year ofintroduction.Persons interested in providing guests are urgedto contact Vicki Dudley at the above address.How’d They Do???SLI would like to know how well Louisiana iriseshave done in shows across the country. Please contactthe editor with news on your local show: TomW. Dillard, Editor, 12 Normandy Road, Little Rock,AR 72207; or email him at tomd@cals.lib.ar.usAmerican Iris SocietyAwards for Louisiana IrisesEach year the American Iris Society recognizes accomplishmentsin the field of iris hybridizing through a variety ofawards and medals. The award and medal recipients forLouisiana irises for 1993 are:DeBaillon Medal:‘Cajun Sunset’ by Marvin Granger, 50 votesRunners-up:‘Geisha Eyes’ by Charles Arny, 36 votes‘Professor Marta Marie’ by Joe Mertzweiller, 29 votesAward of Merit‘Lone Star’ by Farron Campbell, 31 votes‘Atchafalaya’ by Farron Campbell, 28 votes‘Whistling Dixie’ by Mary Dunn, 28 votesRunners-up:‘Jazz Hot’ by Heather Pryor, 26 votes‘Beale Street’ by Kevin Vaughn, 23 votes‘Plantation Belle’ by Mary Dunn, 23 votesHonorable Mention‘Cajun Love Story’ by Dorman Haymon, 32 votes‘Great White Hope’ by Dorman Haymon, 25 votes‘Pumpkin Chiffon’ by D. L. Shepard, 22 votes‘Scarlett’ by Mary Dunn, 21 votes‘My Friend Dick’ by Richard C. Butler, Sr., 19 votes‘Ann Faith’ by M. D. Faith, 16 votesRunners-up:‘Hail Mary’ by Mary Dunn, 15 votes‘Palmetto Purple Plum’ by Steve Smart, 15 votes‘Spice World’ by Mary Dunn, 15 votesSIGNA Medal:‘Marvell Gold’ by James Waddick, 31 votesVisit the Society of Louisiana Irises Onlinewww.louisianas.orgSee the SLI Newsletter with Color Photos18 SLI NEWSLETTER | SUMMER 2003

Got Yours Yet?The new edition of the definitive book on Louisiana Irises may beordered directly from the Society for Louisiana Irises at a discountedprice. For each copy to be mailed, send $30 ($25 for the book, $5for postage) to:Richard Sloan, Treasurer118 E. WalnutAlma, AR 72921ADVERTISING RATESDISPLAY ADVERTISING. Display Advertising is accepted in any issue. Rates are as follows:Quarter-page, $15; half-page, $25; full-page $40.Add $5 for each photo, which must be furnished as a black-and-white or color print, a slide, or a digital file inacceptable format. Deadline is six weeks prior to publication date. Send ad information and payment to theeditorCOMMERCIAL DIRECTORY. Listings in the Commercial Directory are at the rate of $10 for fourquarterly issues beginning with the Spring issue. Costs are prorated for listings beginning in later issues. Noonetime listings accepted. Listings may include name, address, phone, wholesale/retail status, and specialty.Send information and payment to the editor.SLI NewsletterA Publication of theSOCIETY FOR LOUISIANA IRISES118 E. WalnutAlma, AR 72921PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGEPAIDJackson, MSPERMIT NO. 416RETURN SERVICEREQUESTED