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{\*\generator Msftedit 5.41.15.1507;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\qc\b\f0\fs22 The American Iris Society Foundation \par
a report for the support 2004/5, arrived on June 18, 2004\par
\par
\pard\qj Basic aim of the application was and is\b0 : further work on the genetic resources of bearded garden irises, completing and supplementing the work in Pruhonice in two spheres:\par
A. Travel costs; the selection of themes and places was influenced by some facts, which appeared in the course of time \par
B. Equipment for home office and own garden work /supplement to the possibility to use the equipment in Pruhonice, which depends on timely limited, seasonal, not guaranteed working contracts/\par
C. Not included are activities which thematically belong here but were supported by my employer.\par
\par
\cf1\b Really spent AIS money written in red,\cf0  \par
\cf2 eventual further expenses from the rest of the 2004 support sum are in blue,\cf0  \par
\cf3 and potential future expenses are in green.\cf0\par
\b0 Till now I used mostly Czech crowns /CZK/ or a foreign currency accounts, did not change dollars, with respect to the decrease of the rate of dollar since June 2004 towards the end of the year (to almost 70% of its 2003 value). \par
I ordered and paid however a foreign currency charge card established exclusively for the payments on behalf of the AIS \cf1 /each year for 700 CZK = 1400 CZK = \b 61,9 dollars/.\par
\par
The present rate of 1 dollar is 22,63 CZK, 1 Euro is 29,19 CZK; 1 Euro = 1,29 dollar \par
\cf0\b0  \par
\pard\keepn\s4\qc\ul Planned activities and their accomplishment\par
\pard\keepn\s2\qc\ulnone\b Travels to larger distances \endash  fully or partly realized events\par
\pard\qj\b0 Two points, planned as independent, were connected together with respect to my previous negotiations in the Austrian Botanical Gardens, and Nigel Service\rquote s decision to come to Pruhonice from Austria in the same term.\par
\pard\keepn\s2\qj\b A. Visit of Botanic gardens in Vienna and Linz + Cooperation with Nigel Service, France\par
\pard\qj\b0 In the Austrian gardens my main aim was searching for I. trojana as a potential survival of Kern's original plants. This failed, the plants cultivated there under this name are represented by a clone of a 44-chr. I. germanica, different however from all those which we have in our collections.\par
>From the visited gardens 6 plants were obtained, belonging to I. x germanica, 3 historical cultivars and 3 plants for determination.\par
The stay with Nigel Service consisted of discussion about further cooperation, about eventual official project of the Institute of Botany, and in exchange of plants.\par
>From Nigel were obtained 15 plants of I. germanica and tetraploid Germanicoids.\par
All these contacts will continue.\par
\ul Date:\ulnone  May 19. \endash  21, 2004 \par
\ul Costs:\par
\ulnone transport expenses \endash  train tickets: \cf1 2048.2CZK = 90,51 dollars\cf0  /not included is driving in Nigel\rquote s car from Linz to Pruhonice/\par
\pard\fi708\qj accommodation: \cf1 27 E = 34,83 dollars\cf0\par
other expenses: 22 E + 500 CZK =\cf1  28.38 + 22,10 dollars \par
\pard\qj\b Altogether 175.82 dollars\par
\pard\keepn\s2\qj\cf0 B. Collecting of wild tetraploid plants in Macedonia/Greece\par
\pard\qj\b0 The possibilities of collecting wild plants in Macedonia were thoroughly evaluated. Macedonian mountains, with which I am more familiar than with Greece, are unhappily a not accessible territory yet. \par
My attempt to develop contacts in Greece failed \endash  many emails, and even a telephone call brought no response. From accessible sources of information one of rather reliable places may be Vikos. From there I succeeded to obtain samples collected by Nigel Service and independently by German botanists (from the Munich B. Garden). \par
Their blooming in Pruhonice will indicate the probability of being true wild plants or escapes, but only repeated collecting may enable to evaluate the real taxonomic value of these plants. \par
\cf4\b This theme would be worth of keeping in mind in future.\par
\cf0\par
\ul Substitute events:\par
\ulnone A. Driving to Switzerland through Germany\par
Main aims: \b0 collecting wild plants of I. variegata seen once as cut flowers in Erfurt under I. sambucina. The plants were however more corresponding with southern forms of variegata, which are often brown in standards instead of yellow in more northern populations. On the way stop at Mrs. ad Mr. Hald, founder of the German Iris Society. Further stop in Freiburg, talk with Susanne Weber, organizer of the German Franciris trip, and with Aglaja von Stein, successor of Helen von Stein-Zeppelin. Continuing to BG Basel, obtaining plants, and further to BG Munich; also there obtained plants. \par
\pard\li360\qj Together from this trip brought following plants:\par
\pard{\pntext\f0 1.\tab}{\*\pn\pnlvlbody\pnf0\pnindent360\pnstart1\pndec{\pntxta.}}
\fi-360\li720\qj\tx720 3 plants collected on Plettenberg hills, one of them left in BG Munich.\b\par
\pard{\pntext\f0 2.\tab}{\*\pn\pnlvlbody\pnf0\pnindent360\pnstart2\pndec{\pntxta.}}
\fi-360\li720\qj\tx720\b0 14 plants obtained in Basel for addition to the Pruhonice germanica collection and for determination\b\par
\pard{\pntext\f0 3.\tab}{\*\pn\pnlvlbody\pnf0\pnindent360\pnstart3\pndec{\pntxta.}}
\fi-360\li720\qj\tx720\b0 12 plants (species, historical cultivars) were obtained in Munich\b\par
\pard\qj\ul\b0 Date\ulnone : November 9 - 12\ul\par
Costs:\par
\ulnone transport expenses \endash  petrol price: 1780 km, total fuel consumption 148.2 l, average price 32 CZK/lt \endash  totally 4742,4 CZK, = \cf1 209,56 dollars\cf0\par
accommodation: hotel price 50 E =\cf1  64.5 dollars \cf0 (further 2 nights guest of S. Weber)\par
other expenses: 33 E = \cf1 42.57 dollars\cf0\par
\pard\keepn\s9\qj\cf1\b Altogether 316.66 dollars\par
\pard\qj\cf0\ul\b0\par
\pard\keepn\s7\qj\ulnone\b B. Participation in the Convention of the Middle European Iris Society\par
\pard\qj\b0 Poland, Mikol\'f3w; besides common program my lecture "Changing trends in the development of the present tome bearded irises".\par
\ul Date:\ulnone  June 4 \endash  6, 2004 \par
\ul Costs:\par
\pard\fi708\qj\ulnone transport expenses \endash  train tickets: 1076 CZK\cf1  = 47.55 dollars\cf0\par
accommodation: 1526 CZK \cf1 = 67.43 dollars\cf0\par
other expenses: 210 CZK\cf1  = 9.28 dollars\cf0\par
\pard\keepn\s9\qj\cf1\b Altogether 124.26 dollars\par
\pard\qj\cf0\b0\par
\pard\keepn\s2\qj\b Study and collecting of wild I. pumila in Kaliakra \endash  Bulgaria\par
\pard\qj\b0 This is a very attractive event, conditioned however by exact linkage with Bulgarian people /protected area, short terms of blooming time need information from local people/. \par
The course of this spring vegetation did not give enough reliability of responsible travel expenses (in the supposed blooming time there were \endash  3 degrees C). \par
\pard\keepn\s2\qj\cf4\b Like the Macedonian trip, also this one remains a potential important theme \par
\pard\qj\cf0\par
\pard\keepn\s2\qj C. International Botanical Symposium in Zagreb/Croatia\par
\pard\b0 The deadline for the application for an active participation in the symposium was before obtaining the support, and moreover, the theme was not enough concentrated on irises. The main organizer, Dr. Mitic however works on the genus Iris and further cooperation is very appropriate.\par
\cf4\b This theme would be again worth of keeping in mind in future.\cf0  \b0 We agreed upon further personal contacts with Dr. Mitic.\par
\pard\keepn\s2\qj\b\par
\pard\keepn\s5\qc B. Equipment for home office and garden work \endash  realized expenses\par
\pard\qj\b0\par
A. home office equipment (maps, folders and envelopes, calculator): 1672 CZK, \cf1 = 73.88 dollars\par
\cf0 B. USB Flash Disk: 1789 CZK, \cf1 = 79.05 dollars\cf0\par
C. postage (seeds for SIGNA exchange): 666 CZK \cf1 = 29.42 dollars\cf0\par
D. scanning of slides for publications: 1180 CZK \cf1 = 52.14 dollars\par
\cf0 E. garden equipment (water pump, ventil + hosepipe): 6779 CZK, \cf1 = 299.55 dollars\cf0  \par
\pard\keepn\s9\qj\cf1\b Altogether 534.05 dollars\par
\pard\cf0\b0\par
\pard\keepn\s8\ul\b Of 3600 dollars 1212.69 were used up to date, \par
2387.31 dollars remain for selection among following events\par
\pard\ulnone\b0\par
\pard\keepn\s8\b\par
Not planed and not realized expenses for the near future:\par
\pard\qj\b0 With respect to the rapid decrease of the rate of dollar since June of 2004 towards the end of the year to almost 70% of its 2003 value, but especially with the fact that in November a new hope appeared \endash  to attend the 2005 AIS Convention, I stopped spending money before clearing details and stating priorities between 4 eventual categories: \par
a/ the AIS Convention (corresponding eventual costs\cf3  \cf2 not calculated yet\cf0 ), 2005 participation showed however in the meantime not realistic. But perhaps 2006 would be possible.\par
b/ obtaining of the AIS publications, mostly bound on membership in specialized organizations, and 3 years fee for the Register of cultivars \endash  altogether \cf2 200-300\cf0  \cf2 dollars\cf0  (not realized with respect to about triple moving of my home library and all equipment in 2004, owing to complete rebuilding of whole house)\par
c/ new computer with accessories (\cf2 1500-2000\cf0  \cf2 dollars\cf0  \endash  the computer prices are told to be here higher than in USA); my home computer is acceptable, but has not enough capacity for working with photos; in this respect also own digital camera and color printer could be welcome after leaving Pruhonice (\cf4 cca 600-1000 dollars\cf0 )\par
d/ eventually my participation in the Franciris trip with the German Iris Society which will realize in May 2005 (350 Euros \cf2 = 451.5 dollars\cf0  + driving to Zeppelin Nursery in Laufen \endash  petrol costs 4400 CZK, i.e.\cf2  195 dollars\cf0 ).\par
e/ eventual trip to Hamburg, preparing an article about historic portraits of Irises (together with Dr. Roth, the previous director of the botanical department of the university in Hamburg; this idea is under discussion with him at present); \cf4 supposed cost about 500 dollars.\cf0\par
f/ internet access at home \endash  realistic only if the Pruhonice facilities should drop behind, or if the prices for private use fall down from the present-time \cf4 30 dollars\cf0  in one month\par
Here I would be thankful for a recommendation what to prefer.\par
\b\par
With sincere thanks for help in my work,\par
\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\tab\par
\b0 Milan Bla\'9eek\par
Zbuzany 6,\par
252 25 Jino\f1\'e8\f0 any, Czech Republic\par
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