Now to work up the courage to cut them. The seeds were soaked in a solution of fifty percent bleach and distilled water for about fifteen minutes. The seeds were then thoroughly rinsed, with distilled water, and put into salt shakers (purchased expressly for this purpose), water changed every day, for four or five days. Then the arils were removed using a dental pick, making sure that the embryo was exposed. The seeds were put in freezer bags with some perlite, and put in the crisper drawer. (Thereby decreasing my intake of fresh vegetables.) One of the Iris urumiensis (JJA 600.600) germinated about a month ago. I transplanted it, and it grew. Then I had the bright idea of transplanting it to a pot of pure sand, thinking that the sand would dry out faster, thereby preventing rot. Then I had the even brighter idea of watering it, since the oncos in the garden display none of the hydrophobia so often mentioned in the literature. The sand refused to dry out (it must have been some new miracle sand), and the leaves started browning at the tips. So I transplanted the poor seedling again, into to my standard seed starting mix. Today, with my usual skill, I accidentally knocked the pot over, dislodging the root from the tiny rhizome. I won't describe what happened to the other two seedlings. Bob Nold Denver, Colorado