hybridizers. Owners of vast estates, professional gardeners, 

 landscape architects, and Mr. and Mrs. Average Citizen who 

 love flowers and particularly the iris, are counted among those 

 always present. Since those in charge of arrangements invari- 

 ably select a city known for its iris plantings, visitors are cer- 

 tain to see a lot that's new and interesting and in addition to 

 enjoy the hospitality of local garden clubs and host iris folk. 

 For those who are not fortunate enough to be in attendance, the 

 bulletins give complete and lively accounts of all that goes on 

 and detailed discussion of new varieties shown. 



Every breeder or introducer covets the honor attached to an 

 award of the American Iris Society. Scores and scores of men 

 and women from coast to coast who are known to have a thor- 

 ough knowledge of what constitutes a good iris are sent ballots 

 and rating blanks prior to each flowering season. After the iris 

 have finished blooming, the blanks having been filled out are 

 mailed to a central chairman and the returns tabulated. The 

 H. M. — Honorable Mention — is given to a restricted number of 

 most outstanding sorts. The next highest award, Award of 

 Merit, can go only to those varieties which have previously 

 received an Honorable Mention, and here again the number is 

 restricted. The greatest possible honor for any iris, the Dykes 

 Medal, must go to a flower which has previously won an award 

 and which has been in commerce sufficiently long to have 

 proven its reliability under many conditions of weather, soil 

 and climate. Runner-up for this award is a considerable honor 

 in itself. 



These few paragraphs have attempted to give you some idea 

 of the Society and what it can do for you. If you care to join 

 send a check for $3 to B. Y. Morrison, Secretary, 821 Washing- 

 ton Loan and Trust Bldg., Washington, D. C. Treat yourself to 

 a year's membership. 



GROWING IRIS FROM SEED 



Condensed from a booklet published by .T. V. W.adki.l, Okaw Iris 

 Gardens, Vandalia, Illinois, and reprinted through his courtesy. 



No other flower has responded so fully to the hybridizer's 

 efforts at imi)rovement as the iris. From the old fashioned flags 

 of Mother's day, limited to purples, muddy yellows and whites, 

 there have been developed literally thousands of tall, beauti- 

 fully formed and colored flowers covering a great range of 

 color. 



The bearded iris is truly a garden flower, its value to the 

 florist is nil, but as a pageant of color glory in the garden, noth- 



