dollars for it, the highest price ever put on an Iris. Then came 
Dominion from across the seas, five guineas in England and 
forty-five dollars here. Miss Sturtevant not to be outdone, 
gives us Taj Mahal for one hundred dollars. Let us hope the 
limit has been reached. 
Here are some of the varieties that do well for me, some are 
sturdier than others, of course, and they are all good. Among 
the lavender pinks, Queen of the May, a very old variety, in 
strong sunlight the color is quite pink. Her Majesty is similar 
more dwarf and later, coming into bloom just as the May Queen 
is passing. Wyomissing, a very pale pink and white, fades 
quickly and appears washed out ; however, the coloring is delicate 
and very pretty. Mrs. Alan Gray, one of Foster 's, a tall mauve- 
pink of delightful coloring, this is advertised to bloom a second 
time in August; mine do so frequently but the hot summer sun 
soon wilts the flowers. 
The dark blue-purple Lent A. Williamson is the best dark 
variety I have yet seen and one of the best of all Irises. I do 
not like its name. It should have been called Masterpiece, for 
it ranks with the finest products of the horticultural world. It 
has strong healthy foliage, multiplies rapidly and bears large 
well formed flowers on stout thirty-eight inch stems. Juniata 
is a medium blue ; it is the tallest Iris I have and is very pretty 
Monsignor, of richest purple, is also good. 
The pale lavender-blue that many of the Bearded Irises wear 
is a very desirable color for the garden and should be used 
copiously. Pallida Dalmatica, the beautiful, is hard to get true 
to name. I have lately set out five, each bought from a different 
nurseryman and am waiting with interest for them to bloom. 
Tinae has large flowers of pale blue, it is tall, very strong-grow- 
ing and blooms with great freedom. It and Queen of the May 
are at their best together and make a good pink and blue 
combination. Queen Caterina is a. new Iris produced by Miss 
Sturtevant and it is one of which she has the right to be justly 
proud. Its flowers resemble those of the delusive Caterina, pale 
blue, heavily striped on the haft and very large with flaring 
falls. It multiplies quickly and blooms so profusely that I 
consider it a great acquisition. 
Two good white ones are Florentina, the first to bloom, it 
comes early enough to combine with the Darwin and Cottage 
Tulips ; and Mrs. H. Darwin, a free-flowering later white. Yellow 
is an elusive color, one that all the hybridists are striving for. I 
still like Aurea but I am waiting with great expectations for 
some of the newer ones to bloom for me. I threw away Mrs. 
Neuuronner and Sherwin-W right long ago, their flowers are so 
small that they were not worth the space they occupied. 
Red-purple Irises are not only beautiful in themselves but 
they are desirable to bring out the coloring of the very pale 
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