September, 1920 
143 
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American Iris Society. 
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W HAT A CONTRADICTORY thing a 
catalogue may be, deceitful or de- 
lightful, it may lure us to dreams or 
—to disappointments. I am a col- 
lector of catalogues, I like to compare one 
with another (particularly the prices therein) 
and some are stodgy lines of print while 
others have a personal touch that makes 
one want to meet the man behind. I am 
not to mention all the catalogues of our com- 
mercial members for that would be as diffi- 
cult as describing two similar Irises so truth- 
fully and yet so delicately that you would 
buy them both. Few catalogues, at least in 
the Iris line, are without some merit, what I 
dislike you might appreciate, but whether 
we agree or disagree do not think that I 
know what sort of stock may be supplied 
you. 
Our present day catalogue of the finest 
type is a development from the mere price 
list such as William Prince issued in the early 
nineteenth century, a list of botanical names 
with no descriptions. This we still find in 
bargain ads or wholesale lists, but more often 
it is an attractive little booklet with brief 
descriptions, a prologue and perhaps some 
special notes. This type leaves much to the 
imagination, superlatives are few and for 
anyone with information from current gar- 
den literature it is most satisfying. If well 
done these modern price lists have an indi- 
vidual flavor that I like far better than the 
tepid commonplaceness of a much more 
ambitious pamphlet. In some cases the va- 
rieties are listed alphabetically for easy ref- 
erence, but hunting for a certain coloring 
then becomes rather arduous ; again they 
may be variously grouped, sometimes accord- 
ing to rarity, or origin, sometimes according 
to price as in T. C. Thurlow’s Sons, Inc., 
catalogue, but usually according to the pre- 
sumable botanical relation. These groups 
were first put forth in 1892 by Krelage for 
the convenience of gardeners and for many 
years they have proved their worth. Now, 
however, though the germanica group still 
has a value, the pallidas which comprise va- 
rieties as widely differing as Juniata, Dal- 
marius or Plumeri prove of but little assist- 
ance. I wonder do you prefer to hunt 
through a list for the novelties, or to have 
them blazoned on the first page? And, do 
you really enjoy having the same novelties 
labeled “ new ” for ten years as has been 
the case with Rhein Nixe, Iris King, and 
others. That is hardly a sign of progress. 
A variation on these price lists is the folder ; 
probably Wm. Peterson’s is familiar to you 
all. The paper is stiff enough so that it is 
not easily mislaid and though the list of va- 
rieties is not long they have been well tested. 
You are offered both price and color collec- 
tions, and even different sized roots. That, 
by the way, is something worth noting, 
just what sort of a root actually grows best, 
is it a good-sized “finger,” a two-pronged 
rhizome that has had a stalk of bloom this 
year in the crotch, or what best satisfies 
the buyer? To one who wishes to increase 
his stock it is naturally a well budded rhizome, 
but for bloom what is the verdict ? 
The next step in catalogue development is 
an increase in the text, sometimes due 
to more detailed descriptions as is the 
case with Miss Sturtevant’s or Mrs. Cleve- 
land’s, sometimes to a literary effort that is 
extremely interesting. We may read a 
batch of letters from customers, enjoy a 
pleasant chat with Mr. Geo. N. Smith, get 
some solid advice from Mrs. Dean, or even 
be stirred by Mr. Groschner’s remarks upon 
one of our favorite varieties. It seems as if 
it were in this sort of a catalogue that the 
customer comes in closest touch with the 
grower. I happen to know Mr. Smith, but I 
feel as if I knew Mr. Weed almost as well 
and he lives in Oregon. Sometimes these 
lists have a picture or two that adds much 
to their attractiveness, though as yet we do 
not find in the small Iris catalogues the 
lovely coloring of the Gladiolus list such as 
Cedar Acres sends out. 
And that brings me to pictures, I do wish 
that they would be correctly named ! One 
wonders whether it is from accident, or de- 
sign, or lack of knowledge. You will find 
flowers pictured full size (often strange 
affairs) fascinating clumps, masses in gar- 
dens or nurseries, but best of all character- 
istic stalks such as we find in R. W. Wal- 
lace’s catalogue or the English garden maga- 
zines. I have counted the flowers in bloom 
on many a stalk, but never do I find such a 
number as there pictured. How many flow- 
ers out at once on a single stalk have any 
of you counted, I wonder. 
I know of only three big catalogues wherein 
Irises are one of the main specialties, the 
Rainbow Gardens, B. H. Farr, and John 
Scheepers, Inc., no two of them alike, the 
first is a good clean-cut presentation and 
offers some English varieties not listed else- 
where in the United States, the second all 
Iris growers of recent years know from cover 
to cover, the third is just out and is “ A 
Book of Gardens,” the catalogue has become 
a sumptuous volume with articles by the 
Rev. Joseph Jacob, Mrs. Wilder, Mrs. Ed- 
ward Harding, and an appreciation by Mrs. 
Francis King, all charmingly and fancifully 
illustrated. I have enjoyed the book 
thoroughly and have a feeling that Mrs. 
Wilder is responsible for much more than 
the signed articles; the descriptions are de- 
lightful and often include helpful hints as to 
combinations with other flowers. Though it 
is primarily a bulb catalogue, Irises receive 
their just due, but I had better warn you 
that a $5.00 deposit is necessary until an 
order for $25.00 worth of bulbs is received, 
if you wish it sent you. 
When you come down to it, is it not the 
description of a variety that lures you ? Un- 
fortunately as yet few varieties are ad- 
equately pictured. Let me quote two de- 
scriptions, one from Barr & Sons’ catalogue 
of 1913, the other from Mrs. Cleveland’s of 
1920, in both cases the varieties are new in- 
troductions: “ Florence Wells, S., soft mauve, 
F. deeper mauve, large flowers, very free 
bloomer.” “ Opal, S., very large, wavy and 
overlapping, lavender softly shaded mauve, 
F. lavender overlaid with rose. The whole 
flower is enormous in size, beautifully wavy 
in effect, gracefully branched and with an 
indescribably opalescent appearance.” The 
first was listed at 35c., the last at $15.00. 
Five years ago, I think it was, that Cru- 
sader, listed at $5.00, was the highest priced 
variety of Iris offered, then in the same year 
Avalon was listed at $25.00 and Dominion 
(by the agent at least,) at $39.00, now the 
latter is $49.00 in this country and the prices 
of many other varieties range from $3.00 to 
$10.00 or more. Such prices are distinctly 
unreasonable and yet apparently people want 
them enough to pay them, though I must 
acknowledge that when a price stays up for 
too many years it is not due to the over- 
whelming demand, but to poor growth, or 
vicissitude, with many growers. Caterina is 
a case in point, some firms have frankly dis- 
carded it, lovely as it is, with others it is 
listed at from 50c. to $5.00 a root, it is a fine 
grower, though perhaps slow, but very sus- 
ceptible to cold and wet. Rhein Nixe and 
Iris King are almost equally fine in their re- 
spective classes, the first I have seen listed 
at $7.00 per hundred, the latter rarely below 
$2.50 a dozen, and yet for the garden it is a 
satisfactory grower in every way. Novelties 
are high priced because they have been in- 
troduced to the public, very likely, before a 
large stock has been accumulated, but if the 
price remains high plan to give the plant a 
little coddling if varieties such as Crusader, 
Oriflamme or Caterina do not grow well for 
you. 
And now for what is new in the catalogues, 
or rather what is new in the comparatively 
few new catalogues that I have at hand. In 
general we find at least some of Farr’s seed- 
lings in every list and also Goos & Koene- 
man’s introductions of 1910, but these are 
now among the old stagers and varieties 
from R. Wallace & Co., such as Ringdove, 
Dawn, Shelford Chieftain, and more rarely 
Crusader, Lady Foster, and Lord of June. 
One catalogue offers Gules, and a few others 
of the Bliss seedlings, more of which I ex- 
pect to find in next year’s catalogues. 
Seedlings from Miss Sturtevant and Mr. 
Fryer are listed by at least three firms. 
White Knight, Lent A. Williamson, Zua and 
Mrs. Sherwin Wright, all American and 
fairly new are quite commonly listed. Of 
the French introductions the older Edouard 
Michel, Oriflamme, Monsignor and Archeveque 
are not at all unreasonable in price, but 
thanks to Quarantine No. 37 Opera, Ambigue, 
Dajazet, Pancroft and others, you may find 
high. Mme Durand, Aixo, Delicatissima and a 
few others that I mentioned in the January 
Flower Grower have just appeared for the 
first time and at very fair prices indeed. 
Miss Sturtevant has added but three low 
priced seedlings to her list this year. Mr. 
Fryer a large number at varying prices, and 
Mrs. Cleveland who has joined the list of 
introducers offers fifteen seedlings and her 
list is entrancing reading, and I want to try 
some of her new things though yet unseen. 
To my, perhaps, overcultivated taste this 
list and “The Book of Gardens” are the two 
outstanding points of interest among the 
Iris catalogues of 1920. 
Just for an amusement I want to give a 
short list of the highest priced varieties of 
Irises that I can and ask if you from your 
experience will not tell your fellow members 
whether they are as fine as the prices should 
indicate, I think it would be appreciated: 
Ambigue, Avalon, Dominion, E. C. Shaw, 
Grenadier, Marsh Marigold, Madison Cooper, 
Opal, Opera, Roseway, Red Glory, Shekinah, 
Peter Barr and Thelma Perry. Some day 1 
expect that we will have a real symposium 
of all our fine varieties of Irises. 
A number of correspondents are 
wanting recommended lists of varie- 
ties. Why don’t each of you send in 
a list of say ten of your favorities? It 
will prove but an informal symposium 
but the results might prove of real 
value. Do it promptly though so that 
there will be some continuity in our 
published notes. 
I imagine we all found much of in- 
terest in Mr. Zeestraten’s recommend- 
ations of Bulbous Irises last month and 
I think that you will also find some- 
thing of interest in the following notes 
from Mr. William S. Johnson, another 
of our members who has, what I should 
call, a pretty fine collection. I think 
that you will find it a pleasant change 
from the continual terminology of your 
secretary and he would appreciate 
more of the same. 
