THE CULT OF THE IRIS IN 1923 
R. S. STURTEVANT 
Secretary American Iris Society 
Novelties that Draw Notice En Masse and Alone—This Season’s Exhibitions South, East, and West 
Editors’ Note: The findings of this connoisseur will, we are sure, interest all lovers of Iris alert for news of the rare or the novel in color, form, and habit. As 
Secretary of the American Iris Society, Mr. Sturtevant has wide points of contact with the field of his choice and has as well an intimate personal knowledge of this 
flower, upon the successful growing of which his gardening efforts have been for many years concentrated. 
f^ 1 IE', widespread increase in gardens has been paralleled 
wl by the increase in the number of exhibitions held in 
lffp|§g cooperation with the American Iris Society, and many 
SFir p? 0 f these local exhibitions have brought out from thirty 
to fifty exhibitors. Richmond staged the big Eastern Show in 
the Coliseum with notable returns and, as the season advanced, 
Lynchburg, Wilmington, Washington, and Harrisburg led us on 
to the small but delightful Show at New Rochelle which was 
held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting and a Field Day at 
the New York Botanical Trial Grounds. At many of these 
exhibits there were lectures on Irises and at New Rochelle an 
unusually full display of books and pamphlets about the Iris. 
Farther west, Nashville, Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Rock¬ 
ford, Belvidere, Freeport, and Minneapolis had enthusiastic 
meetings and there were educational exhibits in Redlands, 
Berkeley, and Seattle on the Western Coast. All this tale of 
successes is relatively unimportant, however, to the gardener 
who wishes new varieties. 
T HE number of novelties is bewildering, and unfortunately 
the number of prospective novelties is even greater. Na¬ 
turally among so many there are few which are clearly out¬ 
standing in all respects. Ambassadeur clearly ranks with Mme. 
Gaudichau as both distinct and of the finest, and yet many an 
amateur has blandly said “Why, I have that,” as they admired 
it in my garden. If this applies to Ambassadeur it most 
assuredly applies to our other fine novelties like Magnifica, 
Ballerine, Ochracea, and even Dominion, which are less out¬ 
standing in color. Ochracea, mis-re-named Sunset, is an olive- 
colored thing with an iridescent flush of mauve on the falls. 
Like Rachel Fox and the old Lord Gray it will have its admirers, 
and it lights up well indoors, but why it should ever have re¬ 
ceived an award in London is beyond my understanding. I am, 
however, becoming less and less sure in my judgments. Varie¬ 
ties vary too widely in different seasons, and gardens, to make a 
snap judgment at all reliable, and perhaps only by both near and 
distant comparisons of large plantings is a true judgment en¬ 
tirely fair. 
In mass Georgia (Farr) was an outstanding pink, while as a 
sample in my own garden it was negligible. I suspect that it 
will surpass Dream, and I regret that I cannot yet compare it to 
the new Susan Bliss and Aphrodite. Delight, My Lady, 
Mid-West, and Cygnet, each in their way, are fine plicatas and 
Mid-West (Sass) heralds a new type of flower that is larger and 
more charmingly ruffled than M. Denis’ productions: Mme. 
Chobaut, Mme. Denis, Mme. Louesse, etc. Mary Garden 
is perhaps the best known of this group. Damozel (Morrison) is 
practically a blue-toned Parisiana and equally fine. 
Undine, reported as extra early, Twin Larches, 
Frank H. Thomas, and the many Bliss plicatas, 
Dimity, Camelot, Princess Toto, etc., I have 
not yet seen in company formation. 
At Movilla Gardens there was a splendid oppor¬ 
tunity of seeing many varieties well massed and 
from a distance many blended into one another 
most surprisingly. Mrs. J. S. Brand, A. E. 
Kunderd, Toreador, Red Cloud, Mrs. Cowley, 
Mrs. Mort Sanford, and Navajo were hardly distinguishable 
from this point of view. The claret tones of Pauline, Caprice, 
Ed. Michel, Powhatan, and the two-toned Dorman stood 
out splendidly and merged in with Shrewsbury and Tamar— 
the first distinct, despite its small size because of the vivid 
orange beard, and the second for its deepening shade below the 
beard. These clarets may be difficult to handle with other 
colors, but they have a most valuable carrying quality. 
For the most part the novelties are chiefly improvements, 
vast improvements very often, but far less startling than were 
Orifiamme, Caterina, and others introduced about 1910. 
Flammenschwert is a clearer Iris King as per description; 
Eckesachs, and Rheintraube also. Personally 1 place 
Dominion, Ballerine, Prospero, and many others in this same 
class, but I am alone in that respect. 
A S the visitors wandered through my hodge-podge of a gar- 
. den where old and new, and named, and never to be 
named, seedlings and varieties are planted hit or miss, certain 
colors and varieties caught their eye. The clear yellow of 
Shekinah and its numerous progeny, the richness of Archeve- 
que and Acheron, or Ambassadeur, the blush tints of pink 
seedlings, the contrasts of Tristram andVicTORiNE,the blueness 
of Chester J. Hunt., Bluet, or Du Guesclin, all these caught 
the eye. The slightly marked plicatas were popular, but 
lavenders and variegatas almost always evoked the remark, “ I 
have something very like that.” Even Marsh Marigold and 
W. J. Fryer did not receive their proper meed of attention. 
Many asked to see Lent A. Williamson, or Magnifica per¬ 
haps, but were easily satisfied with some less rare sort. Asia, I 
am sorry to say, was not in good form because I think it will 
prove a big drawing card. Troost and Steepway both ap¬ 
pealed to me very much. The first might be compared to 
Her Majesty, which has always been among my favorites, and 
the second is a pinker Quaker Lady with the same smoothness 
of finish and charm of form. Valery Mayet, though distinctly 
a velvety bi-color, had something of the same color appeal, and I 
remember Moliere as a deeper, richer Merlin. Joya has, on 
snap judgment, much the deep tone of Mme. Gaudichau. 
I confess to bewilderment and yet 1 am glad that 1923 is to see 
the introduction of a number of Mr. Mohr’s seedlings. A 
number have thriven for some years in my garden in spite of their 
mesopotamica blood, and in size and height and carriage they 
far outclass even Anne Page, Lord of June, and Crusader. It 
remains to be seen how they will succeed in all localities. Prince 
Lohengrin is, in a way, but an improvement; Soledad is 
quite a bit more, as it is an intermediate of fine substance; Mar¬ 
iposa is distinct; Marian Mohr comparable 
to Mile. Schwartz, but even less thrifty in Mas¬ 
sachusetts, while Silverado suggests Quaker 
Lady, but possesses a unique shading of deep, 
dull lavender washed with violet and plumbago 
blue. 
I fear that these notes are but lists of novelties 
and yet, perhaps, even a list of favorites may 
prove something of a pilot in so uncharted a sea as 
our catalogues now present. 
372 
