Rarely is a “Golden Age’’ recognized except in 
retrospect. Seen in time’s perspective the heyday of 
an art or literature stands revealed — and left be¬ 
hind. Whatever may be the significance of our 
turbulent age (and it is doubtless very great) in 
that small but interesting sector of it that involves 
our mutual hobby, the iris, it may be noted with 
gratification that we are, beyond all doubt, in the 
midst of a Golden Age. The addition of thirty- 
eight new irises, all of them superior to previous 
sorts, to our catalog in a single year is sign enough. 
It is true that our policy of purchasing each year 
throughout the past depression all the most recom¬ 
mended foreign as well as American offerings, sev¬ 
eral of which we have held until this year, has 
somewhat amplified our 1937 group of additions. 
Nevertheless, even allowing for this, the advance¬ 
ment in beauty in a single year is very great and 
of a high auspiciousness. May the present Golden 
Age of iris development bringing year by year ever 
greater thrills to beauty lovers long continue! 
There are those who will receive this catalog 
who will be entirely unacquainted with the modern 
iris. To them the word “iris’’ will connote a low- 
growing perennial with two or three inch blooms 
in a comparatively narrow and somewhat dingy 
range of color. For them the discovery of the 
MODERN IRIS with its five to eight inch blooms, 
its three and four foot stems, its incredible range 
of fresh-toned color will be one of the major thrills 
of their horticultural careers. Others who know 
the great improvement the iris has undergone in 
recent years and who enjoy many delightful sorts 
in their own gardens, will note with interest the 
new varieties now first emerging into the commer¬ 
cial realm from the private gardens of famous 
hybridists. 
Let no one assume that the thirty-eight new varie¬ 
ties listed for the first time this year represent any¬ 
where near the total offerings of one season: they 
are but a small percent. Indeed there are nearly 
two thousand different iris varieties now offered in 
various trade channels. The listings of our complete 
catalog are only about one-sixth of this total. Our 
selection has been made after trying out most of these 
varieties in our own test garden and noting other 
sorts in our annual visits to the gardens of America’s 
leading iris hybridizers. Excepting a handful of 
varieties which we thought it wise not to list with¬ 
out further trial, we believe that the iris fancier 
will find our list comprehensive of all the finest 
irises thus far produced. Further, the very omission 
of mediocre sorts from our list (in which we aim 
to include only the “cream”) in itself constitutes 
a service to our customers; for many an iris lover 
has discovered to his regret that an iris which he 
has added to his garden is not quite the equal of 
a similar sort which he might just as well have had. 
Our selection of the outstanding is based on 
beauty of form and color, size, height, and branch¬ 
ing, vigor, hardiness, and profuseness of bloom, 
and last but not least on individuality — for the 
iris is a flower of marked variation of personality 
and a variety outstanding for quality in its more 
measurable aspects usually has its general excellence 
capped by a certain uniqueness, a certain harmony 
of its parts that mark it as a definite personality in 
the garden. What iris fancier does not know and 
love his varieties as individuals and rejoice in the 
addition of a lovely sort as in a new-found friend! 
As they make their bow at an early-morning levee, 
radiant with sun and dew, may we present: from 
the gardens of the genial brothers Sass, bewitching 
Amitola , aglow with pink and gold; suave Amenti 
of silver and lavender hues; the twin plicatas, Clari- 
bel, vestal white rimmed brightest blue, and the 
supplicatory Maid of Astalot “quiet as a nun, breath¬ 
less with adoration”; then with a roll of drums 
to augment the silences, the Red Douglas of imperi¬ 
ous mien, rich and regal; and lastly the season’s 
surprise, Siegfried, herald of a color group never 
before known in the iris, a yellow-ground plicata 
stippled brown and gold. From France Mons. 
Cayeux has sent us lustrous purple Favori, Cadetou, 
a medley of red and gold, another exquisite plicata, 
Mme. Louise Aureau, and a unique bicolor Mme. 
Maurice Lassailly. Both of the latter are Dykes 
Medal irises. From California the man who gave 
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