FOREWORD 
F OR FIFTEEN YEARS we have made the foreword of 
our catalogue a serial story of the development of the 
iris and a summary of the activities of the iris world. 
Each year we have called attention to fine new introductions. 
We have spoken freely on the issues of the iris world with 
some of which we were not in agreement and we believe the 
test of time has justified our judgment. 
Our catalogue developed from a small pamphlet into a de¬ 
luxe publication with fine typography and beautiful color plates 
of the newer and finer irises taken from color photographs. 
We tried to make it a ready reference book of the latest and 
best in irises. It is with great regret that we announce the 
discontinuation of an elaborate catalogue and our intention 
to close our business when our present large stocks are sold. 
We have the most complete and up-to-date collection of iris 
worthy of being in commerce that can be gotten together in 
the world. 
We also have an up-to-date and comprehensive collection 
of the newer and finer hemerocallis, one of the most beautiful 
advances in horticulture of late years. The hemerocallis, more 
familiarly known as yellow day lillies, have shared our inter¬ 
est with the iris. They have this added attraction over the 
iris that by proper selection you may have a fine display of 
these gorgeous flowers from May until September. 
We have been singularly fortunate in having as customers 
many thousands of enthusiastic iris growers all over the 
United States and in foreign countries as well. From a small 
local beginning our business has grown to international pro¬ 
portions. Many of our customers have become warm personal 
friends who have encouraged us and permitted us to continue 
our business during prosperous times and in the lean days of 
depression by their never failing support. It will always be a 
grateful memory. To these friends we feel that a few words 
of explanation concerning our reasons for retiring at the 
height of our business career may perhaps be fitting. 
Ill health has forced our decision to retire sooner than we 
had anticipated. We have found great difficulty in obtaining 
reliable gardeners and during the last few years it has become 
necessary to spend from sunup to sundown in our fields to 
keep apace with the work and justify the confidence reposed 
in us by our customers and to> make it certain that when a 
certain variety was ordered that variety was delivered. 
We know from bitter experience the disappointment we felt 
when we found we had received some other variety than the 
one we ordered, especially when it was a fine, high priced 
variety. For this reason and to keep the high standard which 
we set from the start of the business we have decided to close 
out under our own personal supervision. 
While we cannot help but feel sharp pangs at parting com¬ 
pany with a business that has been practically our whole life 
for so long, yet it has its compensations. Our decision to retire 
brings closer to realization a pleasure we promised ourselves 
through the years we have been selling iris—a return to 
growing iris as a personal hobby—not only iris, but a whole 
garden. We shall have a garden that we can conduct without 
burdensome toil, in which we can plant, pull weeds and have 
time to stop and admire the results any time we feel the urge 
to do so. At heart we have always been a plain dirt gardener. 
Strange as it may seem, living in the midst of the finest 
irises in the world, this will be a real luxury of which we have 
had little opportunity to avail ourselves in recent years because 
the rush of business during the short blooming season allowed 
us to take no recesses for our own pleasure. 
We are asking our readers to take this foreword as a per¬ 
sonal note of thanks for the years of loyal support you have 
given us and hoping that you will continue that support until 
the last order goes to the shipping room. We do not antici¬ 
pate closing out our business this season, but hope to do so 
by the end of the 1940 season. Many plants will not be of 
saleable size this year and must be carried over for further 
development. Each plant sent out will be of standard saleable 
size and dug and packed under our personal supervision. 
We have had many thousands of visitors during the years 
of our business activity. We have been proud of the privilege 
of showing them our gardens. We are disposing of our busi¬ 
ness, not our garden. We extend again the invitation to visit 
us at blooming time or at any time you pass through Freeport. 
With these words we start bowing ourselves out of the com¬ 
mercial iris world with many regrets, yet looking forward to 
a personal enjoyment of this most beautiful of all garden 
plants that business has not permitted in full measux-e. 
MRS. DOUGLAS PATTISON. 
NOVELTIES AND RARE IRISES 
Golden Glow (Glutzbeck 1939) 38" The glowing golden yellow 
seedling shown in our gai’den the past two years. Of good 
size, and height with perfect branching. A deep yellow 
self, smooth finish. A good stock permits the low price. 
Highly recommended. $5.00. 
The varieties listed below are the choicest and most beauti¬ 
ful varieties listed in various catalogues and stocks are small. 
We have been guided by our conti’acts and agreements with 
other dealers and hybridizers and have used their pi'ices for 
this season, on their introductions. 
Aida (Mitchell 1938) A beautiful golden bronze with tobacco 
brown flush. Flowers large, well formed and well poised. 
Distinct and beautiful. $5.00. 
Apricot (Kleinsox-ge) A golden apricot self. Distinct and 
beautiful. Flowers medium size. $8.00. 
Aubanel (Cayeux) A lovely new shade. A soft l’aspberry and 
pink combination of great beauty. Quite distinct from any¬ 
thing we have seen. $5.00. 
Bonsor (Connell) A new deep blue of unusual richness and 
intensity. Fine form and freedom from venation make it 
very outstanding. $15.00. 
Cafe au Lait (Graham) A stunning new color break, a soft 
creamy tan self with orange and gold shading. Stalk tall 
and sturdy. $15.00. 
Calcutta (Kleinsorge) A tall and imposing flower in soft 
cocoa brown overlaid with a bluish haze; bold gi’owing 
habit, widely bi-anched and carrying many flowers. $8.00. 
City of Lincoln (H. Sass) A tall and stinking variegata of 
clear and vivid coloring. S. bright yellow, F. velvety red. 
The best variegata we have seen. $15.00. 
Coronet (Hall) A soft l’ose beige with a golden tone. A superb 
variety of a color entirely new. Stalk tall and widely 
branched. Altogether lovely. $17.50. 
Crimson Tide (Nicholls) A floriferous new red. S. arched and 
domed, F. flare widely, of a deeper red than the standards 
and ai’e very velvety. Beard orange. $15.00. 
Derrill Hart (Glutzbeck) A flower of exceptional charm and 
beauty. S. l'ose shot bronze, F. deep velvety wine color. 
Dubarry rose in effect. $20.00. 
I)rap D’or (Cayeux) A lovely clear lemon yellow self, of fine 
flaring form and tall well bi’anched stalks. A fine gai’den 
subject. $8.00. 
E. B. Williamson (Cook) A new light coppery red of lusti’ous 
silken sheen. Low branched stems, great size of bloom and 
perfect form. Roman Gold Medal, 1938. $15.00. 
SEE PAGE 8 FOR TERMS 
