Our 1940 Introductions 
NO DISCOUNT 
GOLDEN FLEECE (J. Sass 1940) M. 44 in. W 0 f66l hi^ihly honor6d this y6Rr with 
the privilege of introducing one of the finest irises that has ever come from the 
Sass gardens. Mr. Hans calls it “Jake’s Masterpiece’’ and it is indeed one of the 
most beautiful irises we have ever seen anywhere. 
With its wide, full, ruffled form and several tones of clear lemony yellow it 
has indeed “snatched a grace beyond the reach of art.’’ The standards are clear, 
pure sulpLiur to lemon yellow the falls cieamy white with a band of deeper yellow 
all round them. This might b-e a type of plicata marking for it comes from 
Siegfried, but it is not stitched. The wide haft is of the deeper yellow .tone, and 
this extends cleanly around the falls in a strikingly lovely pattern. There is no 
touch of brown to mar its fresh beauty, even at the h?f.t—the delightfully fresh 
yellow tones are clear and pure—v ith tCie beard slightly deeper but in perfect 
harmony. It is a symphony in yellows. Stock very scarce. $50.00 
GOLDEN SPIKE (Whiting 1940) M. 36 in. A deep golden yellow self of large, full 
form, heavy substance and good branching. We know that there are a great 
many fine, new yellow irises and we would not bring this out if we did not feel 
that it is worthy of a place among them. The color is deep, warm and pure, very 
close to the lemon chrome of Ridgeway. The new Dictionary of Color has a 
sample called dandelion which is very close, and more descriptive to those who 
have no chart, for this new iris is really a deep, pure yellow, as deep as can be 
had without a touch of orange. The flower is a perfect self with smooth, wide hafts 
and thick, orange beards. The substance is exceptionally heavy—each bloom 
lasting several days in sun and wind, holding its pure color and full, rounded 
form well to the last. Only two or three flowers bloom at a time so that each 
well branched and budded stalk has a long blooming season. The name is 
symbolic rather than entirely descriptive as it certainly is not a spike, with its 
wide, low branching. More than seventy years ago a ‘golden spike’ was driven 
with great ceremony to complete the Union Pacific Railway, uniting the east 
with the west and we midwesterners, in and around Omaha, celebrate Golden 
Spike Days each year with fun and frolic, sunbonnets and beards. The plants are 
very hardy, vigorous and free blooming, one rhizome giving three bloom stalks 
and six fine plants in our garden, others blooming and increasing well. $25.00 
RAEJEAN (Whiting 1940) M. 34 in. A two toned yellow of rare grace and charm, 
really a yellow bicolor with the deeper tone in the standards. An added novel 
touch is given by a narrow edging around the falls like tihe deep yellow of the 
stumiards, something like the fine edge around the falls of an amoena. The 
coloring is pure and clear but not dark—the standards are between pinard and 
empire yellow—the falls are several tones I gbter, with the neat edging of the 
deeper yellow. The flowers are large and full, the hafts wide and smooth, marked 
only by a smooth overlay of the deep yellow at the sides of the rich orange 
beard. The texture is smooth and silky, the substance firm, resisting wind and 
heat well. The branching is not as wide and low as we might wish but the 
unusu''l and pleasing coloring attracted so much attention that we decided to 
name and introduce it. Strong, hardy plants. $20.(X) 
NYLON (Whiting 1940) M. L. 34 in. A smoothly blended self of warm, rich coloring 
as cf rosy amber. There is a color sample in the Dictionary of Color called 
caramel that comes very close. We were trying to find a name for it when I 
received a gift of a lovely pair ot nylon stockings and at once I realized they weie 
the same shade of lovely rosy tan or brown as this iris, so ^^ith the pei mission 
of the duPonts we registered the name. Not only the color but the sheer fine 
texture was similar—strength and endurance with the effect of gosamei haze. 
The flowers are of medium large size, full, ruffled form and delightful fieshness. 
The stalk is not very tall, but well branched and perfectly piopoitioned to the 
flowers. The plants bloom freely and increase well. $15.00 
WOODBURY (Whiting 1940) M. L. 40 in. A large pure white of wide, flaring form, 
heavy substance and good height and branching. Iheie aie many good white 
irises but not so many that are hardy and free floweiing in cold climates so we 
feel that there is room for this one which we intioduce at a moderate pi ice. It is 
