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Several months before his death Dr. James H. Kirkland, 
former Chancellor of Vanderbilt University, wrote a letter to be 
sent to every member of The American Iris Society. A part of 
that letter is reproduced here: 
meet this crisis (his failing health) I have transferred 
my work to two young iris enthusiasts, each of whom is build¬ 
ing up a garden of great merit, , , , These two friends are Mr. 
Tom Williams, who now has the Iris City Gardens at Brent¬ 
wood, near Nashville, and Mr. Walter Vestal, proprietor of a 
most creditable garden at Little Rock, Arkansas. 
^^These gentlemen have taken over all of the irises in my 
garden and will carry on the work previously done by me, 
testing in their own gardens seedlings developed by me and 
securing sufficient stock of worthy ones to offer to the public. 
They will attend to all sales and business matters!* 
Dr. Kirkland’s decision as outlined in the above letter, puts 
upon us a responsibility which we recognize and appreciate. His 
work in hybridizing is well known throughout the iris world and 
the associations with him during many years showed us the grand 
character of the man himself. 
We shall be very conservative in the introduction of his new 
improvements. Not until a variety has proved itself in our own 
gardens and then has been judged worthy of introduction by other 
competent, representative dealers and judges, will we offer it to 
the public. 
We have growing in our garden plants of every variety that 
Dr. Kirkland introduced, both the older ones and the more recent 
improvements; many of these still under number. There are sev¬ 
eral that merit introduction and these are being offered by us and 
Mr. Williams this year for the first time. Many others are extra¬ 
ordinarily fine and will be offered as soon as sufficient stock is 
grown. 
Walter Vestal, 
Vestal’s Iris Gardens, 
North Little Rock, Ark. 
