1945 Raintew Collection 
AIRY DREAM 
ALTA CALIFORNIA 
BLUE GOWN 
DESIRABLE 
“FAIR ENOUGH 
FRIEDA MOHR 
GORDENTELARE 
“MAUNA LOA 
NARANJA 
PALE MOONLIGHT 
*PURISSIMA 
“SAN GABRIEL 
TENAYA 
UKIAH 
“(For these varieties, not recommended for the East, we 
will substitute other varieties in Eastern shipments.) 
ANY 7 FOR $2.50 
(In Caliifornia add 6c Sales Tax) 
ALL 14 FOR $4.00 (In California add 10c Sales Tax) 
PLANTING AND CULTURAL SUGGESTIONS 
IRISES are one of the easiest of all perennials to grow and give 
much satisfaction with the minimum of care, for they can be entirely 
neglected and still thrive in the garden. However, to obtain the best 
results the following cultural hints should be observed. 
Select a sunny, well-drained location for planting. Irises will 
grow in semi-shade but will bloom more freely if they have sun 
at least half the day. Where the soil is heavy and the drainage 
poor, it is best to plant on ridges, for tne one thing bearded irises 
cannot survive is water standing around them. Provide excellent 
drainage even if it is necessary to add sand or gravel to the soil. 
If your garden is new, probably no fertilizer will be necessary, 
but where the soil is poor some commercial fertilizer, such as Vigoro, 
should be used. Bone meal is also an excellent fertilizer and can be 
dug into the soil between the plants when it is thought desirable 
to supply more food. Be careful in using manure. It should never be 
used in heavy soils and if used at all, it must be well-rotted and 
extreme care must be exercised to see that the manure does not come 
into actual contact with the rhizomes because it is likely to cause 
rot. Feeding once in the fall and once or twice in the spring should 
be adequate. 
To give good bloom, irises should have room to grow. Place piants 
twelve to eighteen inches apart and do not plant too deep—just 
cover the rhizomes. They usually become crowded in three or four 
years and should then be lifted, divided and reset. This is always 
a good time to refertilize the soil. Some of the newer, more vigorous 
varieties may grow so rapidly that they will need to be divided 
at the end of two years. 
Water well after planting and then keep moderately moist until 
well established and growing. If necessary, established plantings of 
irises may be left all summer without water, but an occasional soak- 
ing will give more increase and better blooms in the spring. Keep 
moderately moist before and during the blooming season to produce 
the best flowers. Do not water during extreme hot weather. Culti- 
vate lightly after watering to prevent the soil from caking. 
Where it is possible to keep the plants watered until they become 
established, June is a good time to start planting and this may 
18 
continue until cold weather. In California we plant from June into 
the winter. - The fall months are also excellent and they are the 
best time in the South. 
It is only natural that rhizomes shipped in the fall after they have 
had three or four months to develop following the blooming season 
will be larger than those shipped in June. However, the results 
obtained by planting the smaller rhizomes in June and getting the 
summer growth in your own garden are in some cases superior to 
those obtained from later planting. If possible avoid planting during 
extreme hot weather. 
PESTS AND DISEASES 
Snails and Slugs. The most common pests found on irises are 
snails and slugs. These can be easily controlled with the new snail 
poison now on the market. In this connection it is always advisable 
to keep the:dead leaves and trash removed from around your iris 
plants. 
White Fly. In some sections of the country this small insect is 
occasionally found on irises especially when planted in the shade. 
The tiny white flies lay their eggs on the iris leaves, and while they 
in no way injure the growth of the plants, they are easily controlled 
with any nicotine spray. 
Leaf Spot. This is a fungus which sometimes develops on iris 
leaves and causes the ends to turn brown. The spores multiply and 
often spread rapidly during damp spring weather. To check this 
fungus, spray with a lime-sulphur spray to which a little soap has 
been added as a spreader. This spray may be obtained at any 
good seed store. 
Rhizome Rot. This is caused by lack of drainage or by too much 
rain or watering, followed by warm weather. Usually the disease 
does not spread much and nature will check it. Often only part of 
the clump will perish. White maggots may be found in the diseased 
portion, but they are not the cause. 
When rhizome rot occurs, scrape away the soil and expose the 
entire rhizome to the sun and air. Remove the rotted part and allow 
the rhizome to dry several days before replacing the soil. Do not 
allow your iris rhizomes to be covered too deep. If you are bothered 
with rot, it is better to leave the tops of the rhizomes exposed at 
all times, 
