Page 28 IRISES AND DAYLILIES 


WINNESHIEK — (Egelberg 1931) ML. WORTHINGTON—(P. Cook 1943) M.36”. 
37”. Gracefully-formed, intensely col- Harmonious two-toned  rosy-red of 
ored deep blue with broad, lustrous beautiful form, large size, smooth tex- 
segments and light ruffling. Further ture and heavy substance..............- $2.00 
distinguished by a lighter colored mar- 
Pinronithe falls eee §¢ 35 ZANTHA—KFay 1947) EM.37~ Very 
5 ; large deep yellow which blooms early. 
WINSTON EL Et a nea se gi A clean yellow self with deep yellow 
ML.32”. Deep red, close to SERFS the beard and no haft markings, nicely 
falls velvety, the beard gold, the tex- tailored and flaring. Strong stalk well 
ture fine. A different and impressive branched. {se.0 2: ee $10.00 
red for foreground planting......... $10.00 
WINTER CARNIVAL— (Schreiner 1941) ZU N I—(Ayres 1931) E.36’”. Standards, 
M.38”. An outstanding flaring white. tannish red. Falls, deeper velvety red 
Large, graceful, waxy snow white with brown. Colorful red-brown which 
gold throat. Tender here. sje........ $1.00 makes a bright display early. ........ Dio 


WHAT CONSTITUTES A GOOD IRIS? 
For the benefit of those who are newly interesting themselves in iris, we offer 
the following brief commentary on the qualities considered desirable in these flowers. 
Color, altho the most important and most instantly appreciated quality, is not, 
by itself, the final measure of iris worth. Besides clarity or richness of color we want 
a bloom with good form and broad petals, the standards firm and held in closed 
position at the top, or nearly so, and in pleasing proportion to the falls, which may 
flare or droop, but which should not be strappy or narrow-waisted. 
The bloom should be large enough to match the length of stem, which for tall- 
bearded iris should be thirty inches or more. A smail flower on a tall stem looks 
“leggy” and a huge flower on a short stem looks “dumpy.” 
There are some exceptions to the thirty inch minimum requirement. These are 
now termed “border irises.” 
Stems should be branched low and wide so that the flowers do not crowd, and 
they should be strong enough to resist drooping from the weight of the flowers or 
toppling because of wind or weather. The texture of the petals is important too, and 
the substance should be tough and durable enough to withstand sun and wind and 
remain fresh-looking for a reasonable length of time. Colors should not fade too 
easily in the sun, nor spot too readily from drops of moisture. 
The base or “haft’’ of the fall should not be discordantly colored or covered with 
coarse and ugly veining. When smoothly colored it is sometimes called a “quiet” 
or a “clean” haft. 
Some irises are temperamental. To be generally acceptable an iris should per- 
form well in different sections of the country and be winter-hardy. Unfortunately, 
some of the loveliest sorts originating in California are not hardy in Northern win- 
ters and some of the most beautiful varieties of the Middle West and East are com- 
plete failures in California. Quite frequently rhizomes from regions of wide seasonal 
differences will require time to adjust themselves before blooming. 
Rhizomes which are well grown will be more likely to bloom the first year than 
those which are not well-grown because the bloom-stalk buds are formed during the 
previous growing season. 
CULTURE OF IRIS AND HEMEROCALLIS 
These flowers are among the easiest of all for the unskilled gardener to grow to 
perfection. In addition to their indescribably beautiful flowers they yield generous 
and ever-continuing dividends in the form of increase. 
With each shipment of plants we enclose a leaflet giving the simple instructions 
for their planting and care. You will not need to be born with a green thumb nor 
stir up any witches’ brew for spraying or fertilizing to have a beautiful garden. 
YOU CAN LEARN A LOT about the culture and the progress of irises and day- 
lilies and, at the same time help to promote their further development, by joining 
these non-profit, mutually helpful societies:— 
AMERICAN IRIS SOCIETY, Sam Y. Caldwell, Secy. 444 Chestnut St., Nash- 
ville 10, Tenn. Publications—4 Quarterly Bulletins of over 100° pages each. 
Dues $3.50 per year. 
THE HEMEROCALLIS SOCIETY, Pearl Sherwood, Secy.-Treas., Atlantic, 
Iowa. Publications—Yearbook, chock full of interesting information about day- 
lilies. Dues $3 per year. 
Memberships apply to the calendar year. 
Mail your dues direct to the above addresses, or if you prefer you may include 
them with your order and we will forward. 
The best book available on irises is the one written and published by experts of 
the American Iris Society. It is titled “THE IRIS—AN IDEAL HARDY 
PERENNIAL” 224 pages of meaty information. The price is $2.50 in permanent 
binding or $1.50 in paper cover. Order direct from the AMERICAN IRIS 
SOCIETY address above or route your order through us, if you prefer. 
