Foreword 
GREETINGS FOR 1950 
Spring has come to New England and I welcome it, for the 
days have been long from November to April. We all look 
forward to this season of the year, and the garden serves as 
a refuge from perplexing problems, and helps to restore body 
and spirit. So once again, Welcome to Spring! 
It is with pride and pleasure that I call to your attention 
that since our first catalogue was issued, three iris that have 
been introduced by Fairmount Gardens have won the Dykes 
Medal, the highest award and honor that can be given an iris. 
They are: Mary Geddes, 1936; Chivalry, 1944; and Helen Mc- 
Gregor, 1949. This demonstrates clearly the care and dis- 
crimination we use in selecting iris to be introduced by Fair- 
mount Gardens. 
This year we have the pleasure of adding two breeders of 
iris to those for whom we introduce, and as is our custom we 
are giving you an outline of their genera] background and 
work in hybridizing. 
Thanks to a group of Southern Beardless Iris enthusiasts 
there has developed a widespread interest in the Louisiana 
Irises. All of us should be very grateful for their foresight in 
collecting these beautiful flowers from the wild, and their un- 
tiring work in preserving them for distribution. 
One of these pioneers is Mrs. Lillian Hall Trichel of Shreve- 
port, La. A charter member of the Mary Debaillon Iris Soci- 
ety, now the Society for Louisiana Irises, she was President 
of this Society at the time of their affiliation with the Ameri- 
can Iris Society. Her interest in iris commenced in her school- 
days, when she first saw Albicans growing almost in the wild, 
and soon she was on a quest for all available iris, culminating 
in the collecting of the Louisiana Beardess iris. Mrs. Trichel 
was the first to realize the possibilities of creating new Louisi- 
ana Beardess iris by hybridization, or as this Southern group 
calls it “controlled crosses”. 
Since then, she has bred many fine Louisiana iris and this 
year I have the privilege of introducing three of them. Ruth 
Dormon, a clear flesh pink that was named to honor the be- 
loved horticulturist who passed on a few years ago. Sibyl 
Sample, a fine deep rosy red named in memory of a close 
friend. Caddo is a rich red bronze that is as colorful as the 
Caddo Indians, a long vanished race whose canoes slipped 
through the iris haunted swamps following the wild geese 
with bows and arrows, as Mrs. Trichel in later years followed 
the iris with her camera. 
Mr. Mandeville J. Barker of Newtonville, Mass., is so well 
known in the iris world that he needs no introduction. He has 
been interested in iris for many years and has a large collec- 
tion of the best varieties. As is the case with many men who 
are occupied in business during the day his hours of relaxa- 
tion are spent in ‘his garden. Mr. Barker’s special interest is 
breeding good iris with emphasis on the Bearded. He has 
produced several fine seedlings, and this lovely light yellow 
named Polly Thrall, which we are introducing this year, is 
most worthy of the Highly Commended Award that it re- 
ceived in 1949. 
As in previous years, we are introducing several iris from 
other prominent hybridizers. These are distinctive both in 
color and garden value, and have been tested for hardiness in 
our garden. These iris we consider very worthy of introduc- 
tion. 
We have chosen two iris from the many beautiful seedlings 
bred by Dr. Robert J. Graves and Edward Watkins of Con- 
cord, N. H. They are Jane Phillips, a beautiful light blue, a 
descendant of the famous iris Helen McGregor that won the 
Dykes Medal in 1949; Jane Phillips is an outstanding iris that 
was voted the award of Highly Commended in 1947; \and 
Helen McKenzie which is the whitest white iris that I have 
ever seen, and is most deserving of the award of Highly Com- 
mended it received in 1947. 
From Mr. Jesse E. Wills of Nashville, Tenn., the originator 
of the Dykes Medal iris, Chivalry, we are presenting two 
beautiful iris. Heart’s Desire is a brilliant rose-red with ex- 
ceptionally fine garden value. Centurion is a very handsome 
burnished brown with greater brilliance than any of the brown 
iris and won the Highly Commended Award in 1949. 
Mr. Harold W. Knowlton, vice-president of the American 
Iris Society, has given us several fine iris but none more dis- 
tinctive than Quechee, a brilliant very smoothly finished red 
that has been a favorite in his garden since its first blooming 
and well merits the award of Highly Commended that it re- 
ceived in 1948. 
There are several fine deep yellow iris but Golden Rule 
bred by Mr. H. F. Hall of Moorestown, N. J., is the finest one 
that I know. A smoothly finished self with sturdy, exception- 
ally well branched stalks. A very handsome, heavy sub- 
stanced late flowering iris. 
Dr. G. Perey Brown of Westport, Mass., is noted for his 
Fall Blooming iris, and the two we are presenting this year 
are exceptionally good. Fall Velvet is in rich velvety tones of 
brown and purple. Harvest Blue is the finest fall blooming 
blue iris that I have seen. Both of these iris are reliable fall 
bloomers even in New England where so few of this class 
really perform well. 
From our busy editor of the A.I.S. Bulletin, Mr. Geddes 
Douglas of Nashville, Tenn., we are presenting three iris that 
have been greatly admired both in the North and South. They 
are Colonial Dame, a ruffled light blue of great charm and 
refinement that received the Highly Commended Award in 
1949. Syllabub is one of the most delectable pink iris you can 
imagine and was the center of attention at the time of the 
National meeting at Nashville. It won the Award of Highly 
Commended in 1948. Big Dove is a Louisiana Beardelss hy- 
brid of silvery light mauve or lavender that performs well in 
all parts of the country. Heavy substanced and distinctive. 
In recent years Mr. Douglas has become very much inter- 
ested in breeding hemerocallis and we have introduced several 
‘of exceptional merit, and this year we are presenting six new 
ones that are in a wide range of color. Crimson Star as the 
name implies is a brilliant crimson; Cyclops, a huge heavy 
substanced yellow; Pickwick is a rich red bicolor, very flor- 
iferous; Pink Paradise, an ethereal pink, tall and of delightful 
color; Salmon King is rich salmon shading into peach, sturdy 
with long season of bloom; Red Paragon, a glowing red self of 
great garden value. 
This year we are introducing one of my own iris. Copper 
Beech is a rich coppery red, smoothly finished and late flower- 
ing. 
Our Hemerocallis Introductions for 1950 follow the Iris 
Introductions in the catalogue. They have been selected with 
great care, and represent a wide choice of colors. 
Just at the catalogue is going to print the First Popularity 
Symposium of the Hundred Favorites of the Hemerocallis 
Society has arrived. The varieties from Dr. A. B. Stout, the 
most famous breeder of Hemerocallis in the world rank first, 
as it should be with twenty-eight varieties in the list. Nat- 
urally, I am pleased that twenty-four of my Hemerocallis 
originations are in this list. I think I am justified in feeling 
very proud of this recognition of my work in breeding worth- 
while Hemerocallis. 
Many of our hemerocallis introductions are included in 
a set of Kodachrome slides available for rent from Dr. 
Philip G. Corliss, Somerton, Arizona, If you are interested 
write him direct for details. 
You are cordially invited to visit the garden at any time 
that suits your convenience. If you are unable to do so, and 
feel you need advice about varieties to choose, write me and 
I shall use the same care as if I were selecting for my own 
garden. 
Lowell is about 26 miles from Boston. Coming from 
Boston to Lowell on Route 38, at the Oakland Fire Station 
(near the outskirts of the city) turn off on to Fairmount 
Street and at the top of the hill you will find Fairmount 
Gardens. Anyone coming to Lowell on other routes should 
ask for Nesmith Street on which you will find Route 38, 
and then follow above directions. 
There are express trains from Boston to Lowell with 
taxi service from the station to FAIRMOUNT GARDENS. 
Our Exhibition Garden is located at 166 Fairmount 
Street, Lowell, Mass. and our telephone number is Lowel) 
2-5121 listed under the name of Thomas Nesmith, 
