Greetings . . 1951 
DEAR IRIS FRIENDS: 
Time, as always, has marched on. A new April is already promising May, and soon - 
“Tris Time” will be with us in all its glory. I know you are looking forward to it with 
as much anticipation and enthusiasm as I am, so in extending my greetings to all of you 
who are already my friends and customers and to those of you receiving this catalogue 
for the first time, I include my very best wishes for an extra successful blooming season. 
I want to thank you too, for your generous patronage which is sincerely appreciated 
and for your fine letters. I am pleased to know that you find my stock to be so hardy 
and that you get such a very high percentage of bloom from it. I am glad that you 
enjoy the extras I include with your order and I enjoy hearing how you like them 
as much as you do receiving them. 
I want to take this opportunity to say that if I get behind in answering your letters 
at times that it is anything but deliberate. I will admit to being my own secretary and 
since I also try to keep a hand in the planting, digging, packing and a few other things, 
I sometimes find myself swamped,—so please bear with me if I fall behind with an 
answer. Since last year the volume of mail has increased to such an extent that I am at 
present having to let much of it wait while the catalogue is in preparation. I do feel 
highly honored to find that the great majority of these letters are compiled of questions 
concerning the parentage of my various introductions. So hoping you will find it helpful, 
' am including a “Parental Listing” of my own varieties in the rear of the catalogue. 
In closing I want to thank you once again for your generous patronage and may a fine 
_ Iris Season and a Happy Heart be with you. 
Sincerely, 
CHET TOMPKINS. 
TERMS—Cash with order. Check, draft or money order. 
POSTAGE PAID— on all orders of $3.00 or more. With orders for less, add 25c for 
postage. 
SHIPMENT will be made beginning the second week in July, with all orders being 
shipped in rotation as received, unless a specific date is requested. 
SUBSTITUTES will not be made unless you send a list of alternates, which will be 
appreciated in the event we run short of any stock; and all items that do not ates or 
might prove to be incorrectly labeled will be mp iccd 
EXTRAS—You may suggest some varieties you would like and if possible we will 
choose from that list, or perhaps we may send something even better, as our stock of most 
varieties is good. On orders of $10.00 or more you may add up to 25per cent of the 
value of the order as your extras. There are no discounts on varieties marked NET, but 
extras will be included from those you suggest. These offers are not good on collections. 
The American Iris § octely 
Join the American Iris Society and see the Iris world. (Apologies to the U. S. 
Navy.) But, it’s truer than you think, for the fine quarterly bulletins will take you on 
vivid “Word Trips” to the doorsteps of Irisarians and through their gardens, in almost 
every state and country. JOIN NOW! It’s easy, just send $3.50 to THE AMERICAN 
TRIS SOCIETY, 444 Chestnut Street, Nashville, Tenn. 
FOR ANY GENERAL INFORMATION YOU MAY NEED we suggest the new book 
“The Iris, An Ideal Hardy Perennial,” recently published by the American Iris Society. 
This may be procured directly from them either in heavy paper binding at $1.50 or 
permanently bound in cloth for only $2.50. 
