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Sierra Blue—best in show, Kirksville, Mo. Shown by Mrs. W. J. Young, Mo. 
WHAT CONSTITUTES A GOOD IRIS 
_ For the benefit of those who are newly interesting themselves in 
iris, we repeat the following brief commentary on the qualities con- 
sidered desirable in these flowers. 
Color, although 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, narrow-waisted or pinched. 
The bloom should be large enough to match the length of stem, 
which for tall-bearded iris should be thirty inches or more. A small 
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 require- 
ment. These are now termed “border irises.” 
Stems should be branched 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 perform well in different sections of the country and be winter- 
hardy. Unfortunately, some of the loveliest sorts originating in Cali- 
fornia are not hardy in Northern winters and some of the most beau- 
tiful varieties of the Middle West and East are complete 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. 
BOOKS ABOUT IRIS 
There are two very excellent and recently published books on the subject of iris, which we can enthusiastically recommend. As a service to 
our customers, we'll be glad to act as the source of supply if you wish to order one or both. They are: 
THE IRIS—AN IDEAL HARDY PERENNIAL 
Packed with iris lore, this interesting book, written by sixteen out- 
standing experts, will add to your enjoyment of growing Iris. How 
to plant, keep healthy and use effectively in the garden; genetics; how 
to grow seedlings; disease and pest control; Dykes Medal winners of 
all time, etc. Well illustrated. Published by the American Iris So- 
ciety. 2nd Edition, 226 pages 6”x9”. Paper Cover, $1.50. Cloth-bound, 
Early Slooming 
If you have been growing only the tall-bearded varieties of iris, the 
time will come when you will wish that you could stretch the season 
out longer. There IS a way to extend the iris season and the way 
to do it ii—BACKWARD. 
To really begin at the beginning you should have some dwarf iris, 
which start to bloom a month or so before the tall-bearded. But our 
purpose, on this page, is to interest you in the early-blooming inter- 
mediates. 
The EARLY BLOOMING INTERMEDIATES are, generally 
speaking, the result of crossing dwarfs with tall bearded varieties and 
such hybrids are between the two in size, height and blooming season. 
Their height is between 16 and 28 inches and they have an unusual 
vivid clearness of coloring, although the color range is much more 
limited than among the later flowering tall-bearded varieties. 
The intermediates are doubly valuable because they bloom at a 
period when there is a definite lull in the garden. Daffodils and 
spring-flowering shrubs are through blooming and although tulips 
bloom at this time, these are not happy everywhere and inclined to 
die out. Intermediate iris, on the other hand, have rugged consti- 
tutions and are generous in the profusion of bloom. The culture is 
the same as that of the tall-bearded. 
As an extra dividend, some of these intermediates bloom again in 
the fall, if conditions are favorable, which implies that the plants are 
not allowed to become crowded, that moisture has been sufficient 
for new growth and that the fall temperatures hold favorable for 
this second crop of flowers. 
LIST OF INTERMEDIATE IRIS 
ABELARD—(H. Sass 1934). Salmony rose standards. Copper-red falls. 
$0.40 
ALICE HORSEFALL—(H. Sass 1932). Large velvety claret-purple. 
. $0.40 
AUTUMN FROST—(Schreiner 1936). Fine early white but refuses 
towblooma mnsthe: dal] Pere eee eee eee ee eee aps eee $0.40 
AUTUMN HAZE—(H. Sass 1934). Large, tall soft lavender. One of 
chegmostmeliables tallabloomers ier e:jess == eanmene = seen $0.40 
AUTUMN QUEEN —(H. Sass 1936). Fine white everbloomer. Has a 
record of blooming every month from April to November. Some- 
timesplistedgastarc Wart pois, pes eee ee ee tee eee ee $0.40 
BARIA—(Cook 1951). New low intermediate in lovely light yellow. 
Te Sipeksee har lire: xc a ae ead aoe tease Se Aree eee. en fe nls REP e $4.00 
IRIS FOR EVERY GARDEN 
Everyone who loves iris will enjoy this book by Sidney B. Mitchell, 
the well-known Californian who pioneered the earlier development 
of the large yellow tall-bearded iris and whose experience covers 
nearly half a century. Much space is given to the beardless types, 
some of which can be grown successfully outside California, and there 
are numerous excellent line drawings in addition to color plate illus- 
trations. 224 pages 514”x8”. Cloth-bound, $3.50. 
Jutermedtate Tris 
BLACK HAWK— (Schreiner 1941). Rich velvety black-purple with 
plushlike stalls gu uae tetas, ea Nee nl 2s ee ee ee $0.75 
BOUNTIFUL BLUE—(Hill-Son 1942). Profuse bloomer, spring and 
Pall Ue jp IVP@O PaaS C.F 2 Es a2 ct cnt aa eee ye $0.50 
BLACK MAGIC—(Wayman 1935). True purple fall bloomer. Eleanor 
Roosebelt@incoonitoy pee Ie ee ee ee $0.40 
CHALLENGER—(J. Sass 1929). Large deep purple. $0.40 
COSETTE—(H. Sass 1936). Fine early white. $0.40 
DORCAS HUTCHESON—(McDade 1933). Pansy-violet self. Fall 
blOOMEr, &. Sette ese Poe Dr ee el $0.40 
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT—(H. Sass-McDade 1933). True purple of 
greateintensity.s Reliable stallebloomers ==.) ee eeee $0.40 
GENTIUS—(H. Sass 1934). Bluish violet and deeper royal purple. 
$0. 
40 
GLADSONG—H. Sass 1942). Yellow ground plicata adapted to fall 
blooming sis Veen tte et ke 2 ; 
GOLDEN BOW—(H. Sass 1935). Long large flowers of rich chrome- 
VOllOW su 2s rete tay he en ore che Ey he Sra * $0.40 
FAIRY FLAX—(Cook 1951). New low intermediate in clear light blue. 
Very; blue an tone.geo eo" ae Ns BS $4.00 
Ealisiz 2 Mere ce alate ee eee oot banks oe $5.00 
IVORY ELF—(Doub 1938). Lovely ivory-cream. 10”. Sometimes 
listed, <8 sa-Cwartp. Sano ose Ve $0.50 
KING JR.—(H. Sass 1933). Similar to Autumn King. Earlier and 
freer bloom ing oksms@ 523. ache 2 ee ee $0.40 
KOCHINETTE—(Kirkland 1934). Rich purple with flaring falls. 
$0.40 
LA BOHEMIENNE—(Millet 1926). Odd buff and cream blend of 
atiractive form: 2 St. nee os An i aa $0.50 
PANSY PURPLE—(Hill). A very pleasing tone of light purple, which 
repeats. in lthenfall. 25a ie i ke $0.40 
PAPIO—(H. Sass 1936) Nice red-purple. «$0.40 
RED ORCHID—(J. Sass 1934). Violet-carmine self with velvet falls. 
Splendid Sei icge tein catetiet an vate ee $0.40 
RUBY GLOW —(Schreiner 1941). Richest and reddest intermediate. 
$0.75 
SANGREAL—(J. Sass 1935). Fine chrome and citron-yellow fall 
bloomer, <i. hes Soe Bd a ae err $0.40 
SNOW MAIDEN—(Chadwick 1935). Very nice white. 12”. Some- 
times listed as a dwarf. $0.40 
