1951 
Cell’s Jris Gardens 
TELL MUHLESTEIN, Hybridizer-Introducer 
691 East 8th North — Phone 533 W 
PROVO, UTAH 
DEAR IRIS FRIENDS: 
As | write this foreword it is almost Christmas and over the radio I hear the carols and "Peace 
on Earth, Good Will Toward Men''—and then the latest news. One must realize that these are 
perilous times, and that some foolish men have not learned the true and easy way to happiness. 
We wonder what these would-be world rulers should do if they did conquer all this world. Might 
they, like Alexander the Great, sit and mourn there be no more peoples to conquer? Those who 
know the joy of living, the joy of service unto others, have found real happiness. It does not come 
from force, domineering and the crushing of men’s souls! Just think of all the good man could do 
with the energy and resources put to the efforts of destruction, or the preservation of freedom. 
But | am sure every man and woman has pondered these meditations time and again, so let 
us think once again of our favorite flower. Surely, however, in troubled times man’s retreat to the 
soil in gardening, or other hobbies, will serve, as always, a wise purpose. Those who love and 
grow iris will continue to do so for the joy and satisfaction it brings not only to the individual 
but to the countless passers-by. And every fancier hybridizing on a small or large scale may, 
eventually, share his prized creations with the world and it will, at once, become a better place 
to live. Thrilling it is to create something that in time gardeners the world over may some day 
grow and enjoy. And since my great love is hybridizing I cannot help reflecting some of my 
feelings and loves in this catalog. If you do not enjoy pondering family trees, and hybridizing 
possibilities, such a list as this may well find the waste-basket. But the hundreds of fanciers who 
pursue the creation of new iris enjoy, with me, the listing of pedigrees. So we ask the gardener, 
interested only in the iris as garden subjects, to bear with us. I will still endeavor to give a brief 
and solid description of each variety listed. Some, herein, are purely hybridizers’ iris, and if they 
are, I will try to say so. Others are garden subjects and may have little value in further breeding 
possibilities. Still others may not grow well in some sections, but if of high breeding value a 
fancier may give such iris special attention and care to further his work. Purissima, for example, 
grows poorly in some places and must be given winter protection to insure bloom, but its seedlings 
are (very often) quite hardy, so the extra effort to mulch such a one is well worth the effort. 
Again this year let me thank the fanciers who sent us orders and make this catalog possible. 
Let me thank, too, the friends, and customers who wrote to express appreciation for our service— 
and largely for the “extras’’ we included. We had a couple of unhappy customers, and I suppose 
that is to be expected in any business. Yet, again, we would stress the fact that iris rhizomes 
grown in various sections of the country are quite different and respond differently to the wide 
variance of growing conditions throughout the world. We may not produce the largest rhizomes 
in all creation but they seem to grow well in most localities, and reports year after year bear this 
out. We would suggest, however, that you order early and plant as early as possible. It is our 
experience that plants given the summer to grow are less prone to winter loss than late-planted 
rhizomes. 
It is the desire of every lover of iris to see advancement in the development of this lovely flower, 
and it is undisputable thct tremendous strides have been made, yet undeniable, also, that much 
remains to be done for we know the surface has just been scratched—that possibilities in new colors, 
forms, branching, season of bloom, and improvement of present-day colors will give the hybridizer 
ample incentive for this fascinating creative work. 
So saying, I wish all happy “IRISING” and may you enjoy this little booklet. I am, 
Very sincerely, 
TELL MUHLESTEIN. 
