i L 
THREE HORNED IRIS 
(Austin '55) RMN 32 2A ee ee Ate ee $75.00 
Illustrated in Full Color on Front Cover 
| present Plumed Delight as my finest horned Iris to date. A bewitching yellow cream, 
washed and veined in greyish lilac, bordered in pale yellow. Falls beautifully rippled, stiffly 
horizontal, much more flaring than those of its sister seedling Unicorn. Horns are usually 
more pronounced, somewhat more constant. Beards are yellow and white, extend out 
along deep violet horns, which usually project a full half inch from the falls. A violet 
center line on each fall, under the horn, completes the strange fascination with which this 
unique flower holds every observer. A very heavy bloomer, frequently producing two or three 
stalks from a single rhizome. No pollen but set seed when pollinated with Argus Pheasant 
and Temple Bells. Absolutely unsurpassed by any Iris in this catalog as a promising parent 
for breeding really new and startling creations. Be the first to get started in this new era 
of Iris breeding. 
(Austin ’55) WHEM-ML-45" eee $60.00 
A horned sister seedling of Unicorn that has one of the most novel color patterns ever 
seen. Actually has a “snow-capped” appearance, due to large prominent white blaze at top 
of each fall, around beard. Standards smooth, dark reddish wine. Falls below the white blaze 
intense mulberry, indistinctly lined in white in a fancy pattern. At end of each beard is a 
prominent mulberry horn projecting out about ¥% inch. A fine breeder, both as a seed parent 
and a pollen parent. 
ORIGIN of the HORNED IRIS and their HYBRIDIZING POSSIBILITIES 
The history of the horned Iris began just ten years before the first one, UNICORN, was 
introduced. Back in 1944 | noticed a slight projection at the end of the beard of a Sydney 
B. Mitchell seedling, No. M-5-38. | self-pollinated this and obtained my No. 638, a lavender 
“fancy,” which occasionally showed beginnings of horns at the beard. In 1946, among many 
discarded seedlings given me by Prof. Mitchell, | discovered another with the same ten- 
dency, namely JS-M-176B. | immediately started crossing this with my No. 638, and from 
these crosses has arisen a series of horned Iris. The three best ones have been named and 
propagated, and are offered above. 
Alert hybridizers throughout the world have been quick to grasp the enormous breeding 
potentialities of this new alteration in the genes governing Iris form. | foresee that with 
this new character available to breeders, the recent trend for everyone to try his hand at 
crossing Flamingo pinks may well shift in this direction. The change will not be rapid as | 
am releasing these horned Iris while stocks are still very limited. It will be several years 
before there are enough rhizomes for general distribution. 
The horned character is wholly new in the Iris world, and as such is not yet 100% con- 
stant. Individual flowers on the same plant sometimes vary in the extent to which they 
produce horns and in the length of the horns. | am, naturally, working to develop greater 
constancy in horn characteristics. My two 1955 introductions, and particularly Plumed De- 
light, are more constant in this than my first release, Unicorn. But well established plants 
of even Unicorn will often have long horns on every flower. 
This new horned feature is strangely variable in its development. In the case of both Plumed 
Delight and Mulberry Snow the horn occasionally forms a decorative spoon at the end, much 
like the new and popular spooned chrysanthemums, but with much larger spoons. Plumed 
Delight and Mulberry Snow are not introduced as spooned Iris, as this character is still in 
its embryonic stages. But it is highly probable that enterprising breeders will be able to 
use these two 1955 introductions as the starting point for an entirely new race of spooned 
Iris, surpassing even the horned Iris in decorative possibilities. | am releasing these imme- 
diately so hybridizers everywhere can get started on what may well turn out to be man’s 
greatest Iris hybridizing adventure! 
Two other of my introductions, PLACER MAID and FANCYANCY, while not introduced as 
horned Iris, both come from the same cross as the three horned varieties. Both contain genes 
for beard projections and on rare occasions will actually exhibit small horns. | am using 
both in my breeding work for better horned Iris. They are available at only a fraction of the 
cost of the three real horned varieties. See pages 25 and 30. 
SPECIAL GROUP PRICES — Io enable hybridizers to quickly get a worth while start 
of breeding material, | make these startling special group offers: 
— Unicorn FREE with an order for the two 1955 intro- 
ductions, namely, Plumed Delight and Mulberry Snow. 
— Any two, or all three, of the horned Iris for only 70% 
of the sum of their prices. 
—Any 1, 2 or all 3 horned Iris for 50% of their regular 
prices in cash, and the other 50% in trade; providing you can send me new Iris that | need, 
and that are not listed in this catalog. Ordinarily, | am interested in acquiring only fairly 
new introductions valued at $10.00 or more. Let me know what you have to offer, and how 
many of each. 
PLUMED DELIGHT 
The Plumed Delight is named a-right! 
This sib to Unicorn 
Is more bizarre with perfect flare; 
Much gayer plumes adorn... 
These HA tag make fairy brooms 
To brush the mists of morn. 
Cream-yellow veined and lilac stained, 
Waved standard domes excite; 
The lilac scheme dots falls of cream; 
The beards are gold and white. 
Horns, like a lark’s, have violet marks 
Enhancing Plumed Delight. 
—George Nicholas Rees 
MY 1955 TALL BEARDED MILESTONE SERIES 
These do not constitute my final masterpieces, perfect in almost every respect; but they 
do represent important and very colorful ‘“‘MILESTONES” along the way toward my ultimate 
goals. | feel certain that they will be immensely popular because they enable the average 
gardener, who cannot afford the expensive and superb latest creations, to still get brand new 
1955 introductions at a price that he can afford. He can buy these bright colorful varieties, 
that are distinct from any previously named varieties, while they are really mew, and he can 
be sure no one else in his town has them. Note the variation in blooming season and height 
you can get by selecting several of these. 
(Austin ’55) ®) M-33” The most frilled and ruffled member of 
my new series of lovely fancies. Standards light pinkish orchid, flushed white at base. Falls 
light heliotrope, with strong white area at the end of the very white beard, and with radi- 
ating white lines extending out to the edge of the falls. [M-5-38 x M-0-51B}.......... 
tthe rec Soi RTE SIRS ISR ote nd eel Coa $4.00; 3 for $8.95 
(Austin ’55) ® ML-35” The best formed and most flaring of my 
new fancies. Standards deep amethyst, flushed white at the base. Falls intense amethyst, 
daintily brushed in white, very stiff and flaring. Beard almost white................ 
SSCS ST SR I eG OTE A RAEI is cal OR Ocean ete ead de eae $2.25; 3 for $5.95 
(Austin ’55) ®) L to VL-30” A new flower in scintillating 
terra-cotta brown, and with a distinctive Chantilly-lace crinkling to the edges of the petals. 
Standards bronzy-brown with a reddish iridescence. [Casa Morena x Juliet]............ 
Seer RR COO MERA Teneo erie: RAR in NS cd Sore eae ne $2.00; 3 for $5.50 
(Austin ’55) @® M-40” A very tall Flamingo pink that stands out 
across the garden. Standards smooth light salmon pink. Falls bright rosy orchid-pink, be- 
coming lighter toward the edge, and strikingly marked with white veins radiating from the 
large, intense tangerine beard. Falls very stiff and flaring, giving much character to the 
DLOOME MB UTTAWMeXak | Onaied Gn Ofc mae ee eects nner se ares nie $2.00; 3 for $5.50 
, $2.50, and , $1.75—See Hybridizer’s Page, 
My 1955 Introductions on Other Pages page 31. 
ONCOBREDS: NS | — Order any three of my introductions, on 
See page 10. this page or elsewhere in this catalog, and get FREE either Pink Flare or Black Flare. Or, 
REGELIA: See page 6. order any four of my introductions and get FREE either Fancy Frills or Fancy Bright. 
“We have learned that plant life is as plastic in our hands as clay in the hands of the artist. Plants can readily be moulded into more beautiful forms and 3 
colors than any sculptor can hope to equal”’—LUTHER BURBANK 
