Thanks everyone!
Mary Ann, I am a true addict - and have been for a long time. At the moment there are about 400 different varieties of mostly tall bearded iris in the big hillside garden and some smaller plantings around the property. Some of them have been growing for over 15 years, so the clumps have turned into "patches". It is not unusual to have 50 - 75 stalks of each of these older ones. I will be doing a good bit of thinning this fall.
No major rot issues this year, but I lost a lot of stuff two years ago to the same type of symptoms that you are experiencing this year.
Mine have come back quite well. ( Unless they were new single plantings.) I hope your, and Arlyn's next spring is better.
Tobacco Chew is a cutie. Seems to be a little slow to grow though.
! Tobacco Chew IS pretty special 
!
