THE IRIS. 229 



Many of them of rare and wooing beauty. It is so with the 

 iris. The bee is one of nature's most faithful assistants. 

 Ho^^'ever, thougli this mode of crossing may give you just as 

 good results, you can not give the parentage unless the off- 

 spring shows some clearly defined characteristics. 



The scientific method is to remove the anther of the flower 

 just before it oftens to spill out the fertilizing dust, and then 

 shake it over the well-laden anthers of another flower. After 

 this thin muslin is bound over it to keep out any insect which 

 might bring any other pollen. The record is kept and the 

 originator knows just what he is doing. Thus the beautiful 

 Queen of May is a hybrid of three, Palida, Sambucina, and 

 Variegata. The resplendent Madam Chereau has for her par- 

 ents Palida and Sambucina. One florist is crossing the early 

 Alpine with the later flowering sorts, and he expects to pro- 

 long the flowering season at least six months. 



In looking over our vast collection of over 100 varieties we 

 are amazed at the progress which has been made, and linger 

 with delight on these new creations of the florist. One of the 

 charms of floriculture is the fact that any one with little care 

 and a good deal of enthusiasm can not only raise the estab- 

 lished sorts, but can also originate new ones, and no one can 

 tell what glorious things he can call out of the unknown, 



SEE HOW IT WORKS. 



A little money secures one or two irises of a kind. A little 

 attention gives rapid increase. A single root soon becomes a 

 great clump. This is divided and you have quite a bed. Soon 

 your dime grows to dollars and the dollars to eagles. Then 

 you can plant the seeds and so enlarge your number of varie- 

 ties. It does not take much time or much hard work. It will 

 be a delight. And you can combine beauty and utility. The 

 world is restless for more home adornment. Each year there 

 are louder calls for fine flowers. You can take advantage of 

 it, and many a woman with meager income can increase it in 

 a large measure while she improves her health, reaping con- 



