THE IBIS. 233 



PROPAGATION. 



These flowers grow readily from seed. These should be 

 gathered as soon as ripe. Some authorities say they should 

 be sown immediately. We usually plant them early in the 

 spring. If kept too long they appear to lose their vitality. 

 The Japanese iris grow very rapidly and we have no trouble 

 in raising them by the thousand. Of course they never come 

 true to name. You get something different all the time, yet 

 you have a chance to secure some fine ones at little cost. 

 When you can do so it is better to plant where you want them 

 to stand. They will usually flower in three or four years. 



When you want plants true to name you must divide the 

 roots. Planted in good ground they increase very fast. You 

 separate the rhizomes, planting one in a place as you would 

 potatoes. If you have plenty of room put the rows three feet 

 apart and a foot apart in the row. Your ground should be in 

 the best of condition. Plant the top bud about two inches 

 below the surface. If too deep they will not do so well ; if too 

 shallow the winter may injure them. 



TIME OF PLANTING. 



Some tell us the best time is right after they have bloomed. 

 We have tried this with fair success ; only the ground should 

 be very moist so they will go right to growing. We have 

 planted in September and in all the fall months with success. 

 We have had them in a box of moss for six months and then 

 planted them with but little loss. But this is not the best 

 way. If planted in the fall cut at least half the tops off. 

 Never plant iris after iris any more than you Avould plant po- 

 tatoes on the same ground year after year. Peonies follow- 

 ing peonies become dwarfed and diseased. We have seen most 

 disastrous results by highly fertilizing and replanting in the 

 same place. 



The rapid increase of the iris is greatly in its favor. Even 

 the choicest varieties are seldom over fifty cents apiece, and 



