332 



HOETICULTURE 



March 8, 1913 



IMTI 



New England Trade 



IM 



EASTER LILIES 



LILIUM GIGANTEUM 



In Crates of 25 Plants Ready for Shipment 



Price, $12.00 per 100 



PLACE ORDERS EARLY 



Choice Assortment of Azalecis, Crimson Ramblers, Spiraeeis, Genisteis 



Hydrangeas, Hybrid Roses, etc 



WELCH BROS. CO. 



226 DEVONSHIRE STREET, 



BOSTON, MASS. 



two or three little flowers to cheer up 

 a 160-acre farm. They can't do it. A 

 man builds a fine house and furnishes 

 it with costly furniture and carpets. 

 But the moment he goes out of doors 

 he must have the cheapest of trees 

 and shrubs and a dinky little bed of 

 flowers. The home should be a pic- 

 ture set in a worthy frame, with all 

 the embellishments which art and 

 skill can give it. 



Fifth — The Iris is divided into four 

 great divisions: 



The Rhizomatous. — These have rhi- 

 zomes spreading out from the center, 

 something like potatoes. These are 

 separated and planted singly. Some 

 wish to plant large clumps. This is 

 not a good plan for the roots prey on 

 each other and soon exhaust the soil. 

 This group is the German and those 

 closely related. 



The Tufted are the Siberian and the 

 Japanese. The roots grow in tufted 

 masses. If you look closely you will 

 find that there are individual plants 

 all tied together. You pull these apart 

 for planting or selling. 



The Bulbous are like tulips. These 

 are the Spanish, the English and the 

 Juno varieties. With us they are not 

 satisfactory. We cannot depend on 

 them. 



Then there are the Fingered Iris. 

 These include the Hermodactylus, the 

 Acorus or Jacob's sword and the Gi- 

 gantea, also the Longipetala. These 

 are later than the other sorts but are 

 of a hardy tribe and are good multi- 

 pliers. 



Sixth — Time of blooming. First 

 come the hardy little Pumilas and the 

 dainty Verna which blooms with the 

 tulips. Then the Pumila hybrids. Then 



the Germans which vary much In 

 their time of blooming. Then come 

 the Acorus and the Gigantea and last- 

 ly the Japanese, so you have flowers 

 for about three months. 



Seventh — The Iris as cut flowers. 

 Cut your Iris with the dew on them. 

 Be careful not to bruise them. If you 

 wait until they are in full bloom they 

 are so delicate they do not ship well. 

 Cut them just as they are opening and 

 they are all right. Put them in water 

 and they will open with more delicate 

 bloom than if left out of doors. They 

 are usually on hand for Decoration 

 Day. As in the northern states the 

 peony is a little tardy at that time you 

 have a splendid flower to take its 

 place. Though the individual flower 

 may last but a few days nature has 

 arranged for a succession of bloom. 

 One fades and another is ready to take 

 its place. I have thrown them on the 

 packing house floor and watched 

 them. The top one blooms and fades, 

 and the one below takes its place. 

 That goes, to be followed by another. 

 Vitality seems to be stored in the 

 stem to keep pushing them. Of course 

 when placed in water the process will 

 continue longer. 



York. Neb. C. S. Habrison. 



very highly to my friends who like flowers; 

 and of all the flowers that are grown. It 

 seems to me that the Iris is one that should 

 stand next to the Orchid. In (act the Iris 

 is the flower that is trying to be an Orchid. 

 Perhaps you do not realize as well as a 

 Viotanist does how near to the Orchids the 

 Irises have come. Of course an Iris is not 

 an Orchid, but it is well on its way up the 

 line of development which eventually cul- 

 minates in the Orchid. Again congratulat- 

 ing you upon the publication of this ad- 

 mirable Ijooklet, I remain, 

 Verv trulv vours, 



Cn.\RLES E. BESSEY. 

 This is a very strong commendation 

 for the Iris and for Mr. Harrison's 

 book, from Dr. Bessey, who, since the 

 death of Botanist Gray, has been 

 called the leading botanist of the 

 United States. Dr. Bessey is now 

 making a study of the Iris. 



THE IRIS NEXT TO THE ORCHID. 



Rev. C. S. Harrison of York, Nebr., 

 has received the following interesting 

 letter from Dr. Bessey of the Univers- 

 ity of Nebraska: 



My dear Mr. Harrison : — 



What an admirable little book you have 

 made on the Iris! I have been looking it 

 over as I have had a little time now and 

 then, and am wondering at the amount of 

 instructive matter you have brought to- 

 gether in it. I am going to commend it 



PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. 



The Final Premium List of the Hor- 

 ticultural Society of Chicago, lor the 

 Spring Flower Show of 1913, has been 

 issued and copies may be obtained 

 from R. J. Haight, secretary, 440 So. 

 Dearborn St., Chicago. This is the 21st 

 annual exhibition and it is scheduled 

 to take place April 1 to 5. 



Henderson's Garden Guide, pub- 

 lished by Peter Henderson & Co., New 

 York City. This is a 70-page booklet 

 of convenient pocket form, In which 

 are given reliable cultural directions 

 regarding the most generally planted 

 vegetables and flowers. A very com- 

 plete index makes the book especial- 

 ly useful and handy. Blank pages tor 

 making various pertinent notes are in- 

 serted in diary form for each day in 

 each month and there are several val- 

 uable tables that will be much appre- 

 ciated especially by the amateur 

 planter. 



