March 26, 1910 



HORTICULTURE 



475 



Iris Xiphium, syn. Iris hispanica 



Iris xiphium, or the Spanish iris, 

 as it is commonly called, is in my 

 opinion the handsomest species of 

 xiphion- — or bubous section. Being 

 a native of the Pyrenees mountains, 

 in spite of its southern home it has 

 proven perfectly hardy and under 

 cover well endures even the frigid 

 winters of our northern states. The 

 deeply channeled linear leaves are 

 from i/s to 14 iiich wide and seldom 

 exceed one foot in length. Stems 

 reach a height of from one to two 

 feet, each bearing two or three close- 

 ly set terminal buds. Flowers open 

 in July. They show great diversity 

 in colors, which run in light blue, 

 lilac, purple and yellow shades. 

 Plants, whenever desired in great 

 quantity, may be raised from seed. 

 It is advisable to sow right after 

 ripening in flats or pans, filled with 

 light, sandy soil. Overwintered in cold frames the seed 

 usually does not germinate until the following spring 

 and it takes about three years for the young bulbs to 

 reach the flowering size. 



In the garden they prefer an open sunny position, but, 

 in every instance care should be taken that the planta- 

 tion is protected from heavy winds, which, when accom- 

 panied by rain, are very apt to lay the top heavy stems 

 flat or break them off. It is also necessary to look for 

 proper drainage, or choose a location high enough to pre- 

 vent water or ice from accumulating during fall and 

 winter. Bulbs in time produce numberless offsets and 

 thus when left undisturbed for several years form good 

 sized clumps. This clump formation is desirable when 

 that mass effect is wanted which is shown in our illus- 

 tration. 



As cut flowers Spanish iris possess good lasting qual- 

 ities and marked fragrance. Like some of the dwarfy 

 spring flowering Caucasian, Persian and Asia Minor 

 varieties, noteworthily the pretty I. pumila, our Pyrenee 

 mountain representative, is well adapted for the rockery. 

 More recently I have frequently seen Spanish iris used 

 also to good advantage both on the mixed herbaceous 

 border and in formal garden plantings. Though not 

 quite as showy as the rhizomatous German and Japanese 

 types, when planted for mass effect, Spanish iris soon 

 shows that it merits space and the moderate amount of 

 care required. 



^^diHyCLAxi-^<itkAy 



Northeast Harbor, Maine. 



(not in fives) standing leaves, and the glandulous inflor- 

 escence. The area of the leaves is covered in spring and 

 summer with hair of a violet to a blood red color, but in 

 the winter, probably from the decrease of sunlight, they 

 are of a much less lively color. The flower stalks arise 

 from the axils of the leaves and display greenish or red- 

 dish insignificant flowers. It would make a bright-look- 

 ing stove creeper. 



FLORENCE 



The city of Florence and the Royal Horticultural 

 Society of the same are busy with the project of a hor- 

 ticultural show in the month of May. 1911, in com- 

 memoration of the 50th year of the establisliment of the 

 Italian kingdom. The event will be a national one, and 

 will enjoy the support of the Italian minister of agri- 

 culture. The show committee to which tlie presidents 

 of various foreign horticultural societies belong have 

 determined that in some of the divisions foreigners may 

 compete; and intentions to exhibit must be sent into the 

 show committee not later than March 31, 1911. 



THE SWEET PEA ANNUAL 



This publication of the National Sweet Pea Society, 

 issued recently, proves that the Society is advancing in 



its policy and making reasonable progress. The Annual 

 has increased in size on previous issues, and there is a 

 chapter on the Sweet Pea Carnival at Bozeman, Mon- 

 tana, contributed by S. B. Dicks; notes on the trials at 

 Reading by Chas. Foster; and Sweet Peas from Cuttings 

 by J. Chisholm is an interesting contribution. In the 

 full report given of the Sweet Pea Conference that took 

 place in December last the papers read by W. J. IJnwin 

 on "Sweet Pea Xames and Naming," and by W. Cuth- 

 bertson on the "Imperfect Seeding of Waved Sweet 

 Peas,"' are given. 



The official catalogue of sweet pea names fills sixteen 

 pages. In an article contributed on the subject of "The 

 Most Popular Sweet Peas" the writer states that certain 

 varieties thrive under practically every condition, other- 

 wise there would not be such a concensus of opinion in 

 their favor. The twelve varieties receiving most votes 

 are Helen Lewis, 105 ; Etta Dyke, 101 : Countess Spen- 

 cer, 99; Mrs. Hardcastle Sykes, 97; John Ingman, 81; 

 Evelyn Hemus, 78; The King, 69; Constance Oliver, 

 67; Mrs. Henry Bell, 67; Prank Dolby, 64; Mrs. A. Ire- 

 land, 60 ; Clara Curtis, 53. 



