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GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



that the taller and finer the form and the larger in size 

 the iris, the greater is its beauty standing" clear from its 

 neighbors. A few of the lovely self-colored things like 

 pallida Dalmatica, Aurea, Dawn, or White Knight, I 

 like in big blocks, but the deep claret tones of Caprice, 

 or the red and yellow variegatas I want only as mere 

 contrasting touches. What could be lovelier than two 

 or three swinging" stalks of Caterina rising well above 

 the average level, a compact clump of the rich, velvety 

 Monsignor, or a single well-flowered stalk of Isoline, 

 incomparable in color ! New combinations are continu- 

 ally cropping up and this last season one plan at least 

 came to perfect maturity. 



Against a brown, hewn trellis where the grapes show 

 pale gray green and blush in their spring dress, there 

 are perhaps twelve tall stalks of the velvety bronzed 

 Prosper Laugier, below, a rounded clump of pure White 

 Knight and a crescent-shaped drift of Prestige, its 

 flowers airily held, its color clear yellow with echoes 

 of white and violet. Rarely have I planned with such 

 success, and who that loves gardening does not plan ? 

 If space allowed I should have many borders in selected 

 colors, not aH-iris borders, but perennial borders with 

 irises for May and June display : there would be claret, 

 soft yellow, and cream, or purples from richest violet 

 to palest lavende, rose toned and flushed pearly tints, 

 or, perhaps, even bold chestnut and yellows softened by 

 warm blends ; infinite are the possibilities. 



Down by the marshy edge of the pond, the beard- 

 less irises thrive ; sibericas in cool white with the most 

 fragile of venations in cream and lavender or in deepen- 

 ing tones of blue-lavender, their myriad flowers like 

 butterflies poised in midair so slender are the stalks : 

 lower growing with less grassy leaves, larger flowers and 

 clearer color are the forms of orientaUs of which White 

 Queen and the almost velvety Emperor stand out pre- 

 eminent. These are more usual garden favorites, but 

 you will find a quite wide range oi color among the 

 natives of China, Thibet, or even our own country, for 

 Wilsoni is a straw yellow, pseudoaconts (the big English 

 wildling) a bright yellow, and chrysographcs the deep- 

 est of violet. All these come into bloom with the great 

 pageant of the Bearded Irises and though I speak of 

 them as lovers of moisture, they do as well in a rich, 

 well-cultivated garden. In late June, or early July, 

 come the giant growing spurias. ochroleucas, and Mon- 

 nieris, strong growing things with stifle wide spreading 

 petals, but narrow ones which in Guldcnstadtiana be- 

 come mere spidery limbs, and now also come the Jap- 

 anese which are so well appreciated a part of many a 

 garden. 



Before the hardships of Quarantine i7 . I had many 

 English, Spanish, and Dutch iris for mid-June show, 

 but now I treasure but a few for they did not take to 

 my light, poorly-nourished soil. They prove the best 

 of all irises for cut-flowers and I only hope that the 

 Horticultural Board will prove a true p'-ophet in fore- 

 seeing a time when "Dutch" bulbs can be as well grown 

 in this country as in Holland and gardens may show 

 again the beauty of bulbs by the hundred. Personally 

 my passing acquaintance with the bulbous irises has not 

 been sufficient to give me a knowing appreciation of the 

 varieties by name, but I hope that others will be able 

 to give them individuality. 



All this is from mine own garden lore, but I think 

 an actual example is the strongest argument I can put 

 forward for you to become an active member of The 

 American Iris Society. This was organized but a short 

 time ago, January 29th, to be exact, and already over 260 

 charter members are enrolled and its policy is to bring 

 to all garden lovers an added appreciation of the iris. 



There will be trial gardens, exhibitions, local meetings; 

 we plan to establish standards for nomenclature, descrip- 

 tions, and judging; information is coming to hand for 

 an authentic treatise on culture to be based on the ex- 

 perience of growers in many localities. As a member 

 you will receive each month published notes of interest, 

 and we trust that many will find their investment of 

 $3 (the annual dues) of real value. 



As secretary of The American Iris Society, I shall be 

 glad to answer iris queries through the pages of The 

 Gardeners' Chronicle and I wish to thank the editor 

 for this opportunity. 



A PLEA FOR UNITED ACTION AGAINST 

 QUARANTINE 37 



[From Florists' F.xclunii^c. Feb. 21.) 



The report of the proceedings, published in last week's 

 Florists' Exchange, of the hearing before the Federal Horti- 

 cultural Board relative to the application of Quarantine Bill No. 

 37 to orchids, has amazed some of your readers and strength- 

 ened the suspicion that the motive behind this measure is to a 

 large degree that of a trade protection. They were no less sur- 

 prised to find such noted orchid growers as Lager, Manda, 

 Roehrs, Baldwin and Carrillo, drawn into a controversy with a 

 man who has not been a resident of the United States for more 

 than six months, and who has not yet had the opportunity to 

 demonstrate his ability as an orchid grower in his new atmosphere, 

 and another whose new methods of growing are still in the state 

 of experimenting, on the possibility of raising orchids in this 

 country, which subject is totally irrelevant to the one issue in 

 which the Federal Horticultural Board should alone be con- 

 cerned and which is, whether imported orchids are carriers of in- 

 jurious insect pests or contagious plant diseases? 



If The Excliaiige has quoted Dr. Marlatt correctly, he de- 

 clared he did not believe it would be worth while to discuss the 

 enemies of orchids for the reason that the Agricultural Depart- 

 ment has experts on that subject who know what has been foimd 

 on orchids, and that the fact that some one outside the Depart- 

 ment does not believe an insect has any effect on orchids would 

 not be considered, was certainly a most remarkable statement. 



Those who have come in contact with the experts, or as they 

 are officially termed "scientists." of the U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture, do not coincide with the apparent belief of Dr. 

 Marlatt that they are infallible and, while no one expects them 

 to be, some of them are far from it. The attitude at times as- 

 sumed by the chairman of the Federal Board, of which the fore- 

 going is an example, tempts the writer to recount his remin- 

 iscences during the past ten years of his observations and ex- 

 periences with the "scientists" of the government department of 

 which Dr. Marlatt is a unit. It would provide humorous read- 

 ing, while it might prove embarrasing to some. 



An excellent authority has advised that the Federal Horti- 

 cultural Board is not in a position to give an impartial hearing 

 because it has already reached its decision, and that it is most 

 natural that it should be prejudiced in favor of its own decision. 

 This authority has suggested that a hearing be sought before 

 the Agricultural Committee of the House, at which all facts from 

 both sides might be fully and freely presented, and from which 

 the Agricultural Committee can draw a just conclusion of the 

 merits of this unpopular measure. 



The Association which the writer represents has been patiently 

 waiting for one of the older horticultural organizations to take 

 some action, but none seems disposed to take the step. The Na- 

 tional Association of Gardeners is now prepared to take the 

 initiative, if it can secure the co-operation and support of those 

 interested, to bring about a modification of this autocratic, and un- 

 democratic, and un-American law. 



A new secretary was recently appointed to that office of the 

 Department of Agriculture, a man who did not achieve his success 

 in life merely through academic channels, but who has also had 

 a broad and practical experience in the field of agriculture. If 

 the case was properly presented to Mr. Meredith, before any 

 other action is decided on. with united support of those inter- 

 ested behind it. it is not at all improbable that those affected may 

 obtain some relief. 



Let all horticulturists, including professional and amateur 

 .gardeners, who recognize the injustice of Quarantine Bill No. 

 37. co-operate to bring about a modification of this drastic action 

 (we do not seek to have it rescinded entirely because it possesses 

 some good points, when they are not abused) and to secure 

 representation on the Federal Horticultural Board of prac- 

 tical horticulturists. M. C. Ebel, 

 Secretary National .Xssociation of Gardeners. 



