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variety. It may develop that the best way to gret a g^ood collec- 

 tion of Ja])anese irises is to «row them from seed, rather than to 

 attempt to secure plants. 



5. Culture. — A number of difficulties have been encountered in 

 the growing" of Japanese irises. The general report is that it is 

 extremely hard to keep and propagate a collection of varieties. 

 Dealers are all the time announcing a shortage of their material. 

 For one reason or another, different varieties are lost from the 

 general collection. The explanation of these facts needs to be 

 experimentally deterniined. 



Plans are being made to find out some things about the cul- 

 tural requirements of these varieties. Such questions as the fol- 

 lowing are being considered: 



(a) Traiisplaiitiiii:;. — The time of year in which this can best 

 be done; how frequently the plants should l)e divided and trans- 

 planted. 



(b) S.oil Co)uiiti()iis. — The adaptation of varieties to different 

 tvpes of soil ; methods of preparing the soil : the value of flooding 

 during the flowering period. 



(c) Pcrtili:;i!ig. — A determination of the best methods of ferti- 

 lizing in order to stimulate the growth and development of the 

 plants and the ])r()duction of abundant bloom. 



Id) Disease enid Control. — These varieties, like other plants, 

 appear to have their own particular maladies. An effort will be 

 made to determine the nature of these and the possibilities of suc- 

 cessful control. 



The main emphasis for the present will be placed upon the 

 study of the varieties of Japanese irises. The plans, however, 

 for the trial garden include similar studies of the other groups of 

 Apogons, particular!}' the Sibirian and Spurian group. The 

 Ciardcn alreadv has several varieties belonging to these groups 

 and it is proposed to increase the collection of both and carry out 

 studies somewhat along the same general lines as for the Japanese 

 irises. 



Georgr ^\. Reed 



