CULTURE OF THE IRIS. *79 



ARTICLE III. 



CULTURE OF THE IRIS. 



BY PHILO-DAHI.IA, DURHAM. 



The Iris, or Flower-de-luce, is a genus of the class Triandria, and 

 order Monqgynia. 



1. The flower called the English Iris (Iris Xiphioides) first began 

 to be cultivated about the year 1511, having been found, by the 

 Dowager Duchess of Portland, on the river side, near Fladbury, in 

 Worcestershire. It was originally only of a deep brilliant blue, but 

 has since sported into every gradation of almost all colours, and has 

 become shaded and mottled in a most beautiful manner. Since these 

 changes have taken place, it has come into some repute as a florist's 

 flower. This species is propagated by offsets from the roots. The 

 corms* need not be taken up oftener than every third year, and 

 should not remain out of the ground longer than a month, which 

 would cause them to shrivel and produce an indifferent bloom the 

 ensuing season. This kind blooms best in a light sandy loam, taken 

 from a pasture with the sward, and laid together to rot for a time, 

 but should have no manure whatever added to it. The roots should 

 be planted about three inches deep, in beds with an eastern aspect, 

 and rather shaded from the sun. It produces seeds very abundantly, 

 the same as the Hyacinth, which may be sown about October, and 

 will form, the first year, corms about the size of garden peas. These 

 should not be disturbed till the third year, when they may be trans- 

 planted into beds for blooming, which will be about the fourth year, 

 although sometimes not before the fifth or sixth. In Holland they are 

 forced to protect their beds ; but in this country the Iris is found to 

 be perfectly hardy. 



2. The Persian Iris (Iris Persica) is greatly esteemed on account 

 of its early appearance in the spring, being generally in perfection in 

 February, or the beginning of March, and also of the beauty and ex- 



• The ferm " corm " is strictly applicable to the root of the Iris. Corms are 

 distinguished from bulbs by having, instead of scales, imbricated or concentric, 

 a solid fleshy plate, of a round figure, above the crown of the root ; whereas 

 tubers are more or jess irregular or tapering. They are however classed, by 

 gardeners and writers on gardening, amongst bulbs, a circumstance which, 

 though botanically wrong, leads to no material error in practice, the culture of 

 Itoth being nearly, if not altogether, the same. m 



