among the most beautiful of garden flowers, graceful in form June. 



and most varied in colour, running through many shades of Varieties of 



white, mauve, purple, yellow, bronze and claret. Some are j r j s 



most exquisitely veined and marked, vying in this way with 



many rare hothouse plants, and in many cases their foliage has 



the advantage of lasting and looking well for months of the 



year ; even in winter bright fresh green tips are to be seen 



pushing up. 



Irises are generally divided into two classes, the bulbous or 

 Xiphions, and those with fleshy roots or rhizomes. The bulbous, 

 as a rule, like a light rich sandy soil, good drainage and plenty 

 of sun. The rhizomatous section may be divided again into 

 groups of bearded and unbearded Irises. The bearded, in which 

 are included all the varieties of Iris Germanica, are generally 

 quite easy to grow, liking a dry sunny position and plenty of 

 good feeding. In some soils they increase so fast that it is 

 necessary to pull them to pieces every second year to prevent 

 overcrowding of the fleshy roots ; in other soils they can be left 

 undisturbed some years. It is important that replanting should 

 be done as soon as possible after flowering, and that the rhizomes 

 should not be buried underground. 



The beardless class to which belong our wild English 

 Flag and the Japanese Iris as a rule love moisture, and the 

 different kinds want more varied treatment ; some prosper in 

 loam, others in peat or bog. 



As one Iris or another can be had in flower for nine months 

 of the year, it is only possible to suggest a few of the varieties 

 which might be grown. Iris pumlla succeeds such kinds as 

 Stylos a, Reticulata, etc. they are dwarf, but bear large flowers, 

 purple, white, mauve, or yellow, and are out about the 



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