FEBRUARY 205 



bloomed with me, then it did so in the open garden; but 

 I have never succeeded in repeating this triumph in the 

 open air, and this is the first success, after many failures, 

 under glass. This Iris is in its native land (Levant) 

 generally covered with snow during the short, sharp 

 winter, and makes its extremely rapid growth during the 

 short spring which follows ; after blooming, it endures 

 the long, baking drought of summer, which ripens the 

 tuberous roots thoroughly. Of course, in our country, 

 such an arrangement in the open ground can hardly be 

 expected, and though, when planted in the open, the 

 tubers thrive and grow amazingly, they make in our 

 damp autumns far too early a start, throwing up a num- 

 ber of strong green blades, which are almost always 

 doomed to destruction by the last frosts of winter with- 

 out showing the least sign of bloom. The books say 

 that they require some protection, such as a hand-light, 

 in the winter, but I have tried it, over and over again, 

 without the slightest success. In my little greenhouse, 

 however, I think I have mastered the difficulties of its 

 culture at last. My method is to defer planting until 

 very late in the autumn. I put the tubers into rather a 

 small pot of nearly pure river sand. This pot I place 

 inside another larger one, and plug the space between 

 the pots with dry moss. I place the pots on a shelf in 

 the sunniest part of the greenhouse, and give no water 

 at all until some time after Christmas. Strange to say, 

 the green shoots begin to show before the plants have 

 received a drop of water. I give the water very liberally 

 at first, but in great moderation as the plants shoot into 

 growth. I let it have all the sun that shines, and, if the 

 frosts are very severe at any time, I take the pots into 

 my studio whilst the extreme cold lasts. This year my 

 treatment has been quite successful, and the plant burst 

 into bloom on the 4th of April.' 



