CHOICE OF FLOWERS 



more when it Is In refined and quiet company. 

 There Is but one way to treat It, in such a case : 

 pot it and send It to the flower mission. It will 

 be appreciated. 



Grow fleur-de-lis, or iris. It is one of the 

 early and affecting things of the year, with a 

 sad, watery loveliness of texture, a faint fra- 

 grance such as we might expect from tears, If 

 those liquids were not salt or bitter, and a re- 

 serve that Is near to dignity. Tender as It seems, 

 fragile as a form In tinted Ice, it is yet hardy In 

 our north temperate zone, and Increases little by 

 little every year until, in place of eight or ten 

 stalks you have several square feet of fresh 

 blades, and spike on spike of white, yellow, pale- 

 blue, lilac and rich purple flowers. The roots 

 will be so matted that weeds can not intrude, 

 but these roots should be separated from time to 

 time. In order to gain room for healthy contin- 

 uance and increase. The Iris will grow on dry 

 ground, in partial shade, or In ground that is 

 almost marshy In summer and In the sun, but 

 it prefers not to be wet In winter. I w^ish I could 

 speak from experience as to the growing of the 

 Japanese iris, or iris Kaempferi, but mine 

 i8i 



