mis. 151 



IRIS. 



The German peasant wreathes with flowers in rich attire, 

 For sun-tressed Iris weaves for him her urns of fragrant fire ; 

 But we have a holier gem our lowly home to illume, 

 The flowers of love our lattice lights with undecaying bloom." 



This is a very numerous family of plants, useful as well 

 as ornamental in our flower garden. The Persian (Iris 

 persica) is a very pretty bulbous rooted plant, and being of 

 a dwarf growth, is suitable for pot culture, more particular- 

 ly for being rather tender. These bulbs are often brought 

 to this country with others from Holland, and have been in 

 cultivation over two hundred years ; they are easily raised 

 in glasses, like Hyacinths, or in pots. This flower is a 

 delicate blue and violet color, of great beauty and fra- 

 grance, the latter predominating so much that one plant 

 will perfume a room. If raised in pots, the soil should be 

 a rich sandy loam ; and if potted in November, they will 

 flower early the following spring. 



To raise them in the open ground will require consider- 

 able trouble, for the frost and rain are alike injurious; 

 neither does their beauty attract observation so much, on 

 account of its dwarf-like appearance, as when in a pot 



The Snake's-head Iris (Iris tuberosa) has been in culti- 

 vation much longer than the Persian ; this is also imported 

 from Holland. It does not succeed well in this country, 

 being hard to vegetate. This, no doubt, arises from being 

 kept out of the ground too long. The Chalcedonian Iris 

 (Iris susiana) has striated leaves, with a stem about one 



