430 The Gardener's New Director. 



Direclions for raiftng /^f Bulbous Iris. 



HE next flaovvy flower to be treated of, is the/w, 

 or Flovjer de Lys^ or Fleur du Lys •, and they are 

 ot tvvo forts, the narrow-leaved or Spanijh Botanicef the 

 Xyphion angujli-folium, and the Xypbion latlfolhim, or 

 Englijh his\ in the Dutch catalogues, they are called, 

 firrt, Iris Hifpanica, and in the latter, Iris Anglica hulhofa : 

 The great varieties that are of this flower, are obtained 

 fron-^ feed, in the following manner. 



Having provided yourfelf with good roots from the 

 fiorifls at Haerlem, plant them in October^ in fuch a fitu- 

 ation as they may have the fun only until eleven o'clock ; 

 they are to be planted three inches below the furface of 

 the earth, which fhould be light, frefh, fandy, and very 

 moderately dunged ; but if your foil is frefh and rich in 

 its nature, it will not require any dung ; and to prevent 

 the roots from running down, the bed mufi: be beat hard 

 two feet below the bottom of the bulb; obferve to keep 

 them clear of weeds'. When they come to flower, mark 

 fuch as you chufe to fave feed from, which muft be fuch 

 as have long bold flems ; for they give the befl flowers. 

 When their feed-veffels become dry, and begin to open, 

 cut them down, and rub out the feed to prepare for (ow- 

 ing : The others you are to cut to the ground as foon as 

 iheir flowers fade. Make boxes ready, tv/elve inches 

 deep, three feet broad, and fix long, with many holes 

 in the bottoms, to be covered with concave oyfl:er-fhells, 

 to allow the water to pafs ofF. In O^ober, fow the ietd 

 in rows, two inches, row from row, and half an inch, 

 feed from ^et^, as here they are to remain for two or 

 three years: The foil mcfl: proper for them is, four parts 

 of good, light, frefh earthy the fame as is dire6ted for 

 Carnations, one part of good, light, white, dry fea-lhore 

 fand, and one part of Well-ictted cow dung : Let their 

 fituation be to the fouth-eaft, not very near to a wall or 

 hedge : Let thefe boxes have wooden folding covers ; 

 but from March they are not to be ufed, and in hot wea- 

 ther they are to be (haded from the fun's rays, watering 



them 



