IN CALIFORNIA 119 



written the cross, the seed-bearing parent, the plant 

 the pod is taken from, always appearing first, as: 

 "America x Aphrodite" if pods are from the first- 

 named or "Aphrodite x America" if the former 

 was fertilized by pollen from America. In case 

 named sorts are not used they may' be numbered 

 thus: 46xAmerica or 22x46. It is better to pick 

 seed pods from each stem as they ripen, and this 

 just before they begin to split open. Six pods are 

 enough for any stem to mature. In our climate we 

 may sow these seeds at almost any time, though the 

 spring and early summer is preferable. 



THE IRIS 



This flower was named from Iris, a radiant god- 

 dess arrayed in garments of surpassing splendor, a 

 personification of the rainbow which is a concen- 

 tration of all tints, rays and coloring of, beauty. 

 The German iris, sometimes called the poor man's 

 orchid, for the reason that it is so easily cultivated, 

 is especially desirable for many locations and is 

 very happy in low, wet ground, but will bloom freely 

 in the common border. The varieties are almost 

 numberless, and the grace and coloring of flowers 

 exquisitely beautiful. 



Nearly 200 species of the iris family are known 

 to botanists, and many of these are not yet known 

 to commerce. This accounts for frequent announce- 

 ments by dealers of "an entirely new iris." We 

 have a considerable number of splendid types, and 

 were the iris alone taken out of our gardens it 

 would be sorely missed. The fact is that it is not 

 nearly so much grown as it should be, for there is 

 no member of the family but is desirable for even 

 the best of gardens. Of late years so many new 

 species have been introduced and such a great num- 



