298 



The Canadian Horticulturist. 



THE IRIS. 



A 



©F stately growth, rich perfume and an endless variety of color, this 

 kingly flower, half orchid, half lily, has won for itself favoritism 

 wherever grown. In England it is extensively cultivated, and is 

 perhaps one of the most popular of hardy plants, while in 

 our own country every lover of flowers has at least some 1 "^ 

 varieties of this charming plant among his collection. 



As a garden plant, it is especially desirable, and years 

 ago we began with the low old-fashioned Iris, or Flowermg ^ 



Flag, with which we bordered our beds, and have it still, ,^ 



its low fragrant blossoms always at hand in the earl} 

 spring. An older species of Iris, and much more rare at 

 this day, is a peculiar variety called by the older people 

 " Quaker Lady," of silvery hue, richly dappled and veined 

 with bright yellow and deep maroon, its foliage delicate, 

 of a bulbous nature, and blooming exceedingly early m 

 March and April. But it is to the large-floAvering and 

 free-blooming varieties we would call attention. Most of 

 them are quite hardy and very easily 

 grown, and can be planted in spring or 

 fall. Planted singly they soon form clumps 

 of their own, with flowers, whose quaint 

 form, richness of color and delicate per- 

 fume, defy description. 



A pure white variety is equal to the 

 rarest lily, and much more easy of culti- 

 vation. Each clump of the Iris will send 

 up many flower stems, and each stem bear 

 several large beautiful flowers, whose 

 delicate texture will be a marvel to the 

 beholder. Dappled, striped, bordered and 

 mottled, with crimped edges and plain ; 

 with the richest violets, gray and rose ; 

 with some of the newer varieties more 

 veined still, until almost every color shown 

 in flower is to be found among this family. 



The German Irises are very fine. 

 Among them Bacchus, a tall-growing 

 variety, white, with the margin veined 

 with purple, and Cherau,of smaller growth, 

 color bronze yellow, with maroon on white 

 ground. Iris Susiana is another variety of great beauty, flowers very 

 large, mottled chocolate and black, veined with the silvery gray. 



Fig 66. — The Iris, 



