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Fhbbuabx 28, 1907. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



J 087 



Autumn Flower Show at Suttgartt Germany, Showing Formality of Arrangement. 



little 'or no neck, the leafage is two feet 

 long and high, broad, and, in some meas- 

 ure, handsome also. The flowers rival 

 those of any hardy crinum in magnifi- 

 cence, being pure white, six inches across 

 the perianth, expanding fully, and aver- 

 age twenty in each umbel. The in- 

 florescence is about a foot across, and 

 not more than thirty inches high, being 

 but slightly raised above the foliage. It 

 makes a delightful pot plant for the cool 

 greenhouse, thrives apace in the warm 

 border quite unprotected, and gives no 

 trouble at any time. I have grown the 

 plant for eight years, and in some quan- 

 tity, and can recommend it for its re- 

 finement, compact habit, and sweet fra- 

 grance. It flowers regularly about Au- 

 gust, and every bulb throws a strong 

 scape. C. latifolium has long been noted 

 as the best of the large-flowered crinums 

 for the temperate house, and its variety 

 Yemense is equally as good a plant for 

 the garden proper in everything save size. 



STAGING EXHIBITIONS. 



The German Arrangement. 



The accompanying illustration from 

 a photograph of the autumn flower show 

 given in Stuttgart, Germany, November 

 10 to 15, 1906, is extremely interesting 

 when compared vnth illustrations of our 

 American exhibitions. Unfortunately i 

 have no information covering the ar- 

 rangement and, therefore, we are com- 

 pelled to call upon our imagination as 

 to the object and scope of the under- 

 taking. 



Evidently competition of exhibits — 



the main incentive of our exhibitions — 

 is eliminated and an effort to lay before 

 the flower-loving public a grand, formal 

 floral display is apparent. Extreme for- 

 mality is ever present and each vase or 

 boxed plant has its counterpart placed 

 with mathematical precision in a bal- 

 anced scale. 



The whole flower space, 85x200 feet, 

 is laid out into a formal garden, the 

 beds in balanced pairs and evidently bor- 

 dered by narrow wooden strips. Each 

 plant or group is neatly and inconspic- 

 uously labeled and at the rear, where 

 there appears to be a rustic bridge lead- 

 ing to a mysterious "somewhere," the 

 directing signs are enclosed in rustic 

 frames. 



The whole arrangement shows a pre- 

 meditated study of formal effects by a 

 master mind and, as seen from an end 

 balcony, must have been an interesting 

 sight. W. C. Egan. 



GERMAN IRISES. 



[An extract from an address by J. Woodward 

 Manning, delivered before tbe Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society, January 12, 1907.] 



The iris, or as popularly known the 

 fleur de lis, rainbow-flower or poorman's 

 orchid, etc., has more than 170 described 

 pure species, of which about 100 have 

 been cultivated at times by American 

 horticulturists while somewhat more than 

 130 species are grown by English iris 

 fanciers, among which, however, a por- 

 tion fail to combine sufficient distinction, 

 beauty or ease of culture to warrant their 

 extended use. While, however, perhaps 

 less than a hundred species are to be 

 recommended for cultivation in Ameri- 



can or particularly New England gar- 

 dens, this is but a fraction of the number 

 of varieties which by selection or cross 

 fertilization have been produced and con- 

 tribute most advantageously to garden 

 ornamentation. 



The surface rhizomed forms are more 

 popularly known as German irises, though 

 the true Iris Germanica is but one of 

 many species. The dwarf forms are 

 greatly neglected, being but seldom seen 

 in American gardens, yet possessing great 

 merit in their range of bloom and the 

 earliness of flowering period. Iris pu- 

 milla is better known than the other 

 species and growing about nine inches 

 high bears in April showy flowers of deep 

 purple in profusion. As an edging plant 

 it has much merit and there are various 

 selected varieties ranging from pearly 

 white, through clear blues to the deeper 

 colored typical form. Iris pumilla is 

 certainly worthy of far greater use than 

 has been the case in the past. I. verna, 

 another dwarf species from the Carolinas 

 is equally dwarf, quite prolific in bloom 

 with purple shades and blooms about the 

 same time. This does not show the im- 

 provement and fixed forms, however, that 

 is true with the last species. The gem 

 among dwarf irises, however, is the 

 crested Iris cristata, only growing about 

 six inches high with light green foliage. 

 It forms a carpet of verdure and bears 

 freely of light blue flowers beautifully 

 blotched with golden yellow. I know no 

 form of dwarf iris with as great adapta- 

 bility of uses as this either for naturaliz- 

 ing or for varied garden usage. 



For perfect hardihood, freedom of 

 bloom and range of color we can with 



