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tubers each fall, after growth has been stopped by the 
frosts, to a cellar or other storehouse where the tempera- 
ture does not reach the freezing point, neither should it 
go much above 45 or 50 degrees. 
18. Iris Collection 
The iris collection at the southwest corner of the grounds 
was established in the spring of 1916. In front of a back- 
ground of conifers and deciduous shrubs is a border Io feet 
wide, in which the irises are planted. The iris may be 
had in flower, by proper selection of kinds, from early 
spring to the early part of July. The first to bloom are 
some of the dwarf forms, such as Iris pumila and I. ertstata. 
Then come those of the rhizomatous type, with creeping 
rootstocks, such as Iris germanica, I. pallida, I. sambucina, 
and many others. These are followed by the Siberian 
irises, and these in turn by the Japanese irises, of which 
there are many beautiful color forms. 
19. Water Garden 
The water garden is situated northeast of the museum 
building between the lake bridge and the Bronx River. 
An attractive display of hardy water-lilies, many of them 
Marliac hybrids, may be seen here from June until autumn; 
while the borders of the lake are planted with a variety of 
water-loving herbaceous plants and shrubs. 
20. The Hemlock Forest 
The forest of Canadian hemlock spruce along the Bronx 
River, within the portion of Bronx Park set apart for the 
New York Botanical Garden, is one of the most noteworthy 
natural features of the Borough of The Bronx, and has been 
characterized by a distinguished citizen as “the most pre- 
cious natural possession of the city of New York.” 
This forest exists in the northern part of Bronx Park on 
the banks of the river and their contiguous hills; its greater 
area is on the western side of the stream, but it occupies a 
