December 28, 1892.] 



Garden and Forest. 



619 



our own, remedies for both these evils have been found. It is 

 now known tliat the Pliylloxera may be avoided by planting the 

 Vine in very sandy soil, or, in case of the foreign Vines, by 

 grafting them on the roots of such native species as are proved 

 to be resistant to the grape-louse. The mildew may be pre- 

 vented by spraying the Vine occasionally during the season of 

 its growth with some one of the solutions of copper sulphate. 

 In my practice I have had the best results from use of the Bor- 

 deaux mixture, a combination of copper sulphate, lime and 

 water. This mixture, when properly made and applied, is 

 durable, and not readily washed off by rains. In ordinary seasons 

 a Grape-leaf well sprayed in June will visibly retain throughout 

 the summer the protecting chemicals upon its surface. 



Where the grape fungi are epidemic, the foreign Vine and 

 the native Vine are about equally susceptible to disease. The 

 foreign varieties seem to be rather more attractive to the fun- 

 gus germs, and the vine may have the merit of dying perhaps 

 a little sooner under its disorders than some of our native 

 kinds. Either sort will succumb to fungi unless protected. In 

 my vineyard were a number of Vinifera hybrids which nearly 

 all perished from inildew when this became epidemic. Had I 

 not known what ailed them I might have fancied that they 

 failed because they could not endure the climate. 



When I began experiments in vine-spraying in 1887, a few 

 specimens of these hybrids were yet dragging out a sickly life, 

 but visibly pining away. Under the administration of the 

 Bordeaux mixture they recovered, and are now growing in ap- 

 parent health. This experience teaches that we may now hope 

 to grow in open vineyard those European varieties which can 

 endure the temperature of our winters. Father Guicheteau, 

 Principal of the French Catholic College at Vineland, has grow- 

 ing on his farm near Millville, New Jersey, some valuable foreign 

 Grapes, brought from France. These Vines have been per- 

 sistently sprayed with Bordeaux mixture, and Father Guiche- 

 teau informs me that they are growing and fruiting as well as 

 they do in the old country, and have continued this good be- 

 havior for three years. But for the protection given them by 

 this spraying, they would ere this have surely perished from 

 mildew. The soil in which they grow is very sandy, and hence 

 they escape the Phylloxera. Ishallgetsomeof the wood of these 

 vines and graft them on the roots of my Ironclad Grape, which 

 is proof against the grape-louse. Then I hope to show that to 

 successfully grow the Vinifera Grape in our Atlantic states is 

 not impossil:>le. 



The beneficial effect of spraying the vine with the copper 

 solutions can scarcely be realized by those who have not 

 practiced it successfully. Many failin its use from some error 

 in practice, and the published reports of experiences are yet 

 quite conflicting. For instance, it has been reported that my 

 vineyards are as badly diseased as those which have not been 

 sprayed with the fungicides. The summer of 1892 has been 

 favorable to the growth of the vine, and adverse to the growth of 

 the fungi. Under these conditions, some of those who did not 

 spray their vines secured a partial crop of grapes, and a 

 measurably healthful growth of canes. Hence they argue that 

 "The disease is dying out! " and "all of this bother about fungi- 

 cides is a humbug, invented by the United States Department 

 of Agriculture as an excuse for the institution of the Division 

 of Vegetable Pathology!" 



What may be the etfect of another hot and humid summer 

 on vineyards infected by the fungi remains to be seen. Under 

 such conditions I suspect that we shall find it difficult to de- 

 fend the health of our Vines, no matter whether they are native 

 or foreign. 



Vineland, N.J. Alex. IV. Pear SOU. 



Irises and Their Cultivation. — II. 



'n"*HE rhizomatous Irises are mcreased readily, and usually 

 -'■ rapidly, by division ; the bulbous kinds by offsets. Many 

 kinds produce seeds which come true, although some of the 

 species tend to sport. Seeds of some varieties germinate rap- 

 idly ; others very slowly. In the solid bed of my cool house seed- 

 lings of several varieties are now springing up after having been 

 carried a year in seed-pans, and then three months ago thrown 

 out with the earth and given a chance under other conditions. 

 This, by the way, is often a profitable precaution with all seeds 

 of hardy plants which have failed to germinate after one has 

 done his best with them in pans. To secure seed of some 

 kinds it is evidently necessary to fertilize the flowers arti- 

 ficially, and the early-flowering bulbous kinds need protection 

 under glass when in bloom ; at least. Iris reticulata and similar 

 kinds do not bear seeds when exposed in my garden. 



The bulbous Irises require somewhat more care in cultiva- 

 tion than the other section. The conditions, however, are 



modified by soil and climate, as is the case with many bulbs. 

 It may be said in a general way that bulbous Irises do well in 

 a good deep, well-drained, rich sandy soil free from humus or 

 manure, and hereabout they should be planted in the warmest 

 part of the garden. Excessive wet in winter seems to be their 

 severest trial. The varieties of these bulbous species are be- 

 coming somewhat numerous, but many are still scarce, and 

 experience as to the hardiness of some kinds is very limited. 

 As yet I see no reason to doubt that all, except, perhaps, I. 

 alata, can be grown out-of-doors if properly planted. At the 

 same time, the best advice would be to plant the African Irises, 

 I. juncea, I. Tingitana and I. alata, in a cool house. I. juncea, 

 which is a variety with beautifu yellow-colored flowers, I 

 have bloomed in the open without protection, but, while it 

 still lives there, it is not to be depended on. Before goino- 

 further I ought to warn the reader that I make no claim to be 

 an authority on the Iris or its cultivation, and these notes are 

 simply the impressions made on me as I have tried, with more 

 or less success, to flower them, mostly by giving them their 

 own way as nearly as I understood it. 



For general garden-culture the varieties of I. Xiphium (Span- 

 ish Irises) and of I. xiphioides (the English Irises) are the most 

 satisfactory, being easily managed, reliable and showy, while 

 the bulbs may be had at an absurdly low rate from the Dutch 

 bulb-growers. My personal preference is for the Spanish Irises 

 on account of their more brilliant colors, but the flowers of the 

 English Irises are larger, and furnish a perfect succession, 

 coming on precisely as the others fade. The foliage of the 

 Spanish Iris appears in early winter, and makes a gradual 

 growth as the season advances, and does not seem to be 

 affected by the hard conditions of that period. The 

 flowers appear on stems about fifteen to eighteen inches 

 high, and are in shades of yellow, brown, blue, white and 

 orange in all quaint combinations. Like all Irises, if cut before 

 unfolding, they may be brought into the house for decoration, 

 and will prove more lasting than if gathered when fully 

 opened. As these fade, the English Irises will unfold with 

 another order of beauty, the colorings being mostly shades of 

 purple and white. The pure white variety of this, Mont Blanc 

 of the florists, is a chaste beauty. Varieties of both these 

 groups seed freely, and give flowering plants in two or three 

 years, which will naturally vary from the parent plants. 



Before these Irises brighten the garden, however, the amateur 

 in choice plants may enjoy the dwarf bulbous Irises like I. retic- 

 ulata, or similar types. The first to appear is Iris Bakeriana, 

 as it is first in beauty and hardiness. The first mild spell after 

 the middle of January will wake it up in this ladtude, and one 

 can watch its quiet advance at every loosening of the frost, 

 till it manages to unfold its charms in early February. It 

 seems a marvel that such a fragile, high-colored flower should 

 push its beauties with such audacity in the face of wild winter 

 weather. The Snowdrops and Anemones will close up and 

 seem to shrink while waiting for a better time, but not so this 

 flower. It spreads wide open and frankly asks admiration, 

 and be the weather what it may, it will endure a week of it! 

 As a matter of prudence, however, the gardener should fix a 

 pane of glass over it to guard it from snow or rain. This 

 Iris is a trifle larger than I. reticulata, and has glaucous four- 

 sided, channeled leaves (tetragonous the botanists call them), 

 instead of the rounded leaves of the type. The colors varv ; 

 mine are a true blue on white, with rich royal purple mark- 

 ings. Next to this will appear I. histrioides, which seems to 

 be the largest flower of the group, purplisli blue, with dark 

 purple spots and violet markings. I. Histrio has not flowered 

 with me ; it is said to be very similar to the above. Its bulbs 

 are especially white and handsome. 



I. Danfordise (Bornmulleri) is a light yellow Iris, which is still 

 a failure here and a warning to me against planting bulbs in 

 wet soil. I. reticulata major is an English seedling, with 

 flowers of the same rich colors as the best forms of the type, 

 but it is considerably larger, more vigorous and flowers earlier. 

 The true I. reticulata, the little netted Iris, is a charmino- 

 plant in the border, where it appears, however, to better ad- 

 vantage when grown in fair-sized colonies. It is perfectly 

 hardy, but is improved by occasional lifting, and it may be said 

 that all these bulbs should be examined every year to' see that 

 they are in good health. There are numerous forms of I. re- 

 ticulata, the reddish purple being known as I. Krelagei, which 

 is not attractive. The bluer forms are Coerulea, Cyanea 

 and Sophonensis, and Herr Leichtlin offers a few others quite 

 unknown as yet in most gardens. I. reticulata forces very 

 readily and does not mind a greenhouse temperature. In 

 this situation its violet-like fragrance can be most thoroughly 

 enjoyed. 

 Elizabeth, N.J. J. N. Gerard. 



