196 PLANT CULTURE 



purple, bronzy-yellow, violet and lavender. /. pallida has lavender 

 standards, and the falls of the same color shaded with rose. I. p. 

 dalmatica is a very large and sweetly-scented flower. The standards 

 and falls are lavender. In the varieties of /. negleda the standards 

 range in color from lavender to purple and the falls crimson, 

 purple, violet, white and intermediate shades. /. florentina is 

 almost pure white, and comes into flower from the 15th to the 

 end of May. 



/. pumila, a dwarf species, is usually out of bloom early in 

 May; it has many fine varieties. /. pumila and the German Iris 

 have been crossed to give a semi-dwarf group known as 

 Intermediate Iris. /. cristata is a native of the Eastern 

 States, and is weU adapted for half-shaded places in the 

 rockery. It is the dwarfest of all the rhizomatous species. /. 

 versicolor, Blue Flag, and /. pseudo-acorus, a yellow sort, although 

 thriving under conditions which suit most of the garden forms, 

 will do better when the soil is continually moist. /. graminea and 

 /. sihirica, the Siberian Iris, are both worthy of cultivation; they 

 have long, narrow leaves, and small flowers. 7. Icevigata, the Japan- 

 ese Iris, better known as /. Kmmpferi, will also thrive in borders, 

 especially when given a deep mulch of weU-rotted manure; but 

 they show up to better advantage when grown in fairly moist ground. 

 This species is one of the latest to bloom; it has many varieties, 

 some of which are very large and showy. The expanded flowers, 

 when used for cutting, will not stand much handling; but the buds, 

 when nearly full size, wiU open out when placed in water; in this 

 condition they may be shipped long distances. 



Propagation. The rhizomatous species and forms may be 

 rapidly increased by division. Large masses may be reduced in 

 size and replanted early in March without interfering with the crop 

 of flowers. In dividing into smaller pieces, it is better to wait until 

 the plants have completed their growth, when they may be cut in 

 small pieces, heeled in where they are slightly protected in Winter, 

 and put in permanent positions in March or April. They will 

 stand a rich soil, but should not be deeply planted, as they are then 

 liable to decay during wet weather in Summer and Autumn. 



KNIPHOFIA (Red-hot Poker). K. alooides, better known as 

 Tritoma Uvaria (Torch LUy), is an old-fashioned border plant with 

 long, narrow, dark green leaves and tall spikes of flowers, at first 

 coral red, changing to orange, and subsequently to a greenish yellow. 

 It is a native of South Africa, and in localities where the \Ainters 



