IRIS 



411 



of good size, the plants 

 growing about thirty 

 inches in height; Lohen- 

 grin, with extra large 

 flowers of a deep mauve ; 

 and atropurpurea, a 

 beautiful rich purple of 

 large size. Of course 

 these are only a very 

 few of many good ones, 

 but you cannot make a 

 mistake in working up a 

 stock of all the above 

 named sorts and push- 

 ing them. 



The best time to 

 divide the field clumps 

 is in early August; by 

 doing it then you will 

 have well established 

 plants to sell the follow- 

 ing Spring. Always see 

 to it that the sorts are 

 kept separate; there is 

 no caU now for mixed 

 lots and no reason for 

 them with so many 

 beautiful ones to select 

 call for Iris should not 

 different distinct shades 

 the old ones. 



Fig. 189. — ^Japanese Iris. There is an almost end- 

 less variety of Japanese Irises, many of them, with 

 their beautifiJ, soft shadings, resembling orchids. 

 Even more than the German Irises they are fond 

 of moisture 



from. The man who only has a limited 



carry over six or eight sorts, including the 



Keep on trying out new sorts and discard 



Japanese Iris (Iris Kaempferi) 



These require about the same treatment as the German type 

 and come in an endless variety of shades. They require a moist 

 position in order to do well. It is almost impossible to carry just 

 a few hundred plants and keep them separate so if you have a good 

 mixture on hand it usually answers. In case a patron insists on 

 having only certain shades or colors, you can have your nursery- 

 man supply you with them. 



Other Irises for Outdoor Planting 



Iris sibirica orientalis comes in a rich blue and a white sort 



(Snow Queen). It grows fully three feet in height and produces 



masses of fine flower stalks. Iris interregna is one of the earhest 



of aU Irises to flower, coming in bloom usually about the middle of 



