918 



PBAGTICAL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS 



lEIS- 



Seeds are ripened by many Bulbous 

 Irises in our climate, and it is always 

 advisable in such cases to obtain a stock 

 of plants from home-saved seeds, as their 

 progeny is likely to prove much hardier 

 and more amenable to our clinaate than 

 plants from imported bulbs. The seeds 

 should be sown as soon as thoroughly ripe 

 in well-drained pots or pans in cold frames. 

 By sowing thinly the seedlings need not 

 be disturbed for the first year, so that they 

 will have a fair chance of making good 

 growth for the second year. 



4. Oncocyclus or ' Cushion ' Irises. — 

 These are usually the largest, most charm- 

 ing, and most beautifully coloured of all 

 the Irises, but unfortunately they are also 

 the most difficult to grow thoroughly well. 

 According to Sir Michael Foster, F.B.S., 

 who has devoted many years to the 

 cultivation and study of these Irises, the 

 characteristics of the group are as fol- 

 lows. In the rhizome the young bud, 

 instead of being attached to the stock by 

 a broad flattened base, and projecting 

 slightly, stands out in the form of a nipple, 

 the base of which is often constricted. 

 In many forms the attachment is 

 lengthened into a cord, often a very 

 narrow one, so that the bud is at the end 

 of a stolon. According to the narrowness 

 and length (or the reverse) of the con- 

 nection of the bud with the stock, the 

 rhizome maybe spoken of as more cr less 

 spreading or creeping, or more or less 

 compact. 



The foliage as compared with other 

 Irises is scanty, and the leaves narrow, 

 and mostly sickle-shaped. The flower 

 stem or scape usually bears only a single 

 flower, which is conspicuous by its size, 

 colour and marking. The 'falls' are 

 usually more or less bearded at the base, 

 and occasionally there are also a few 

 hairs on the claw of the standards. 

 There is another gi-oup of Irises closely 

 allied to the Oncocyclus, but as the flow- 

 ers are somewhat different in shape, and 

 more than one on a stem, they have been 

 distinguished by Sir Michael Foster under 

 the name of ' Eegalia.' I. Korolkowi 

 represents this section. 



Notwithstanding the fact that Onco- 

 cyclus Irises are somewhat difficult to 

 grow successfully, the great beauty and 

 variety of form of their flowers will be an 

 ample recompense for any special trouble 

 taken with them. The main points in 

 their cultivation are (1) shallow planting, 



(2) gritty well-drained soil, (3) non- 

 disturbance in autumn, and (4) absence of 

 wet overhead and at the root from the 

 time the leaves wither until growth starts 

 again naturally. 



The Bev. H. Ewbank, of Byde, I.W., 

 who, as well as Sir Michael Foster and 

 Herr Max Leiohtlin of Baden-Baden, has 

 devoted much attention to the cultivation 

 of this group of Irises, has placed on 

 record in 'The Garden' the method by 

 which he has succeeded in growing them 

 almost to perfection. He makes a raised 

 bed some 6 inches or so above the sur- 

 rounding soU, and uses road scrapings- 

 pure and simple in which to plant his 

 Irises. This soil is hght, rich, gritty, and 

 easily penetrated. Moreover it cakes at 

 the top and even in hot weather does not 

 become dead dry if no glass be put over 

 it. When the plants have finished flower- 

 ing in early summer a light is placed over 

 them, in such a way that there is free 

 circulation of air. This protects the 

 ripening plants from rain, and they can 

 dry off in the soil without being disturbed. 

 To insure a dry bottom, Mr. Ewbank 

 placed about 1 ft. beneath the surface of 

 the soU some paving stones, and thus 

 prevented the ascent of moisture from 

 the subsoil. 



The best time to plant Oncocyclus 

 Irises is the first week in June, and if 

 the methods of Mr. Ewbank are adopted 

 (or a modification of them, so long as the 

 principle remains the same) there is 

 every chance of securing success. With 

 a dry well-drained bottom, the beds only 

 require to be covered with a layer of straw 

 or litter from the time of planting — say 

 November 1st till about February 1st — 

 simply to keep off excessive rains. 



lEISBS FROM SEEDS 



Many of the Irises produce seeds 

 freely in cultivation. If sown in light 

 rich soil under glass, these will readily 

 germinate. The seedlings may be pricked 

 out and grown on, and about the end of 

 the third year will be in a condition for- 

 producing flower. In the case of rare 

 kinds, seeds should always be saved if 

 possible and grown on in this way to 

 mcrease the stock. Although Sir Michael 

 Foster and Herr Max LeichtUn have both 

 raised hybrid Irises, this group of plants 

 has not yet been taken seriously in hand 

 by professional gardeners. The Irises 

 described in the following pages under 



