SPANISH IBIS. 3 



with our heavy staple ; and no oue accustomed to horticul- 

 tural practice needs to be told that a made soil never 

 answers its intended purpose like a soil naturally adapted 

 for the same purpose, and which the making process is 

 intended to imitate. However, in beds of sandy loam 

 on a clay foundation we have grown all the more delicate 

 kinds of iris with success fully remunerative, but we have 

 had to endure the occurrence of occasional gaps in the 

 plantations. 



Amongst our pets for this special culture we must 

 enumerate Iris reticulata, I. amcena, I. cristata, I. iberica, 

 I. juncea, I. nudicaulis, I. pumila. As for the last, on 

 heavy clay land at Hermitage, some half,-dozen varieties 

 prospered so well without any particular aid whatever 

 that we are disposed to recommend this dwarf " Crimean 

 iris " for any soil. 



According to the legend, Iris was a messenger of Juno, 

 who transformed her into the rainbow. But she lives 

 in this flower, which has some rainbow colours, and in 

 every eye that can distinguish between blue, and brown, 

 and russet, and ruby. 



The strong growing and useful German iris, or " com- 

 mon flag " of the gardens, is a grand plant when grown in 

 collections, as the varieties are strangely and beautifully 

 coloured. And as regards colour, the deep blue of the 

 common flag is in its' way unique. But the iris of the 

 florists is Iris Kcsmpferi, otherwise known as I. Imvigaia. 

 This is a native of Japan. It is of dwarf robust growth, 

 and produces magnificent flowers in every variety of 

 colour-tones, blue predominating. Some trouble has been 

 experienced in the cultivation of this resplendent flower, 

 and it may be of service to the reader if we give some 



