June. 
RUD aI OE 
A COMPLE AtT BOD Y- 
Tris corollis barbatis caulem uniflorum fuperantibus : 
bearded Iris with one Flower, and broad Leaves | 
rifing above the Stalks. 
The Root is thick, tuberous, long, and whité ; 
it fpreads under the Surface, and is of an acrid | 
| little Mould, but that very rich and delicate. 
This muft give the Gardener the Rule for its | 
Tate. = 
The Leaves are nurherous, broad, and fhort; 
they rife mary together, and are of a deep but 
_ fomewhat blueifh green; of a firm Subftance, and 
mark’d with three or four longitudinal Ribs. 
The Stalk rifes in the Midft of thefe, and is | 
roundifh, 
about two Inches high ; irregular, 
knotted, and cover’d in part with fome flight. 
Membranes. 
On its Top ftands one beautiful and very con-— 
fpicuous Flower: it is of the fame Form with 
that of the common Flower-de-luce; and its na- 
tural Colour is a fine Violet blue, but fometimes 
“There is no Cup to the F lower ; and it is 
form’d- as in the others, of fix Petals ; three of 
which ftand erect, and three turn back, ‘Thefe 
all are Senteeet at their Bafes; and in their Centre 
rifes a fhort Style, crown’d: at its Top with three |. 
They hang in a wild and fan- | 
taftical Manner, and refemble three additional 
leafy 3 Divifions. 
Petals ; this is common to the reft of the Iris’s. 
The Number of the Filaments refers the Plant 
to the Triandria, the third Clafs in the Linnaan 
Syftem ; ane the fingle Style. to the Mono- 
Lynia. ~ — 
The Divifions of the Head, ‘tho’ very large, : are 
not counted; but the Body of the Style on all 
Occafions, where there is any ; and this there evi- 
dently is in the prefent Inftance, tho’ it be fhort. 
The Iris’s like the Hyacinths have been idly 
divided by Authors into different Genera. When 
_ the Leaves are fubulated, and the Root a fingle 
Bulb, they have had the Name of 7 iphium ; Bd 
the Bulb is double, or the Root, as in feveral 
Inftances, is compofed of two Bulbs, the one lying 
upon the other: the Name given has been Sify- 
rinchium. 
When the Root is tuberous, and the Leaves 
{quare, the Name has been Hermodaéylus ; and 
when the Leaves are Sword-like, and the Root 
flefhy and creeping, thefe Authors have given the 
Name Jris. 
Tournerort has led all the common Writers 
into that Error; but at this more improved Time 
of Science, all thefe falfe DiftinGtions are rejected. 
‘The Characters of Genera are to be fought only 
in the Flowers of Plants: thefe are the fame in 
the Flowers of all thefe Kinds; therefore the 
Difference of Roots and Leaves, are to ‘be con- 
fider’d as nothing more than Diftin@tions of Spe- 
cies. 
Thus Linn aus has determin’d, who has ] join- 
ed the Xiphium, Sifyrinchium, and flermoda&ylus 
of that Author, under-the common Name Jris, 
with the Plants ufually diftinguifh’d by the fame 
Appellation; bringing together all the other as 
united by Nature, and allowing . thefe Chara¢ters 
what they really are; diftinGtive | Marks of Species, 
and nothing more. 
Culture of this Iris. 
The Plant is a-Native of Portugal, and fome 
other: Parts of Europe, where it thrives beft on 
the rocky Sides of Hills; and where. there is 
Culture. In Nature are laid the Foundations of 
his Art, and he will always fucceed in as 
tion to the Attention which he fhews them. 
The Advantages of this Plants growing in | 
‘rocky and confined Situations are very confpi- 
cuous. When there chance to be Roots of it 
in full Ground, near the Sides of Rivers, as is 
not | unfrequently the Cafe, the Flowers are al- 
ways of a fimple. tho’ ftrong blue; but when it 
has lefs Earth and more Sun in thofe rocky Sie. 
tuations we have named, the Flower varies ex- 
a reamly. ére are Streaks and 
it is variegated with yellow s 5 in various Degrees. t yi th Spots of yellow, 
and Forms, and often.with great Elegance. 
white, and Fleth Colour; and in Variety, tho’ 
‘not in Luftre, it exceeds all we fee of it in Gar- 
dens. | 
Befide this Mixture of Colouring in the Flower, 
it has in thofe Situations alfo frequently another 
pleafing Variation, of which fome other of the 
Iris’s are capable ; this is the ftainine of the 
Leaves with yellow and with white. 
Leaves are more confpicuous than in many others 
that have this accidental Tinge, and ’tis a Thing | 
we fhould labour to introduce into the Garden. — 
Nature is to be followed in this as in the 
preceding Inftances; and he who would imitate 
judicioufly what fhe does, muft obferve the Way 
in which fhe does it. 
‘Let him for this Plant rake up a rich Com- 7 
poft, and fave Seeds with Care. 
Let him mix a 
Bufhel of Garden Mould, with the fame Quan- 
tity of Earth from under a Wood-pile, and three — 
Pecks of Cow Dung; with a Quart of Sand, two 
Quarts of Soot, and two Ounces of Sea Salt. 
Let this lie fix Months expofed to the Air ina 
Heap, often turn’d ; and then add to it a Peck 
of Lime, frefh Laie Let it be well wrought 
together, and turn’d often; and thus let it lie half 
a Year longer. 
The beft Time to make the Airtt Mixture is. 
Autumn ; 
added, and in the Autumn following the Com- 
poft will be fit for the Reception of the Seeds. 
This Particularity and Time in the preparing 
of Compofts, will feem to the common Sale 
Gardener an idle Bufinefs; the wafte of much 
‘Time, and a kind of Trouble which no Price fo; 
the Flowers can anfwer. ’Tis not to him we give 
the Directions : we may once for all remind pry 
that one light Compoft may ferve in the Place 
of another ; and that common Garden Mould wil} 
{upport ak Plants. 
‘He who is to fell his Roots at a limited Pri ice, 
can allow them only a proportion’d Degree of 
Culture: but there are thofe whofe own Satis- 
faction is the fole End of raifing them: to thefe 
the Labour is an ‘Amufement and they will 
think no Trouble too much that will enrich their | 
Store. 
With refpeét to the others; we believe if they 
would 
% gives a, 
| moft pleafing Afpeét to the Plant, becaute the 
then in Spring the Lime may be ° 
June, 
