be contented and become naturally established. 

 ^ Need I say how admirably adaptable irises are as 

 cutting flowers? If you will cut them when their 

 buds are ju^ opening, when placed in vases indoor 

 they will remain fresh and sightly for a week. I 

 always put a piece of charcoal in the iris vases. 

 ^ I think you will be interested to know that the 

 Chinese and Japanese grow iris on their thatched 

 roofs. According to Mrs. Fraser in her book of 

 Japanese Tales this innovation in gardening came 

 about " owing to a famine in the land when it was 

 forbidden to plant anything in the ground that 

 could not be used as a food." The frivolous irises 

 only supply the powder with which the women 

 whiten their faces, but their little ladyships could 

 not be cheated of that. "Must we look like frights 

 as well as die of hunger; they cried? and so every 

 woman set a tiny plantation of irises on the roof of 

 her house, and there in mo^ country places they 

 are growing still." 



^ Which leads me to again remark that women are 

 wonderful gardeners. 



f ''Nota Bene**. 1 hope the Thirty Dollar 

 Irises will not feel slighted because I have ignored 

 them and mentioned so many costing only thirty 

 cents or less. 



86 



