122 FIGTOEIAL PBAGTIGAL BULB GUOWINO, 



impassibility to plead too strongly for still further attention to be 

 devoted to them by all plant lovers. In far too many gardens at this 

 moment the only representative of the family is an aged clump of a 

 variety of I. Germanica, which, beautiful as it may be, does not 

 adequately uphold the honour of the genus. This, it will probably be 

 said, is the case in small gardens only, and by no means gives a fair 



FIG. 43.-IRIS IBERICA. 

 {See page 125.) 



idea of the state of affairs in a garden of pretension ; but even in 

 quite large places German and Spanish Irises are the sole members 

 of the race. 



It may be asserted, with little or no fear of contradiction, that 

 the formation of an Iris garden would add a feature of interest to a 

 place which might be equalled, but certainly could not be excelled, 

 by a garden of any other kind of plants that one could mention. 

 More strikingly beautiful effects can easily be secured, of course, but, 



