THE FLOWER GROWER'S GUIDE. 



All gardens do not appear to suit the Japanese Irises, but they may be successfully 

 cultivated in the greater number. They usually do well in a moist and adhesive loam, 

 but also succeed perfectly in some gardens in sandy peat soil. Some cultivators 

 recommend treating them as semi-aquatics in summer only, but they are also admirably 



grown as bog plants where they 

 are partially flooded in winter. A 

 sunny exposure, but with abun- 

 dant moisture for the roots, ap- 

 pears to be the most suitable for 

 these noble plants, which are de- 

 serving of the care of the lover of 

 flowers. Like all the irises in the 

 selections, they are quite hardy in 

 Britain. The flowers named on a 

 subsequent page are all of high 

 merit, but it is not to be concluded 

 that only these can be recommended, 

 as many seedlings have been raised, 

 and several equally good named 

 flowers produced. The methods of 

 propagation to be followed with 

 other flag irises, are also applic- 

 able to the Japanese varieties. 



The Cushion Ibises. 

 The oncocyclus irises require 

 special treatment, and the singu- 

 lar, if rather sombre, colouring 

 they show, renders them of great 

 interest to many. Numbers of 

 hybrids have been raised between different species belonging to this section, and also 

 by hybridising these with species belonging to the other sections. These are not 

 properly introduced into the trade, and it seems unnecessary to name varieties of them. 

 The Cushion Irises, a beautiful example of which is represented in Fig. 23, are not 



Fig. 23. Iris Lorteti. 



