When to Pollenize. Polleiiiziiio- is best done on a bright, dry 

 day, about the middle of the morninj; wlien the flowers are well 

 open and the dew has entirely disap]:>eared. Those flowers 

 which are to be used as the seed parents should be j^repared by 

 removing the stamens. This may be done quickly with a small 

 pair of tweezers held in the right hand. Avhile the fall is pulled 

 gently downward with the left. 



When the flowers first open, the stigma is stuck rather 

 closely against the crest which rises above it, but when ready to 

 receive the pollen, it expands, forming a tiny ledge, slightly 

 gummy or sticky on the upper surface. 



A stamen is removed from the desired pollen ])lant with the 

 tweezers, held between the right forefinger and thumb, and 

 rubbed across the stigma lip, which may be placed in the most 

 convenient position to receive it by holding the crest between 

 the left thumb and forefinger, the latter being placed low 

 enough to bend the style slightly forward as the crest is pressed 

 back, thus protruding the stigma lip. Stamens with fresh, moist 

 pollen from newly opened flowers should be used for pollenat- 

 ing. If one cares to make sure that the work has been satisfac- 

 torily done, a small handglass will show the individual pollen 

 grains adhering to the stigma surface. 



NOW, LET'S TALK ABOUT IRIS PLAISTS 



First of all, it is hardly necessary to explain that a certain 

 named variety is the same whether it comes from Canada, Ore- 

 gon, or Timbuktu, but the immediate quantity and quality of 

 that plant and its future value to you is quite another thing, 

 and it is this factor that has been responsible for the growth and 

 favorable reputation of Cooley's Gardens these past fifteen 

 years. Just how are one grower's plants different from those of 

 anyone else? Listen — did you ever bite into a big, juicy NeAv 

 York cut of steer beef? Or did you ever struggle with an 

 alleged steak that defied the combined efforts of both knife 

 and teeth ? 



Plants grown by us are separated from the old clumps every 

 year, planted in new ground, carefully prepared, constantly cul- 

 tivated and hoed, checked for "rogues" at blooming time, and 

 freshly dug and trimmed and carefully packed to ship to the 

 customer. 



Some growers never think of filling an order other than by 

 going to the garden and cutting or gouging out a division from 

 the old parent clump to get whatever happens to come out, 



i22\ 



