CATALOGUE OF THE YOKOHAMA NURSERY Co., Etd. a912). 



21 



IRIS TECTORUM. 



rriHE tourist in Japan must often wonder at the ricltre ofVreen Ha*;; leaves, surmounting most 

 of the straw thatclied cottages which prevails in tlie country vlUages and if ])erchance his 

 travels are made end of April or May, a great mass of I)'autiful blue Howers will meet his eyes 

 rising from this rich green foliage, this is Iris Tectorum and if his curiositv leads hlni to 

 enquire the reason of a flower garden on the ridge of a cottage roof he will fuid it is rather 

 economic than aesthetic, all thatched roofs must have a ridge of sotne kind to throw o(F the 

 ^vater and as our jieople generally cast about to find something in a nature to answer tlieir 

 purpose, they found in early time that the (;Iose growing and twining character of this Iris 

 formed a compact water resisting protection and used it on their cottages and as high winds 

 jirevail in Japan, to prevent the plants from being torn off^ they used length of split bamboos 

 tied into the thatch and this arrangement usually lasts till the roof rethatched. a little later in 

 the season it is no uncommon thing in some parts to see Lilium Elegans and even Hemerocallis 

 assorted with this fine Iris. Visitors to our Nursery tell us that in Great Britain and Ireland 

 there are many cottages with thatched roofs and the same visitors inform us that the Iris is 

 seldom seen in gardens, we tlierefore suggest the experiment of growing it as we do. The 

 climate of south and west of Ireland should suit Iris Tectorum on roof tops and the same 

 informants tell us that Sempervivum Tectorum is common on thatched roofs in Scotland, 

 perhaps even there the Iris might do on the roof tops of the cottages as it is very hardy. The 

 Isle of Wight be a good place to experiment with this plant. This Iris sliould be left undis- 

 turbed. There is a story told of a Avoman who Avent to a Shinto Priest to enquire how she 

 could give a blue tint to her black hair and he told her to get the colour from the flower which 

 neither grew on heaven nor on earth and she tried the Iris flower from her cottage roof and 

 attained her object. 



Iris tectorum per 100, $4.00. 



*^ ^ *^ 



Cameifia Japonica. 



^TTE iiave a large collection of these striking Japanese flowering plants. Good varieties are 

 ^ increased by grafting as it is very difficult to obtain these trees from seeds and wild 

 varieties produce only single flowers. 



RARE VARIETY :- 



Caiuellia Jajjouica graudiflora, pure white semi-double showing large yellow (*entre as the 

 flower expands. Its enormous sized bud just before opening, looks like the bud of Magnolia 

 grandiflora and when fully opened the flower really attains to the size of 6 to 7 inches 

 across (see photo) — each 50c. ; per 10, §4.00. 



Cainellia ReticuMa, pot grown— height : 2J ft. ; per 10, .§4.70. 



f'amelUa Japonica, our good assorted collection, double, semi-double and single pot grown with 

 buds- heights : U-2 ft. ; per 10, §2.50 ; per 100, §23.50. 



Price in U. S. Gold. 



