CATALOGUK OF THE YOKOHAMA NURSERY Co., Ltd. (1913). 



IRIS TECTORUM. 



rflHE tourist in Japan must often wonder at the ridge of green flag leaves, surmounting 

 most of the straw thatched cottages which prevails in the country villages and if perchance 

 his travels are made end of April or May, a great mass of beautiful blue flowers will meet his 

 eyes rising from this rich green foliage, this is Iris Tectorum and if his curiosity leads him to 

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

 economic than aesthetic, all thatched roofs must have a ridge of some kind to throw off the 

 water and as our people generally cast about to find something in a nature to answer their 

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

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

 prevail 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 tlemerocallis 

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

 there are man}' cottages with thatched roofs and the same visitors inform us that the Iris is 

 seldom seen in gardens, we therefore 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 should be left undis- 

 turbed. There is a story told of a woman who went 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, S4-00. 

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Camellia Japonica. 



"V^^E have 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 - 



Camellia japonica graiidi flora, pure white semi-double showing large yellow centre as the 

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

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

 across ' see photo.) — each 50c. ; per 10, S4-00. 



Camellia reticulata, pot grown— height : 2J ft.; per 10, S470. 



Camellia japoilica, our good assorted collection, double, semi-double and single, pot grown with 

 buds — heights: 1J-2 ft.; per 10, 82. 50; per 100, $23,50. 



Price in U. S. Gold. 



