466 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



applied food or of a definite removal and relentless pulling to single pieces 

 every second summer, as soon as it goes out of bloom if in your own 

 garden, but if it has to be obtained from a distance the pulling to pieces 

 may be preferably done in early autumn ; and then, given the two con- 

 ditions of food and sunshine, every Iris rhizome can be made to perform, 

 as to its blooming, with the regularity of a Primrose. 



Bearded Iris. 



Out of the great array of Bearded Iris, some of whose members have 

 been well worked upon by gardeners, even to the bounds of their 

 possibilities, we make our chief choice of Irises for the garden. They 

 are divided, broadly speaking, for garden purposes into tall and dwarf, 

 early and late flowering. The distinction is only a rough one, for one or 

 other species is sure to transgress. The early-flowering section contains 

 many species eminently desirable from a garden point of view, inasmuch 

 as they are very free-flowering, have immense flowers compared to the 

 size of the plant, and will make a border gay with bright colour at a 

 time of the year when flowers are scarce. Many new hybrids are appear- 

 ing, and there is promise that this section of Iris will be made more use 

 of in gardens than it has been in the past. It has no objection to being 

 lifted and brought into early flower indoors, where it can be better seen 

 and appreciated. Indeed its flower can be had through the winter months 

 in perfection with greenhouse treatment, a light position near the glass, 

 with air when in bloom, being desirable, or removal to cool quarters, 

 when each bloom will last a week and a well-grown rhizome will produce 

 ten or twelve blooms. (I speak of hybrids ; species with a normal inflores- 

 cence would not exceed that normal.) After blooming and as soon as 

 frosts are over, plant out again into the open, when each plant quickly 

 becomes established and builds up new rhizomes for next year. Lifting 

 should be done in autumn only for indoor flowering, and very little water 

 must be given until growth has fairly set in. 



Species of the Early -flowering Section. 



I. immila. — Three to four varieties. A very small plant, 2 to 3 inches ; 

 flower large in proportion, 4 inches high ; type, red or claret-purple ; 

 single- flowered spathe. This is the earliest to bloom. The variety 

 ccerulca, which I have found to be quite sterile, is a very valuable plant, 

 as also is the var. bicolor. White standards, purple falls. 



I. pum. attica, a yellow-flowered form, is also very desirable. These 

 plants are all most valuable for front borders, rockeries, walls, and 

 exposed situations. They cover themselves with flowers and make a 

 solid sheet of colour, and at all times of the year are neat, compact little 

 plants, whose distinct foliage locks well in contrast with other plants of 

 similar stature which we may assume to be planted near. 



/. italica, a much taller plant, with rich purple flowers, two or more 

 to a stem, and reddish spathe-valves. 



/. ulbicnsis, reddish-purple, and I, balkana, a bronzy-maroon-red 

 with a blue board and unique paddle-shaped green spathe-valves, is very 

 fine if one could get it. It has many understudies. 



