328 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



" The experiment is a success at present.. The earth can be 

 moistened (with air carried to it) to a nicety. By capillarity the 

 moisture ascends to one-and-a-half inches from the surface. When 

 water is poured into a sanitary pipe at the top of a one-and-a-half- 

 inch incline and continued until it reaches the rim of the pipe as the 

 distal end, then the next is charged. It is striking how much moisture 

 the earth around these field drain tiles can absorb. We can gauge 

 easily when the soil is wet enough. The point to attain is a fair 

 moisture balance. In this trying spring about fifty gallons of water 

 are required each week. A rubber hose is attached to a tap, and the 

 pipes are filled in a few minutes. 



" We are entreated to put a lot of things in half shade. What is 

 the crux about shade and half-shade-loving plants ? Moisture ? 

 In contrariness I have purposely placed many in this bed, where they 

 get all the sunshine we have. Not one has suffered ; indeed everything 

 thrives with this subterranean watering. While all is well in spring 

 and summer, the construction of the bed will prevent wet lodging 

 in winter ; in addition, while the tiles will not contain water in the 

 latter period, plenty of air will reach the roots through them, and 

 it not be chill air." 



Nomenclature of Sedums. 



Our appeal for Sedums to grow on in order to clear up the confused 

 nomenclature met with a ready response, and with the aid of Mr. 

 Lloyd Praegar, B.A. ,B. Sc., much progress has been made, but we should 

 be very grateful for further specimens from as many sources as 

 possible. It is probable that many uncommon forms are growing 

 in a few gardens where they were perhaps planted many years ago, 

 which we have not yet secured, and pieces of which we should be 

 glad to have. Specimens should be addressed to The Director, R.H.S. 

 Gardens, Wisley, Ripley, Surrey. 



An Iris-Planting Experiment. 



The recommendation is usually made to plant tall bearded Irises 

 immediately after flowering. This is the practice we have ourselves 

 followed for many years with success, but Mr. E. H. Jenkins, a member 

 of the Floral Committee, suggested in 1913 to us that better results 

 would be obtained if the planting were done in March, and asked us 

 to make a comparative trial. We accordingly lifted six pieces of each 

 of three well-marked varieties and planted them on March 25 in an 

 open place. Each piece consisted of a single growth and a single piece 

 of rhizome. The varieties selected were one of the germanica section, 

 ' Argus ' ; one of the variegata, ' Gracchus ' ; and one of the pallida, 

 ' Queen of May.' No new strong roots were being formed at this 

 time, and only in ' Argus ' were new laterals growing, while the lateral 

 buds were so small as to be almost invisible. 



Of these pieces only one of ' Queen of May ' produced a flower in 

 May 1913, four of ' Gracchus,' and none of Argus.' On June 24 six 



