422 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



J UL * 2, ,898. 



Calochortus Purdeyi. 



Tall Bearded Irises. 



Some showier species and varieties of Calochorti than the one figured in No more handsome, effective, and generally useful fl 



iU Vio^ro Ka^ti introduced rn riilrivntnrs hv Messrs. R. flnw^rincr in nnr o-arrl^ns r1nrir»rr . r Owers have 



the present issue have been introduced to cultivators by Messrs. R. 

 Wallace and Co., Colchester, but none of them are more interesting than 



Calochortus Purdeyi. It is a strong-growing species, and one that all known as German Irises. 



lovers of dainty hardy flowers should add to their collections ; it grows 



about ten inches or a foot in height, and the growth is furnished with 



bright green and burnished foliage, linear and varying in size, the lower 



leaves being much larger than the upper ones. The stem is branched, 

 and carries from six to twelve flowers that do not all expand at once, 

 h it continue the display over two or three weeks. The blooms are some- 

 what over two inches across when fully expanded, white, and covered on 

 the inner surface of the segment with a profusion of silky hairs, these 

 being a quarter of an inch in length. The hairs are white, except at the 

 base of the fbwer, where they are claret-purple; there is also a large 

 crefcent-?haped claret-purple blotch at the base of each of the broad 

 petals. Calochortus Purdeyi is a wonderful little plant, free in flowering, 

 and extremely useful for association with the more brilliant-hued C. 



been 



arious 



flowering in our gardens during the past few weeks than tfc 

 forms of Tall Bearded Irises which make up the large group 



The beauty of these fine hardy nerenn 7 

 by no means over, and provided the weather is not too brilliin a * 

 ^^^^^^- fl ^ to develop, and the Uter varieties ! 



As town plants these 



continue the display for another fortnight or so 

 irises are scarcely to be surpassed, as may be readilv j 

 success of the common blue flag iris that is^ver '^U^^ 



will flower, practically all other varieties of this group wflf T^ 1 

 whether they be L amcena I. aphylla, I. neglecta, I. pallida, I varS 

 or I. squalens var.et.es In the smokiest districts it would natuSf. £ 

 advisable to refrain from planting the palest and most delicate b.,5 

 varieties extensively. A moist and good soil suits these irises be* W 

 they are among the most adaptable plants, and do well almost anvwheS 

 and in every season ; indeed, we have seen them flourishing quite c\l 

 to large gas-works, and in the neighbourhood of many factories A 



rration and size of the 

 blooms, while they revel in a moist season ; about the only weather thai 

 injuriously affects these beautiful flowers -for it does not affect the plants 

 --is a driving wind accompanied by bright sunshine ; this quickly s^il- 

 these and also most other flowers. ^ 5 



Visitors to nurseries and exhibitions will yet have opportunities of 

 eeing for themselves which of these irises are most to their taste, and 

 making notes of the same for autumn or spring planting— autumn if 

 possible. A rigid selection of the best Tall Bearded Irises was given in 



the Gardeners' Magazine of June 13, 1896, p. 389, with descriptions 



made from plants growing in the R.H.S. collection at Chiswick. This 

 collection is still very fine, probably the finest in the country, and if the 

 first flush of beauty is now passed, there are still plenty of flowers to be 

 seen, for the blooms open successively both on the plants and when the 

 spikes are cut and placed in water in big vases. As an indication of the 

 beauty of form and marking seen in these irises, the accompanying 

 illustration of three distinct forms will serve in some measure, though 

 sets of three, equally distinct, could be multiplied very many limes. Those 

 represented are Dr. Bernice, a tall, bold form, with ample rich coppery- 

 bronze standards, -shaded brown ; soft crimson falls and dark golden 

 crests ; this is the central variety in the illustration. The variety on the 

 left is that most lovely vigorous and lasting of irises, Walner, or Walaen 

 as it is sometimes named ; it has large blooms with broad graceful falls 

 of a beautiful purplish liJac hue, and standards of a fine bluish lavender 

 tint ; tints sulphur coloured. The remaining variety is Victorine ; this 

 has white standards heavily marked with deep purple-blue ; falls rather 

 narrower than in the other forms, these are of an intense violet purple 

 shade towards the apex, shaded with crimson-purple, and veined at the 



lite. These three varieties were especially photographed at 

 Chiswick, from the R.H.S. collection, for the present illustration. 



C. K. 



base with wh 



Peaches in the Open. 



I was arrested 



d by some startling remarks by Mr. Cook in a recent i>sw 



sners' Magazine, as to covering peach blossoms. If w 



nrio-r.*:^ u~ „,:n tV>o molrvritv nf growers with him. 



of the Gardeners »u M ti«E, « ™ v. u .^. ... fo r 



goes in for moderation he will carry the majority of growers with hiro 

 Though it is by no means clear why a single net two feet in front olth< 

 trees should prove a more safe or potent protection for peach or otnei 

 blossom than a thin screen of boughs, of fronds of common bracken, or 

 best of all, perhaps, asparagus tops, cut and dried before they are ueaa 

 ripe. But Mr. Cook tells us that during the first week of May he dearw 

 away all the fish nets which were hanging in front of the peach trees^w 

 s • gave his trees a good washing with tepid water and carbolic swj 



r |,,o< c i- 1 • , . . >n the ratio of thirty gallons of water to two ounce? of soap, to su ur 



a^S&St&i^SSl^ l ° gr ° W ' a " d thCy m « » ?e inte-vaU un.il to «- * 



Calochortus Purdeyi 



completely cleared of aphis. 



The point I spe, ially note here is the earl.ness of the T^^g 

 though the use of lukewarm washings so early in the season , kf 

 be objected to. But uncovering in the first week of Ma> a n. 



t»rv,T,»;««- t.- , • • - ~r Mow weather to iree« 



uujeciea 10. liut uncovering in tne nrsi w^r. ~. -~ 

 tempting the proverbial capriciousness of May weather 

 newly-exposed and tender fruit through their heaits. Hi 

 till May be out." Never was given better advice for seuu ^ 

 this during very ungenial May. Surely, then this sudden uneo 

 the first week of May, or the frequent insecticide washes alter ^ 

 have placed the newly bared trees at a striking disadvanwfc 

 their crops in health in the struggle with our erratic c^" 5 ^ 

 Cook does not seem to see " ' ^ hmre. as ne 



Fruit Prospects in Wilts.— I have made a thorough examination 01 



orchaid and all outdoor crops of fruit, and find upon the whole that we shall have 



* P a supp,y ' hut not an extraordinary crop, as the amount of Hoom 

 indicated A very honible drawback to the growth of the trees is the black and 

 green aphis ; I never remember seeing the apple trees so much attacked as the 

 present season. The varieties which look the best are Kerry Tippin, Red 

 Astrachan, Keswick Codlin, Wellington, Redstreak, Besspool, King Apple, 

 Blenheim Pippin, Orange (Cox's) l> ip pi n , Ribston, Cornish Gilliflower, Lord 

 Derby Hawthorndcn, Winter I lillier. These varieties look promising, and have 

 -« ana are swelling a gocd average crop. Medlars are also promising well. 

 J% ifn e i n<?t set k s \ we11 a f mi e ht have been expected, those on west and south- 

 w^ll ,u J Ust - Marie Louise ^ve set and swelling away on a south 



Phmaston ^cheT ? *** h ^ 



Heurre IhHr p V: c !« ' Doyenne du Cornice, Doyenne de Ete, 



^^Wt^SS^^^ (i ' OU Morceau, Ne Plus Mends,' 

 ripeninc well • laf- v„ ' L V n " rles «e a grand crop, and the early varieties 

 LerriesiTa heavv cto D LnH * P ron,i8in B. ™* have set heavy crops. Goose- 

 f .r ^f^ZS^S^JSX WelK R«P b «» es are likewi ^ ^tter than 

 Scarlet wai ih a wcahh of h^ neS a [ e exceI,ent ; on that Variet y Grove End 

 the bed was S5 a snow coveS Z ^ < ? ,,ed W T y Spedal admi ^°n. 



both red, black, and whito P , All other varieties have set well. Currants, points, such as tne pu»n«6 «• f * tT llt « not a 



the insect ravages we mS'^S^T' T?!fZ* ma ? ge t0 keep in check f ^l™ ° f Varieties ' &c •» 1 3& ree with M ^ £jdS« thro 

 nectaiines. and apricots ha^«i^!f. d W ? . sha . H have . some « ne cr,ips - Peaches, lost their peach crops, or had these greatly ' crippled. ,w 



protection nr th» ^Jl — »___ ...uuAnwal of protective n 



$roa 



, . . . it in^that light, and hence ; h ^ >t s 3 ffordi^ 



on his anti-protection crusade, he sees the growing snoo ^ 

 more protection to his peaches than his disunited nets 

 two feet away, while the buds and shootlets hugged tne n ^ ^ 

 calls out, " This budding must be done as soon as P^' , hM | {h y, ca 

 I will briefly answer, these leaves and shootlets, if «** n ^ ve peaches*" 

 do no harm to the trees for a 



trees close, » £ 



To 



Coo 



are the worst 

 ced a wealth 



O. ofter points, such as ,he j^ fj*"!* S n«»fc« ^ 



uc3^ g*^*-*-/ - ■ material ^"^^ 



protection oi the premature withdrawal of P\°; ec ^' C ooV'srto^ m 

 this cold, harsh May, I felt compelled to object to Mr. ^ p f r. 

 these points. 



