THE IRIS. 
71 
quantity, either among the soil in the pots, or 
round about in the material on, and among 
which they are placed ; this would be an excess 
of -moisture for the particular object in view. 
AVhat is required is that the soil should be 
kept just evenly moistened ; and, from the 
porous nature of the surrounding media, while 
it retains just so much moisture as this, at the 
same time, it allows all that is superfluous to 
pass downwards without lodging about the 
bulbs ; the drainage in the pots, of course, 
secures the downward passage of the moisture 
that comes in contact with the soil in the pots. 
The object which is sought to be attained 
by this arrangement, is to induce the roots to 
grow before the leaves and flowers, so that the 
latter may possess greater vigour, in conse- 
quence of the roots being already in an active 
state, and in a condition to supply nourishment. 
It must be recollected that bulbs of this nature 
are generally accelerated in their blooming by 
an increase of temperature. Were the roots 
to be placed within the influence of this 
increased stimulus, before the roots had begun to 
form and elongate, the natural effect would be, 
that it would stimulate that part to which it 
could gain most easy access ; now, this part is 
the top of the bulb, not the base whence the 
roots proceed ; this latter being, of course, 
buried deeper in the soil than any other part 
of the bulb, is more beyond the influence of 
the atmospheric warmth than that part of the 
bulb whence the leaves proceed ; and conse- 
quently these latter, and not the others, are 
first excited to grow ; and the consequence is, 
that the growth of these parts expends the 
nutrient matter of the bulbs, before a fresh 
supply is afforded by the action of the roots. 
The effect of all this is languor, with its 
attendant disadvantages — smaller flowers, 
shorter duration, less vivid colours, and less 
powerful fragrance. 
If a potted bulb is taken to a high tempera- 
ture before its roots are in an active state, 
there is but one means of inducing a corre- 
sponding growth in both parts, and that is, to 
plunge the pots in a material which will afford 
bottom heat, or heat to the roots. This would 
do very well for plants naturally found in hot cli- 
mates, but a degree of heat at the roots, sufficient 
to keep those organs in advance of the leaves, 
when placed in a forcing-house, would be far 
too powerful for plants nearly, if not quite, 
hardy, as in the case of the bulbs under con- 
sideration, and particularly the Iris. 
For this reason, therefore — a reason involv- 
ing a fundamental principle in plant culture, 
namely, the necessity of the action of the root 
preceding that of the leaf; fortius reason, the 
bulbs should be potted early, and, when potted, 
placed in a cool situation such as that referred 
to, where they will be kept very moderately 
moist, and secure against the direct influence 
of fluctuations of the atmosphere. 
The bulbs should be potted in a mixture of 
light soil, not over rich ; equal parts of sandy 
loam, and well reduced leaf-mould, form a very 
suitable compost. The pots should be well 
drained, and the bulbs placed with their upper 
ends an inch or so beneath the surface of the 
soil. For those that are potted early, and 
plunged as directed, it is desirable to place 
the soil in quite lightly, without pressure of any- 
kind, raising it up above the pots in the form 
of a depressed cone, and so placing the bulbs 
as to allow of its subsiding to its proper deptli 
in the pot : the advantage of this method of 
potting is, that it allows the superfluous 
moisture to pass off more readily when the 
roots are first potted, and the roots also are 
enabled to extend with greater freedom than 
in a more solid mass. By the time the roots 
are required for the forcing-house, the soil will 
have subsided, and may then be dressed off 
evenly. When they are potted late, and there is 
not time for plunging them for any lengthened 
period, this method of potting is not so appli- 
cable as when they are potted earlier, for, 
in this case, the soil would not have time to be- 
come settled down evenly. If left to flower with- 
out the application of artificial heat they will 
bloom about April ; but if gently forced they 
may be had in succession two months earlier. 
After flowering, the roots require to be dried 
off, like other bulbs, till the potting season 
in the succeeding October. 
For those who like the trouble of growing 
them in beds in the open air, the following 
plan will succeed : — In the autumn, pot a 
sufficient number of roots as above directed, 
preserving them all the winter in a sheltered 
place : in the spring they may be planted out, 
and will be gay during April and the beginning 
of May. This, however, is a troublesome 
mode of treatment, for the blooms require to 
be protected from spring frosts. When planted 
out-doors, the roots must be taken up every 
season ; and they may either be potted in the 
autumn, or kept in sand during winter, and 
planted out in the spring ; in the latter case, 
they become exhausted, and do not flower 
well ; if planted out-doors in the autumn, 
they would probably perish in the winter. 
Tli is plant is propagated by offsets from the 
bulbs. 
THE DELICATE TUBEROUS-ROOTED SrECIES. 
These, for the most part, may be grown 
with little difficulty in the ordinary flower 
border, or in beds by themselves. If the soil 
is effete, or worn-out, it should have a portion 
of fresh loam and leaf-mould added to it, and 
will then be well adapted for thein. Generally, 
the soil should be well drained for this class ; 
