26:2 
THE IRIS FROM SEED. 
heat, and even render the direct rajs of the 
sun less powerful ; they are therefore for the 
most part surrounded by an uniform tem- 
perature, which is not much lessened even in 
the rainy season, as in the more northern 
zones the rains always convey to them the 
heat of the higher atmosphere. I found, for 
instance, in the district of Puerto Cabello, 
during one rainy day (Dec. 4), about half-past 
six in the evening, that the rain was of the tem- 
perature of 19.7°Reaum. (76" Fahr.), while the 
mercury in the air showed only 19.2° Eeaum. 
(75° Fahr.) Even in the middle of the day the 
temperature of the rain had always been 
somewhat higher than that of the atmosphere. 
The former about twelve o'clock was 20.2° 
and the latter at 19.9°. About half-past eight 
on the morning of the following day, also, after 
it had rained during the whole night, the tem- 
perature of the rain was at 19.5", while the 
thermometer in the air showed only 19.4". 
These observations should have some weight 
with those engaged in the cultivation of tro- 
pical plants. 
" I found all the Aristolochias in the dis- 
trict of Caracas in flower during the summer 
months ; the fruit ripenS in the dry season. 
The above-mentioned rains, though inces- 
sant in December, are somewhat extra- 
ordinary, since the hilly parts of the coast 
continue dry from November till May, v/hen 
it rains incessantly from fourteen to twenty 
days, and the dormant vegetation soon again 
becomes excited. Owing to the effects of the 
north wind and the damp cool sea breeze, the 
valleys become loaded with an almost satu- 
rated or humid atmosphere, which induces a 
development of the flowei-s of the leguminous 
plants, which soon bestrew the barren ground 
with their beautiful colours. It is said that 
with the north wind the spring commences, 
when the yellow flowering cassias, together 
Avith the combretums and the odoriferous 
crotons, convert the sandy sterile plains into 
a flower garden ; while the beautiful coral- 
like Erythrinas, with the canopy of the 
coffees and cocoas, and their brilliant flowers 
concealing the naked branches, cover the 
banks of the streams and rivers with a gor- 
geous carpet. About Christmas time the 
acacias produce a brilliant effect on all the 
hill sides near the coast." 
THE IRIS EROM SEED. 
The Iris is one of the most numerous 
families of hardy and beautiful flowers, com- 
prising a few bulbous kinds, but consisting in 
general of herbaceous pei-ennials. There are 
some, but very few, that are not perfectly 
hardy, but they are the exceptions— three or 
four in a hundred, and hardly so many. They 
bloom at different times, some in May, others 
in June and July, and a few as early as April. 
The culture is so very simple, that all gar- 
dens should have a collection of the leading 
sorts. As to colours, there is no end to them 
— blue, lilac, violet, purple, yellow, white, and 
some with all these colours varied. Once 
planted, they stand for years, spreading Avider 
and wider in the borders. Many persons 
who pretend to cultivate a few, merely take 
off from the patch some pieces, to reduce it to 
a proper size, and these pieces put in the 
ground at any other place will grow as if they 
had been there for years, and in their turn 
become large patches, to be reduced as those 
they come from were. The cultivation, 
therefore, is not more difficult than that of 
a cabbage. 
The most interesting part of their culture is, 
however, the raising them from seed, as all the 
kinds seed freely, and produce extraordinary 
crosses and changes. The seed may be sown 
in shallow pans, or, if the ground be very clear 
of weeds, in the open border, but pans are the 
best. These may be placed in a cold frame, 
for as autumn is the best time for sowing, if 
the young plants can be protected, they may 
be placed in a cold frame, and there must be 
constant attention to keep them clear of weeds. 
The young plants will appear in spring, and" 
must be regularly watered and shaded, for the 
burning sun would destroy them. They may 
be placed in the open air as soon as they are 
well e.-tablished, and in a south border, so 
that they may not have too much sun. They 
will continue growing until the autumn, when 
their leaves Avill turn yellowish, and, at all 
events, they will have grown all they can grow; 
they must now be placed in the cold frame 
again, and a bed must be prepared as long as 
is necessary, and four feet wide. Let the 
plants now be taken from the soil in the pans. 
If the leaves have died down, the bulbs, tubers, 
or roots, will be there. Di'aw from one end 
of the bed to the other seven drills, about two 
inches deep, and place the roots therein, at 
the most six inches apart, and draw in the 
mould upon them. If a severe winter sets in, 
there may be litter placed over the bed, the 
same as for young radishes and salads, and 
this litter must be off in mild Aveather ; as the 
spring advances, the plants Avili grow, and 
must be kept A^ery clear, the earth occasionally 
stirred, and not a weed allowed to grow. 
Here they may be continued, with no other 
attention than frequent watering in hot wea- 
ther, occasional stirring of the earth when 
rain has closed the surface, and weeding when 
necessary. They will continue to grow until 
they bloom, at which time you will observe 
many curious sorts, unlike the present, and 
some of them much better, that is, unless you 
