266 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
lilac-purple and yellow flowers between October and November. 
It grows chiefly during the winter, and is at rest in summer. 
I. bakeriana, a native of Armenia, is another interesting 
species, which grows about a foot high, and bears blue, white 
and violet flowers in January and February. Yet another 
pretty species is the Orchid Iris (I. orchioides), a native of 
Turkestan. This species grows i8in. to 2 ft. high, and bears 
yellow and violet spotted flowers in March and April. There 
are two pretty forms of it, namely, caerulea, blue and yellow, 
and oculata, yellow blotched with blue. I. persica, a Persian 
species, bears dainty yellowish-green and violet spotted flowers 
in March. The flowers are violet scented. Purpurea is a 
reddish-purple and orange-tinted, and Isaacsoni a creamy- 
white, violet and yellow variety of I. persica. Probably the 
most lovely of all the bulbous Irises is the Netted Iris (I. 
reticulata) and its varieties. This grows only a few inches 
high, and bears delightfully fragrant violet and orange- 
coloured flowers in January and February. Of this there 
are several very fine forms, as : Histrio, blue, yellow and 
purple , Dec. to March ; Histrioides, blue, golden-yellow, cream 
and violet, fragrant, Jan. to March; Krelagei, purple and 
yellow, fragrant, Jan. ; Purpurea, reddish-purple and yellow, 
Jan. ; and Sophenensis, purple, lilac or lavender, and orange, 
Jan. The foregoing species is a native of the Caucasus. 
Other little grown but interesting species are : I. tingitana, a 
native of Tangier, and I. Vartani, from Syria. The fore- 
going kinds require to be grown on a warm, sheltered rockery, 
in little beds by themselves. See that good drainage is pro- 
vided and at least a foot of a mixture of sandy loam, leaf- 
mould and a little well decayed cow manure added. For I. 
orchioides and I. persica the loam may be a little heavier. 
Plant in August or early September, placing the small bulbs 
three inches deep and the larger ones an inch deeper. When 
the bulbs are coming into flower protect them with a hand- 
light. In the north and cold districts it w'ould be safer to 
grow these gems in pots in a cold frame or greenhouse. 
The Spanish Iris (I. Xiphium) is a well-known and popular 
garden flower, which can be obtained in named or unnamed 
varieties. It is a splendid plant for a dry sunny border, yield- 
ing its lovely flowers in early summer. It may readily be 
distinguished from the English Iris by its narrower foliage 
and smaller flowers. The English Iris (I. xiphioides) has 
stouter leaves and larger flowers, and flowers a few weeks 
later than I. Xiphium. Here also named varieties may be 
obtained, but a good mixed collection will yield a great variety 
of charming colours. . The English Iris will succeed in good 
ordinary soil, but requires more moisture than the Spanish 
