January, 1920 
fessional gardeners, amateurs with 
large gardens, amateurs employing no 
gardener, and novices. There should 
be special prizes for some of the newer 
varieties and for seedlings. This meet- 
ing should be held in a different locality 
each year. As the Society grows it 
should be possible to hold shows in 
different parts of the country during 
the same season. Besides this, asfar as 
its finances will admit, it should offer 
prizes for exhibitions of Irises at local 
shows throughout the country. 
3. Publicity. 
All reports of the work of the Society 
should be published, either in an Iris 
Society page in some established horti- 
cultural paper or in Bulletins published 
by the Society. In addition the So- 
ciety should assemble a complete li- 
brary of books, special articles, photo- 
graphs, and lantern slides, and it 
should lend or rent these to garden clubs 
and horticultural societies throughout 
the country. It should also furnish 
speakers to give talks before horticul- 
tural societies, botanic societies, and 
agricultural colleges, etc. 
* * * * 
We believe the Society will be a boon 
to the amateur, by giving him more 
knowledge and, therefore, more interest 
and pleasure in his Iris. 
We believe it will be a boon to the 
breeder, in pointing out past breeding 
experience, and suggesting ideals for 
which to strive; in testing his seed- 
lings in a large variety collection ; and 
in offering suitable rewards. 
We believe it will be a boon to the 
nurseryman in creating a demand for 
Irises; in encouraging the introduc- 
tion of really meritorious novelties; 
and in discouraging the introduction 
and propagation of undesirable kinds. 
Hardy Perennials. 
By H. C. Christensen, before Minn. State 
Hort. Society. 
Of late years the herbaceous perennials 
have been growing more and more in favor 
both as border plants and also for cut flower 
purposes. There are good reasons for the 
popularity of this type of plant. The fact 
that they do not need replanting every year ; 
their sturdiness of growth, thus requiring 
less care than annuals or tender bedding 
plants ; the long period of bloom that may 
be had by a careful selection of varieties, 
and the varied forms and colors of flower 
are some of the points that recommend them 
to the grower. While most of them are 
easily grown, they quickly respond to good 
cultivation, and although they ordinarily 
survive our winter, they are greatly bene- 
fited by the protection of a mulching of 
coarse litter. Soil and location have much 
to do with hardiness. Some varieties will 
be perfectly hardy when grown on a well 
drained soil and in a sheltered location and 
will almost invariably winter-kill when the 
soil is heavy and poorly drained. 
The list of perennials is so long that only 
a few of the more desirable varieties can be 
mentioned. 
Queen of all hardy flowers is the Peony. 
A close second to the Peony of late years is 
the Iris, or fleur-de-lis. Its tall, stately 
flower, in wonderful combinations of blue, 
violet and white, delicately veined with gold 
bronze and purple, make it a regal flower, 
and its sword shaped foliage of silvery green 
<£row*r 
makes it ornamental when not in flower. 
The so-called German varieties are most 
suitable for this part of the country. They 
like a dry and rather heavy soil. Fall or 
late summer is the best time to plant the 
bulbs or rhizomes. Florentina Alba, a pale 
lavender, fading to pure white, is the earliest 
to bloom and may be had in flower by Memo- 
rial Day. Celeste, pale blue ; Pallida Dal- 
matica, deep blue ; Madam Chereau, white, 
lilac edged ; Queen of May, rose; Iris King, 
yellow and brown, are some of the best of 
the older varieties. A great many hybrids 
have been introduced of late years, some of 
them superior to but most of them no better 
than the varieties I have named. If you 
have a moist, well sheltered location you can 
grow the Japanese Iris. These are the most 
gorgeous of all the Iris family. 
The Phlox is one of the most showy of our 
perennials. The size of the florets and bril- 
liant colors speak well for the skill of the 
hybridizer. It is a plant that succeeds well 
both in the sun and partial shade. Of late 
years the red spider has troubled it a great 
deal. Transplanting it to an entirely new 
location early in the spring before growth 
starts seems to help somewhat. 
The Columbine is a great favorite with 
many and it is perfectly hardy. It comes in 
all shades of red, blue and white. There are 
singles and doubles and all lengths of spurs 
to none at all. The long-spurred hybrids 
have upright flowers placed on slender 
stems, which make them especially desirable 
for cutting. 
A plant that has recently come into favor 
again is the Delphinium, or Larkspur. Its 
stately spikes of bloom in all shades of blue 
are very striking. The Belladonna hybrids 
in shades of lavender and the Chinese Lark- 
spur in white and blue are best for cutting. 
The Formosum hybrids are tall and are good 
for the border. 
One of the earliest flowers to bloom in the 
spring is the Iceland poppy. It is different 
from most poppies in that its flower will last 
a week or more when cut and placed in 
water. Its fragrance is pleasing and it comes 
in shades of yellow and red. Its giant rela- 
tive, the Oriental poppy, is probably the most 
showy of garden flowers. 
The Pyrethrum is the first of the daisy- 
like flowers to bloom, often in time for Me- 
morial Day. In color it shades from red to 
white. The singles are easily raised from 
seed, but if fine doubles are wanted it is best 
to secure plants of named varieties. Pyre- 
thrum uliginosum is one of the latest fall 
daisies, and its white flowers with yellow 
discs are good for cutting. Shasta daisies 
and chrysanthemum maximum and latifolium 
fill in between. 
The Gaillardia, or blanket flower, is ex- 
ceedingly showy and attractive and comes in 
shades of yellow and maroon. 
Gypsophila, or baby’s breath, with its nu- 
merous small white flowers, is very useful as 
a cut flower to mix with other varieties. The 
double flowered, lately introduced, is an im- 
provement on the single. 
Of the various Hemerocallis, Flava or 
Lemon lily, is probably the favorite. Apricot 
is an everblooming, very similar to Flava. 
A continuous display of bloom be- 
ginning as soon as frost is out of the 
ground in the spring and continuing 
til frost stops growth in the fall is de- 
sired by all flower lovers. Mrs. Ham- 
mond’s article on page 7 will prove 
extremely helpful to those who are de- 
sirous of working out a continuous 
display of bloom from the perennials. 
We are in hopes to be able to present 
still further articles on this subject. A 
flower garden which will yield con- 
tinuous bloom needs encouragement. 
9 
How Flower Exhibitions are Judged. 
In regard to the comparative merits of 
flowere or plants on which the judge’s final 
decision is based at any well conducted 
flower show, it should be pointed out that 
they are about six in number, namely, (1) 
Form, (2) Color, (3) Size, (4) Condition, 
(5) Substance. In the case of some flowers 
fragrance is often considered of importance. 
In addition to these main points there is 
also the question of uniformity, as well as 
that of setting up or arrangement. 
In order to make oneself clear as to what 
is meant by the terms mentioned, the best 
method is to define them in the briefest 
manner possible. 
Form— Ideal form is that which most 
closely approximates certain ideals which 
the judge has in mind of a perfect specimen 
of the variety of flower which he is judging. 
For instance, a Rose of perfect form should 
have symmetry, certain uniformity in the 
arrangement of petals, together with either 
length of bloom or width of bloom, accord- 
ing to the class to which it belongs, and a few 
other characteristic features. 
Color— Certain varieties have characteristic 
colors, and any specimen which does not 
show true has to be disqualified by the 
judge. A perfect color has been defined as 
one which lasts for a long time without 
fading and which is rich and attractive 
rather than dull. Some red flowers in par- 
ticular have a habit of fading out, very soon 
after they are full bloomed, to a very dis- 
pleasing shade of magenta. It is necessary, 
therefore, that flowers which are too full 
bloomed should not be selected. 
Size— As a rule, size indicates a certain 
amount of cultural skill and successful care 
on the part of the exhibitor. Size, however, 
in some cases may not be a desirable char- 
acteristic. This statement, however, may 
be more true in connection with fruits than 
with flowers. Large-sized flowers, other 
things being equal, stand a better chance of 
winning the prize. With fruits, the reverse 
may be the case, as those of large size may 
be too poor in quality. 
Condition — Condition may be briefly de- 
scribed as relating to the vigor and fresh- 
ness of the flower. It must not be too open 
and must be free from blemishes, which 
point has already been referred to. 
Substance— Substance is very often an im- 
portant quality in a flower. For instance, a 
Rose of good substance is always favored by 
a judge in preference to one which has thin 
petals and consequently becomes flabby and 
shapeless. The same remark is also true 
with regard to many others. 
Fragrance — Fragrance is a point which the 
judge only considers in connection with cer- 
tain fragrant kinds of flowers. For instance, 
fragrance would not be a point considered 
in Asters and Gladioli. It may, however, be 
of considerable importance in an exhibit of 
Roses. 
Uniformity and setting up— Uniformity 
with flowers, as with fruits or vegetables, is 
something that no exhibitor can afford to 
overlook. He must in all cases choose 
specimens which are uniform in all respects. 
It is of little use for an exhibitor to think 
that by putting two or three abnormally 
large specimens in with the others, the ex- 
hibit will be benefited by so doing. On the 
contrary, the fact that the five or six speci- 
mens, as the case may be, are not uniform 
will detract considerably, and the judge may 
not observe it further than to note that the 
specimens are not uniform and are not 
therefore in the running. — Canadian Florist. 
We have in hand a large accumula- 
tion of good material which is neces- 
sarily carried over until the February 
issue. We can, however, always use 
good original matter to advantage. 
