August 16, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
COMING EVENTS 
IjC \ lift ^y/ 1 
* 
16 
Til 
Reading Summer Show. 
17 
F 
18 
s 
19 
SUN 
13tii Sunday after Trinity. 
20 
M 
21 
TU 
22 
W 
.BULBOUS IBISES. 
OME time ago a correspondent asked me several 
questions about bulbous Irises. I was pre¬ 
vented from giving any answer at tlie time 
owing to the press of other duties; but I may 
perhaps be allowed to say a few words now. 
The bulbous Irises naturally fall into certain 
groups. The best known group perhaps is that 
which includes the popular so-called Spanish 
(I. Xiphium) and English (I. xiphioides) Irises. These are 
too well known to need description, and I may only say that 
while they both like light but rich open soil which is not too 
wet in winter, the English Iris needs much more water when 
it is growing in the spring than does the Spanish Iris. In 
dry localities, as on the barren hill which I with great irony 
call “ my garden,” where the Spanish Iris does remarkably 
well, the English Iris withers up and goes “ blind ” if, as 
often happens, the rainfall in May is scanty. 
Very closely allied to, though quite distinct from the 
Spauish Iris, is I. filifolia from the south of Spain and 
north coast of Africa, with flowers more funnel-shaped than 
the Spanish Iris, of a reddish purple colour with a golden 
blotch on the fall to serve as the insects’ signal. Iris 
tingitanum, on the other hand, also from North Africa, I am 
inclined to.regard as more nearly parallel to the English 
Iris, and. this is also a very handsome plant. Though both 
these Irises are fairly abundant in their native home, it 
seems, as in so many other cases, impossible to persuade 
anyone to bring or send them over to this country in any 
quantity, so that they are both very rare. I. tingitana 
appears to be common amongst us here, but this is chiefly 
in name only, for by some means the typical wild form of 
the . English Iris has been distributed under the name of 
I. tingitana. Both of them seem more difficult of culture 
than the Spanish or English Iris, for they are even still more 
susceptible to the baneful effects of our wet English winters, 
and appear to need a cold frame. At least this is Mr. 
G. Maw’s experience. 
Of I. Fontanesii, apparently allied to the above, and also 
from North Africa, I can say nothing, as I know nothing. I 
have for years past been endeavouring to get living bulbs of 
it, but neither bribes of money nor the most flattering and 
insinuating appeals have hitherto been of any use. To my 
best charms there has been always turned the deafest ear. 
It is really very curious to reflect how determined the world 
m general is that a gardener’s hobbies should not be satisfied. 
Your friend, who would be ready to sacrifice himself to any 
extent for. some of your other interests, absolutely refuses 
when on his travels to go half a mile out of his way to dig 
up a root for you; and it is a mournful truth that, while 
many of us at home are hungering and thirsting for the 
beautiful flowers which abound in Palestine (and in par¬ 
ticular for some most lovely Irises), hundreds of our country¬ 
men go. there every winter and spring, and will not bring 
these things back. But to return. Belonging to this same 
group, and coming also from South Spain and North Africa 
is the charming I. juncea with its graceful bi ’ ’ 
right 
golder 
131 
yellow flowers of a delightful fragrance—to my mind by far 
the loveliest and best of all the bulbous Irises. This, like 
the English Iris, needs a rich but light soil, which, while 
fairly dry in winter, must have ample moisture while spring 
growth is taking place. 
Somewhat allied to tbs above, and yet deserving to be 
placed in a group by itself, is the charming Iris reticulata, 
which blooms so early in the year that it may almost be 
spoken of as a winter bulb. Of this two varieties are already 
known so distinct as almost to deserve separation as species 
—viz., I. reticulata var. Krelagei, with plum-coloured flowers 
having broader segments, and the typical I. reticulata, with 
deep blue-purple flowers of narrower longer segments. Of 
the two the former is the earlier, and the one which takes 
most readily to diverse conditions. The colour varies a good 
deal in both forms, and when the raising from seed has been 
carried on a few more years we shall probably have some 
very striking flowers. Closely allied to the above, and cer¬ 
tainly belonging to the same group, is the still rare I. Histrio 
from Palestine, which flowers even before reticulata itself. I 
say still rare, for the price in catalogues stands at something 
like 7s. Qd. a bulb, though any enterprising person might if 
he like make it almost as common as now is the once rare 
Chionodoxa Luciliae. These Irises of the reticulata group 
do not seem to need any special care. It is true that they 
are capricious, and bought bulbs often disappear after the 
first year; but I have seen them flourishing equally well in 
sandy peat, in loam, and in clay. They cannot bear being 
waterlogged, and, like all bulbous Irises, they object to being 
kept out of the ground; but beyond this they will, if they 
see fit, do almost anywhere. 
Of all the bulbous Irises the most widely spread is the 
little Iris Sisyrincliium. It stretches from Spain and north¬ 
west Africa right away to eastern Asia. It is very pretty, 
but the flowers are terribly short-lived, and the plants do 
not take kindly to our English climate. Our wet winters 
confuse them so, that planted in the open they sooner or later, 
according to my experience, vanish, though they may be 
managed in a frame where they can be kept dry in winter. 
Intermediate between I. Sisyrincliium and the reticulata 
group comes the charming little I. Kolpakowskiana. As far 
as a short experience will enable me to judge this charming 
little Iris will adapt itself readily to our clime, and I believe 
that a considerable future future is before it. As yet, how¬ 
ever, it is very rare. 
All the above bulbous Irises may be spoken of as Xipliions. 
That will distinguish them from a wholly different group of 
bulbous Irises often SDoken of under the name of Juno. 
JL 
The most common and best known of these is the little 
sweet-scented Iris persica, flowering with us in early spring. 
All these Junos are distinguished from the true Xiphions 
both by the form and characters of the flower, and by the 
fact that the bulbs are not only different in structure from 
Xiphion bulbs, but also possess permanent large spreading 
fleshy rootlets, not unlike those of Hemerocallis. With 
I. persica itself in a light soil and a sunny situation, where 
there is thoroughly good drainage in winter, no great diffi¬ 
culty will be found; but another common Iris of this group,. 
I. scorpioides, also called I. alata, is a very troublesome- 
plant. This, which comes from South Spain and North 
Africa, flowers in late autumn and early winter, and makes 
its foliage, like many other bulbous Irises, after it has done 
flowering. Hence the difficulty, for it wants to be growing 
fast in our dark and short winter days when w r e rarely see the- 
sun. Moreover, when growing it needs abundance of water, 
and how can w T ater be supplied freely in midwinter ? Hence 
as an outdoor plant, save in some few favoured spots, it 
seems to be hopeless. Still it is so handsome with its large 
blue flowers of varied tint, and oftentimes pleasiugly fragrant, 
that it is worth growing in pots or in a frame. 
Very different in its power of resisting our climate is 
another plant of this group, I. caucasica, from Central Asia. 
This, especially the variety known as I. caucasica major, 
