1883.j 
AMERICAS' AGRICULTURIST. 
367 
A Yard for Young Chickens. 
A cheap and substantial yard for young 
chickens is shown in the engraving. The coop 
for the mother is placed at one end of the 
yard, and from the front, on each side, wide 
boards run forward ten or more feet. These 
boards, placed on edge, make the sides of the 
enclosure, while narrow slats over the top 
and across the front end complete it. The 
young chickens can run outside of the yard 
as much as they please, while the mother is 
confined. At night the chickens return to the 
coop, where they are well above the ground 
and protected from rain and night prowlers. 
Wooden Bridges. 
The simplest form of wooden bridges for 
small streams is made by embedding in the 
earth, each side of the channel, a log from 
one to two feet in diameter, connected at the 
Fig. 1. —A SIMPLE FORM OF BRIDGE SPAN. 
top by three or four cross ties, upon which 
plank poles or split logs are laid. Such 
bridges will last from ten to twenty years, 
according to the character of soil and va¬ 
riety of timber. In these bridges, the ends 
of the sills of the bridge floor should rest 
upon the plank, three inches thick, and 
at least one foot in width, that are placed 
upon the wall, and either laid in mortar or 
carefully chinked in with bits of flat stone. 
In fig. 1 is shown the simplest form of a self- 
supporting bridge, which will answer for 
spans of from ten to fifteen feet in length. The 
Fig. 2.— A STRONGER SPAN. 
braces, c, c, reach from near the end of the 
sill to about four feet above the center. The 
trass rod, d, is one inch in diameter for short 
bridges up to two inches for longer spans; it is 
provided with an iron washer at the top. The 
rod passes through the sill, and a cross sill, e, 
which passes underneath the main sills, thus 
adding firmness to the whole structure. Logs, 
/, /, are placed against the ends of the sills 
to keep them in place, and where the wheels 
will first strike them instead of the floor 
plank, thus greatly equalizing the pressure. 
In fig. 2 there is illustrated a modification 
of fig. 1, and one more expensive. The two 
truss rods and braces give the structure 
greater strength and solidity, adapting it for 
spans eighteen feet in length. For the latter 
length, sills should be of good material ten 
inches wide and fourteen inches deep, with 
three middle sills of about the same size. 
Various Kinds of Iris.—Iris Susiana. 
Were the common Blue Flag of our fields, 
Iris versicolor, the only Iris, it would, no 
doubt, be regarded as a charming plant. 
But this is only a native representative of a 
large genus, some of the exotic species of 
which far exceed it in 
the size of their flowers, 
if they do not in beauty 
of coloring. Our flower- 
growers take up as hob¬ 
bies the varieties of the 
Gladiolus, Tulip, the 
Lily, etc. We hope that 
some one will turn his 
attention to the Iris, 
and show what can be 
be done with it. There 
is a mine of unexplored 
floricultural wealth in 
this immense genus. 
Aside from the more 
tender species which 
grow from bulbs, the 
great majority produce 
fleshy root-stocks, or 
are tuberous-rooted, and 
these as a general thing 
are perfectly hardy. 
Their flowers, in great 
variety of color, and 
often of large size, are 
as intrinsically beauti¬ 
ful as the costly Orchid 
flowers, which can only 
be produced at great 
expense. Besides the 
species and varieties 
that have long been in 
our gardens, Mr. Thomas 
Hogg, not many years 
ago, introduced from 
Japan an entirely new 
set of Irises. These are 
generally known in nur¬ 
series as varieties of Iris 
Kcempferi, though this 
name must probably 
give place to an older 
one, J. Icevigatci. At all events, these dif¬ 
fer from all other varieties of the Iris in 
the shape of their flowers, and present a rich¬ 
ness and variety of coloring unequalled by 
any others. There is a set of dwarf species, 
the flower stems of which are not more than 
six inches high. The varieties of the Floren¬ 
tine and German Iris have stems one and a 
half to three feet high, while those of the 
Elder-scented Iris reach to the hight of four 
feet. We have not space to mention the 
wonderful variety in size, form, and color 
presented by the flowers of the different 
species. We know of no genus of liardy 
plants that offers a more attractive field to 
the patient amateur, who, by judicious cross¬ 
ing and hybridizing, can no doubt produce 
most satisfactory results. These remarks 
were suggested by the flowering in our 
grounds of Iris Susiana (named from Susa, 
the ancient Capital of Persia), which is called 
the “ Chalcedonian Iris,” and, quite appro¬ 
priately, the “ Mourning Iris.” It has root¬ 
stocks, and in June throws up stems about 
two feet high, which bear flowers larger than 
in most other species, and of great elegance of 
form. They have the peculiar crape-like tex¬ 
ture seen in some other Iris flowers, while 
the coloring is most striking. The ground¬ 
work is of a peculiar grayish color, and is 
most beautifully netted with a rich purplish- 
brown ; there are on the petals also spots 
of this color. In the engraving, reduced in 
size about one-half, we can only give the 
shape. The coloring is so peculiar, that, com¬ 
bined with the great delicacy of texture, the 
flower appears to belong to a tender exotic, 
rather than to a hardy plant. The roots of 
this Iris, after flowering, should be taken up, 
kept dry, and re-planted in autumn. If left 
m the ground, they are apt to make a growth 
that will be winter-killed- With this precau¬ 
tion, we can commend Iris Susiana to our 
flower-loving readers as one of the most re¬ 
markable of hardy plants. If they have not 
made the acquaintance of the Japan Irises 
(Iris Kcempferi of the catalogues), they have 
in these a rich treat in store. They are readily 
raised from the seed and bloom the third year. 
the mourning iris (iris' Susiana ). 
