June 13, 1908. 
THE Q ARDEN 1 NO WORLD 
397 
e falls are heavily veined with violet 
a light blue ground—indeed, the vein- 
g is so conspicuous that it almost con¬ 
futes the colour of the flower at some 
tie distance away. 
Plants that have recently been lifted 
ay only be 6 in. high, but they acquire 
gour after the stools get established. 
ie permanent portion of the plant has 
thick rhizOme similar to that of the well- 
iown German Flag, and by this it can 
readily propagated. Every tuft of 
aves with a piece of rhizome will con¬ 
fute a plant immediately if the clump 
divided and planted out early in March, 
rose pieces which have no roots could, 
course, be put in pots and stood in a 
Id frame until roots are formed. Un¬ 
is the grower has a small stock and 
shes to get as many plants as possible, 
is not necessary to cut up a plant so 
lall as this. 
We advocate March as a time to propa- 
.te this Iris, because the foliage is then 
st commencing to move and new roots 
on permeate the soil. This can, how- 
er, be effected immediately after flower- 
g if the cultivator takes the trouble to 
re a good soaking of water now and 
ain until the plants are re-established 
the weather happens to be dry at the 
ne. Our photograph was taken in the 
irsery of Messrs. Barr and Sons, Sur- 
ton, Surrey, early in May, about a 
mth later than usual. Owing to the size 
the plants, we found it necessary to 
t a clear view to cut some flowers and 
e foliage shown. The prolific nature 
plants that are well established is 
arvellous. 
- *♦4 - 
. Useful Note . . 
. . on Sweet Peas. 
Sweet Peas are now universal favour- 
s, and have been greatly improved in 
. ways during the last few years until 
w it is considered to be nothing at all 
nderful to have them early in the sea- 
1 with stems fifteen or seventeen inches 
rg. If the average Sweet Pea grower 
uld only provide flowers with that 
lgth of stem all through the season the 
dies would be delighted, as flowers with 
lg stems arrange so much better than 
pse with short ones; but, unfortunately, 
j; stems become shorter and shorter as 
I; season advances until at last there is 
trcely enough to hold by, and as for 
'anging them gracefully, it is out of 
I; question. 
Those who grow more than one row of 
Use beautiful flowers will welcome the 
lowing hintAs soon as the stems 
- showing signs of becoming shorter, 
t (one row of plants at a time) about 
p feet of their growth away and then 
ye a good soaking of liquid manure. 
a very short time there will be plenty 
1 new shoots forming. These must be 
nned out and only the strongest re- 
ned. and -when the flowers come again 
|will be found that they are quite up to 
1 ; standard of the first lot of blooms. If 
1 5 rows are treated in this way one at 
time, there will be a succession of 
wers with long stems right to the end 
■ the season. 
Exhibitor. 
Darwin Tulip Pride of Haarlem, 
Maclaren and Sons. 
Datwin Tulip Pride of Haaflero- 
is ~ ^ 
During the month of May and the early 
part of June the -Darwin Tulips, where 
planted in sufficient numbers, become the 
pride of the garden. They, indeed, con¬ 
stitute one of the sections of the May¬ 
flowering Tulips. Of the various type of 
Tulip they come, perhaps, most closely 
to the breeder stage of the florist Tulip, 
but they are not striped and flamed like 
that type, as the florists say, when they 
become rectified. From a gardening point 
of viewq however, they possess one other 
qualit’-. namelyy vigour. All of them are 
verv healthy or strong in constitution, and 
many' of them'attain a height of 2\ ft., 
y r et the flower stem is sufficiently strong 
to support the bloom, except under very 
exceptional stress of weather, such as a 
heavy dowmfall of rain. 
Pride of Haarlem is one of the strong¬ 
growing types, varying from 26 in. to 
30 in. in height. The massive flower is 
in proportion, and when expanded is Very 
effective and handsome. The bloom 
might be described as a rich saTmon-rose 
shaded with scarlet, and at the base of 
the flower is a large area of a rich electric- 
blue shade. These Tulips require prac¬ 
tically the same treatment as the early- 
flowering Tulips. They'are not particu¬ 
lar as to soil, any good garden mould 
being suitable when grown in the open. 
If fairly' rich by previous manuring the 
Tulips will, of course, grow stronger than 
in poor, impoverished soil. They' should 
be planted in October or soon after, to 
get the best effects. Tulips, like Daffo¬ 
dils, keep growing all the winter; at all 
events, when the weather is open, not only 
making roots, but storing up food pre¬ 
pared by the leaves. Growers cannot give 
their bulbs of -this character too long a 
time to develop root and leaf in advance 
of the flow'er. Our photograph was taken 
in the nursery of Messrs. Barr and Sons, 
Surbiton, Surrev. 
— ♦♦♦- 
Odontoglossum platycheihtm superbum. 
The sepals and petals are narrow, white 
and flushed with rose. The lip is heart- 
shaped, rose and spotted all over with 
dark purple. Award of Merit by the 
R.H.S. to Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart, 
(grower Mr." W. H. White), Burford, 
Dorking. 
Reinforced Concrete Benches in Greenhouses. 
One of the latest uses to which rein¬ 
forced concrete has been put is in the 
making of concrete benches for green¬ 
houses. These are constructed on the 
portable principle, the sides, bottoms, 
cross-pieces and supports being all made 
separatelv in different moulds, the bottom 
sections being hollow, with the edges 
tapering for drainage purposes. The 
sides, bottoms and cross-sections are rein¬ 
forced with steel rods. 
