7 12 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
November 14, 1908. 
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6difoi?iol, 
■Rosas. 
Under the above name a work has 
been prepared showing a great variety 
of ways in which Roses may be grown 
and trained for the decoration of the gar¬ 
den. Luxemburg, from where the book 
emanates, claims to be the centre of the 
Rose cult at the present day. Evidently 
the people of that town are largely oc¬ 
cupied in the cultivation and propaga¬ 
tion of Roses 'in immense variety. The 
book commences, with a brief description 
of each species or type of Rose from 
which the cultivated varieties have been 
derived. Hybrid types, such as Noisette 
Roses, are given a place as if species, 
which is a convenient way of arranging 
them, but the description might have 
been improved by giving the origin of the 
Noisette Rose, for it is really a hybrid. 
The people of Luxemburg claim to cul¬ 
tivate more than two thousand varieties 
of Roses, but we presume most attention 
is given to the cultivation of varieties 
which are valued in gardens. An illus¬ 
tration is given, however, of the rosery 
of L’Hay in the environs of Paris, where 
M. Jules Gravereaux has been collecting 
every species, variety, hybrid and mongrel 
Rose, that he could secure in any part 
of the world, and claims that he has six 
thousand sorts. The garden in which 
these are grown is certainly a remark¬ 
able one, and should be interesting for 
the botanist as well as the gardener. 
An interesting feature is the method of 
laying down standards so that their heads 
can be buried against the cold of winter. 
No attempt is ever made to do that 
here, so far as we are aware. It 
is a plan adopted with Fig trees in 
America, and may be tried here in the 
r?-e of doubtful hardy plants. Another 
interesting fact is that the ancient forti¬ 
fications of Luxemburg, in the form of 
round towers, are now more or less 
covered with Roses by the modern growers 
The colours of the English Iris are 
confined to blue, white and purple of 
some shade or other, but the Spanish 
Iris gives a much greater variety. That 
which we illustrate is one of the most 
remarkable forms of the species. Taking 
it as a whole, there are clear white, blue, 
vellow, bronzy brown and purple colours. 
The variety Thunderbolt has the flowers 
almost of a uniform bronzy brown, with 
the exception of a large rich yellow 
blotch on the centre of the falls. Pre¬ 
sumably, this is what suggested the name 
Thunderbolt, namely, the presence of a 
golden-yellow blotch surrounded by the 
peculiar bronzy brown or coppery brown 
of this strange variety. Indeed, it is so 
distinct in colour that large quantities 
of it are growm every year as cut flowers 
for the market. The slender-leaves, 
rush-like stems and large flowers are very 
sprightly when arranged in glasses with 
or without .their oivn foliage. 
The present is a good time to plant 
this Iris in the garden, where more con¬ 
tinued success is obtained than when 
grown in pots onlv. A light but rich 
soil should be selected and the bulbs 
planted about 6 in. apart and 4 in. deep. 
and lovers of this ever-popular class < 
plants. The publishers of this book a: 
MM. Gemen and Bourg. Rose grower 
Luxemburg. 
The arrangement may be in beds or 1 
borders. Perhaps, one of the most effec 
live arrangements is planting long line 
of them about 6 in. to q in. behind th 
box edging so that when in bloom the 
really dominate that walk ivith thei 
effectiveness. 
This particular Iris is not difficult t 
please in the matter of soil, provided 1 
is well tilled and the drainage is good 
but all the Spanish Irises thrive best 1 
a soil that is light rather than otherwise 
The bulbs .increase in number, so tha 
.if left in the ground for two or thre 
years it becomes necessary to lift ther 
and give them more room in order tha 
they may flower as strongly as possible 
The flowers may be cut with as Ion, 
stalks as possible, but the cultivator wh 
values his plants should always save a| 
much foliage as possible to each b.ulti 
Their flowering well during next yea 
depends upon the perfection of the fob! 
age during the current year and it shoul 
receive every care at the hands of th 
cultivator to preserve it until it dies dowi 
naturally. The food prepared in thesi 
leaves goes to the feeding of the bulb, 
thus enabling it to bloom well ever 
year. 
Iris Xiphiym Thunderbolt, 
'Maclaren and Sons. 
A Fine Spanish Iris = 
(Iris Xiphium Thunderbolt). 
