The Japanese Iris 
and purplish carmine, while 
Eclair is a large and fine blossom 
of pure white. There are also 
a host of other varieties. 
The flower books very gener¬ 
ally give the impression that 
the Japanese Iris can only be 
grown in the water-garden, be¬ 
side ponds or along streams. 
This has doubtless prevented 
the more general trial of these 
glorious plants. But they can 
be successfully grown away from 
water. For several years 1 
have had them developing in 
my own garden in Vermont, 
where 1 have not even the ad¬ 
vantage of an artificial water sup¬ 
ply, giving them a few pailfuls 
of water only during the very 
driest weather. Even under 
these conditions they have been 
among the most satisfactory 
flowers 1 have ever grown. The 
soil is a good loamy garden soil, 
and the surface around the 
plants is kept well stirred during 
the summer. If one has a hy¬ 
drant supply of water available 
one certainly need not hesitate 
to start a plantation of Jap¬ 
anese Irises, while, where one 
has not this boon, it will be 
well worth while to try a few 
plants, to see what can be done with them. 
Like most of the Irises, these Japanese 
varieties are especially useful for indoor dec¬ 
oration. A stem on which there are two or 
three blossom buds may be cut when the 
first flower is ready to open, 
and placed in water in a cylin¬ 
drical vase. The first flower 
will open and gradually fade as 
the second blossom expands. 
This in turn will give place to 
the third. Consequently a 
single stalk may yield its beauty 
for many days, the only care 
necessary being to change the 
water occasionally and perhaps 
to cut off each flower as it withers. 
One can easily get receptacles 
appropriate for the display of 
these blossoms. Harmony of 
line in the display is best ob¬ 
tained by the use of cylindrical 
jars of good height, from which 
the leaves and blossom stems 
may project to such an extent 
that the jar will be about one- 
third the height of the whole 
composition. For, in general, 
in vertical arrangements, this is 
the ratio that gives the most 
artistic results. In the Japanese 
shops one can find many cylin¬ 
drical flower-jars decorated with 
Iris designs, which are par¬ 
ticularly delightful for use with 
these blossoms, giving one the 
opportunity to make many at¬ 
tractive and harmonious flower 
pictures with very little effort. 
There are also many excellent forms of vases 
other than the cylindrical jars which may be 
utilized for Iris displays. Some of these, 
which expand gradually in a vase-form from 
bottom to top, are very beautiful. 
Bluebird" Iris in a native 
Flower-jar 
i 44 
