ABOUT IRIS 
The American Iris Society, a most welcomed and highly appreciated 
organization was formed some years ago by iris loyers and growers to im- 
prove and promote iris to its present advanced development and high 
standing in the flower world. The society is a great help to hybridizers, 
nurserymen, iris growers, and all interested in flower growing and im- 
rovement. The society maintains a system by which all named varieties of 
- iris are judged, registered and rated, with regards to their relative value. 
It encourages the perfection of iris and advances popularity. It co- 
operates with iris societies of other countries and its work is international 
in Scope. It sponsors iris shows and appoints competent judges and has in- 
stituted a system of awards whereby new introductions of merit compete 
for honors, the highest of which is the Dykps medal. It issues four bul- 
letins each year giving valuable information about iris and also many ideas 
and suggestions from members of the society, The bulletin also gives a 
lot of information on the propogation of new varieties. Each year a list of 
all new introductions is published giving description and other data. The 
members, all who can, attend an annual meeting held each year at differ- 
ent places. This brings together all those interested in iris from the 
modest home gardener to the large commercial growers and most noted 
hybridizers, and the bulletins give a graphic account of the activities of 
the convention. The annual dues-in the society is $3.00 and you will be 
proud to be a member if you do not already belong. Any one wishing tv 
join the society may send the amount of their dues to us and we will send 
it in for them, or just drop us a penny post card and we will tell you how 
to apply for membership. 
IRIS FROM SEED ~ 
The iris is a splendid garden flower, easy to grow and very easy to 
care for. Its wide range of color and its many artistic shapes, its wonder- 
ful shades, its golden glows and its sparkling jewels, all go to make it one 
of the most wonderful creations of the flower kingdom. 
There are thousands of yarieties now existing and more and more 
wonderful new varieties are being created each year. We have come a 
long way from the old fashioned flag to the present day glorious bearded 
iris with its huge blooms of velvety texture and wonderful shades. As each 
season brings forth its new and startling improyements, iris lovers are 
seized with a strong desire to get right into the game of hybridizing and 
to try and create something new for themselves. Crossing is a simple pro- 
cess, but hybridizing for most effective and satisfactory results requires 
scientific work and a lot of experience. 
To those who have not had the experience, these suggestions will be 
helpful. Look at your iris bloom and you will notice that it has six petals, 
three standing upright, calied the standards, and three flaring out and 
downward, called the falls. The narrow part of the fall is called the haft, 
and on the haft is the beard, which is usually orange or yellow, but is 
sometimes whiteish or blueish in tone, and just above the beard and ex- 
tending out and over it you will find the stigma which separates at the 
outer end into two tips. These tips are called the crests. Beneath these 
crests you will find a small lip which runs across the stigma, and on this 
lip you place the pollen. Now by pulling down the fall you will find the 
slender white stamen fitted nicely into a groove in the stigma, and from 
this stamen you take the pollen by drawing a camels hair brush up the 
under side, and then draw the pollen laden brush across the upper side of 
the lip, which if in the right condition to receive it, and if the pollen is 
right, the cross has a fair chance of becoming a reality. "You will find 
blooms which have no pollen, and also many which will not easily take 
pollen, so do not be disappointed if many of your efforts avail you nothing, 
for many of them will be successful. A normal bloom which has _ pollen, 
and will take pollen, may be crossed with any other bloom of the same or 
similar qualifications. 
The best time of day to take pollen is from around ten A. M. to four 
P. M., and on sunny days, for during this time both the pollen and the 
stigma are more likely to be in the best condition for the pollenization. If 
your efforts are successful, in about a week or ten days the seed pod 
at the base of the bloom will begin to swell, and with ordinary luck will 
continue to develop to maturity. When the seeds are ripe, the pods will 
turn brown and will split at the end. und the seeds can be removed by 
pressing the pods completely open. If you wish to keep a record of your 
cross, mark the bloom pollenized with a tag giying the name of the plant 
pollenized. ‘‘X’’ the plant from which you have taken the polien, and when 
the seeds are gathered keep this tag with its respective lot of seed. The 
seed may be planted at any time after being taken from the pod. However, 
it is best to plant them as soon after gathering them as possible, and they 
may be planted in open beds to take the winter freeze, or they may be 
planted in flats and placed out in the open. They usually germinate the 
following spring. 
In planting, make a smal] trench in the soil about one inch deep, 
place the seed in and firm them in with the edge of a small piece of wood 
or some blunt surface, then cover with soil. Wben the plants are large 
enough, separate them and transplant them, and as they grow larger place’ 
- them farther apart. Plants that are vigorous growers may bloom the 
By 
econd year, others the third. When they bloom, the desirable ones can_be 
faced in permanent positions in the garden, and undesirables discarded. 

Iris are by nature a sun-loving plant, and usually thrive and do best 
out in the open, and rarely do well when planted under trees where the 
light is diminished by heavy foliage and the ground is sapped by the roots: 
in fact, they do best when not crowded by any other shrubs or plants, and 
when placed where they have plenty of room, light, and good drainage. 
Iris are easily grown, however, but to get the best results, proper 
care must be given them, They will grow very well in almost any kind of 
soil, provided it has plant sustaining substance, and in case of lean or poor 
soil it may be necessary to fertilize to some extent, and in case this is 
required, bone meal and raw ground limestone are very good, both being 
slow acting agencies, and one application will last for some time. When 
fertilizers are used, mix well with the soil before setting your plants. 
When setting one rhyzome, lift the dirt and place the plant in, spreading 
out the roots and leave the rhyzome just below the surface of the ground. 
When transplanting clumps, shovel out a hole Jarge enough to re- 
ceive the clump, maintaining the proper level, place the clump in and fill 
the space around it with water to enable the roots to make better contact 
with the soil of the new position. Be sure that the earth is firmly pressed 
around the plants after being reset. Keep the ground well workei. around 
your plants and do not let weeds or grass grow up by them. A very dis- 
tressing leaf rot sometimes attacks the foliage of iris plants, but it usually 
occurs when the foliage is crowded, or growing against its own growth or 
other things growing against them, When this occurs, it usually causes 
the entire crown to sluff off from the rhyzome, but this does not necessar- 
ily kill the plant for it will very likely put out new growth, and it is best 
to cover the injured part with dry powdered sulphur. Occasionally rhyzome 
rot will appearin plants and that is best treated by cutting or scraping 
out the affected part down to the solid tissues and sprinkle the place with 
powdered sulphur, or if badly injured it may be necessary to treat the 
rhyzome with a solution of potassium permanaganate in a mixture of one 
level teaspoonful of the crystals to one quart of water. The damaged rhy- 
some should be left out of the ground a few days before being reset. Spots 
sometimes appear on the leaves, and while this is not damaging to the 
plant, it is unsightly and can be remedied by spraying the entire plant with 
a bordeaux mixture Iris borers sometimes attack plants and do a lot of 
damage, and while they are not found here in the Willamette Valley, they 
are prevalent in many parts of the country. The mother of this pest is a 
moth and she lays her eggs at the base of the plant, under the old dried 
foliage of the late fall, and by keeping all dry leaves from around the 
plants much may be done to prevent this enemy from coming into exis- 
tence; if it.does hatch, it first getson the leaves and can be killed by 
spraying the young foliage in the early spring with a mixture of arsenate 
of lead, 1 ounce: fish oil soap, 1 ounce; and water, one gallon.. If it man- 
ages to enter the leaf, it may be killed by pressing the leaf between the 
thumb and finger, provided it can be located, and should it be further suc- 
cessful in reaching the rhyzome, it may be detected by a brownish sub- 
stance showing around the crown, and if discovered in time, may be cut 
out and destroyed, or may be killed with a stiff wire being probed into the 
hole in the rhyzome, and if not found and destroyed at this stage of its de- 
velopment, it will perhaps be able to eat out the entire inside of the rhy- 
zome, leaving only a shell. The cutworm is a near relative of’ the borer, but 
works differently, and does not injure other than small plants, and can be 
controlled fairly well by using a bait of one-fourth pound of arsenate of 
lead mixed well with one peck of dry bran. Then stir one pint of cheap 
molasses into one gallon of water. Thenthe bran and water are mixed to 
form a paste which can be scattered around any plants that you may want 
to protect. 
Earwigs are a very serious nuisance in some districts, and while they 
do not injure iris plants to any great extent, they do damage other things 
in the garden, and their most annoying offense is to hide in the blooms and 
hitch-hike into your parlor. As many as a dozen of these disagreeable pests 
have been found in one lovely rose. A good bait for them is as follows, and 
will do a lot to control them. Bran, 12 pounds; sodium fluorosilicate, 1 
pound. Mix well dry, and then stir in one quart of fish oil. Scatter this 
mixture around your plants, over your lawn, and through your borders, and 
any place where they may hide. They feed at night, andit is best to spread 
this bait in the evening. Another frightful enemy is the cockroach. This, 
one of the worst disease carriers of all pests, will come in from the worst 
germ-infested areas and craw] over your food if it can get at it, and while 
this pest has no connection with the subject (iris) it is a menace, for which 
if we can suggest a control, we are glad to be able todo so. The remedy 
for this bad actor is simply powdered borax. Place it in all places where 
the pest may hide, in every crack, behind all baseboards, and anywhere it 
may run, and the results will no doubt be gratifying, 
If more specific and more detailed information is needed regarding 
the growing and care of iris, and also the regulation of various pests, it 
should be available from your county agent, or from the agricultural de- 
partment at Washington, D. C. ge 
In conclusion may we say that if any of these suggestions are of any 
benefit or help to our Iris lovers we will feel amply repaid for our efforts 
in offering them to you. 
May complete and satisfying success crown your efforts in maintain- 
ing a beautiful flower garden full of lovely Iris, is our sincere wish. 
AMITY GARDENS 
AMITY, OREGON, Bx. 43 
W, E. TAYLOR 
