than strong, healthy ones. It is now generally accepted that iris require greater "feeding" than 
had hitherto been deemed necessary, and the use of barnyard fertilizers are known to be most 
beneficial to plants to insure health and bloom. I'm sure too few of us take advantage of the 
resources that are ours in making compost from leaves, grass cuttings, vegetable waste, weeds 
and barnyard manures. The natural fertilizer thus obtained encourages the lowly and very useful 
earthworm which fertilizes, pulverizes and aerates the soil. Not only will natural manures or 
compost supply the necessary food elements for the soil, they will add humus which. is very 
essential to most soils to keep them light and workable. I+ will be important to supply this 
fertilizer when needed, and if fresh manures are used these should be used carfully. Our AALS. 
President, Guy Rogers, wrote a detailed article on preparing beds for iris in Bulletin 106 of the 
American Iris Society. Surely his iris plantings prove the value of his method of fertilizing. 
| am not, however, in favor of commercial fertilizers (artificial, that is) for they very often 
become insoluable in the soil or encourage quick growth that is entirely unnatural—leaving : 
plants subject to disease. Artificial fertilizers can do wonders for quick results. Some fanciers 
give a feeding of super phosphate just as the buds start to break through the fans in early 
spring—this will make exhibition stalks. Many of our growers have success with the use of 
chicken manures, however, these are worked into the soil deep under the rhizomes before 
planting so that the fertilizer works out into the soil and the roots feed down to it; although 
rhizomes never come in direct contact with the fertilizer. But this has all been on fertilizers 
and not on diseases, so enough! 
Rot 
There are various types of rot that affect iris—most of these are caused by moulds or 
bacteria. Clean cultivation, proper feeding, and dividing will help to control the diseases. 
Winter rot (Botritis) works during cold weather and is found after the snows have gone— 
leaving rhizomes that are nothing but a soft mass of fiber and mould. Every bit of this could 
be cut away and carefully destroyed; the living plants will probably show no sign of the disease 
if the healthy parts are divided and possibly moved or given some new soil during the summer. 
Where only small pieces of old toes, or rhizomes, are left these should be dipped in a strong 
solution of potassiurn permanganate or Lysol—about one-half teaspoon to one-fourth pint of 
water; then allow the plants to dry in the sun if large—or in the shade if small and weak—then 
replant. For bacterial soft rot, which appears in late spring and summer, cutting away of all 
atfected parts (being sure to burn or destroy these and cleaning all tools used in doing this), 
then treating the remaining cut parts with a solution of Lysol or potassium permanganate should 
do the trick. The same can be said for Mustard-Seed-Fungus which will attack the base of 
rhizomes and in the advance stages the spores are found in the form of mustard seeds—these 
should, of course, all be carefully destroyed—the soil and the rhizomes (if left intact) should 
be treated with a solution of Potassium Permanganate. Leaf-spot, while disfiguring to the foliage 
does not usually kill plants but will somewhat weaken them if allowed to infest the plants heavily. 
This disease is usually the result of crowding or follows considerable rain and warm weather. 
This can be controlled by picking off the leaves that are affected—if started early and continued, 
the disease will not spread. Scorch, however, is a ''mystery'' disease and little is known about 
its cause or cure, although some experiments are going forward among breeders and fanciers 
in areas where the disease is most common. Plants affected with Scorch (or Fire, as it is 
sometimes known) lose their roots—the tops turn yellow—the rhizomes sometimes takes on a 
reddish or orange hue and is, to all appearances, a firm rhizome, these remain firm and often 
send out new roots and try to live—but very often plants taken from these shuw the disease. 
This is a warm-weather ill coming during the summer months, usually. It is wise to dig all such 
rhizomes—some success has been had in exposing these to direct sunlight for several days then 
replanting, however, others have had better results by dipping th rhizomes in solutions of Lysol, 
potassium permanganate, or fermate then store the plants for several days or even two or three 
weeks in a dry but shaded place then replanting. | have only had four plants affected with 
this disease that | recall—two of them sent in to me and the others seedlings—one of these 
was a fine clump of a numbered seedling and the disease appeared in May—just at blooming 
time—I took the spade and dug under it, giving a ‘shove’ toward heaven for | was going 
to throw the plant away—then | repented and just let the plant settle back in place without 
pressing the soil around its roots—after two or three weeks it had started new growth and by 
fall apparently had recovered. Sir Cedric Morris of England reports success using sulphathiazole 
solutions for scorch. 
Good drainage is essential to all Tall Bearded iris, so in soils that are heavy or hold moisture 
it is well to have the furrows raised in which they are planted. Heavy soils should have some 
sand or fine gravel mixed with them. Sunlight, and clean cultivation will insure healthy and 
strong plants. 
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