118 
AvievA  TO,  1899 . 
.TOUT!  N A  fj  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
collections,  arid  it,  in  to  he  hop<d  that  all  wlio  try  to  produce  it  will  one 
tho  bent  forma  only  an  parents.  Now  that  its  parentage  ban  been 
proved  without  doubt,  we  should  soon  nee  it  getting  more  plentiful 
and  cheap,  when  it  is  bound  to  become  one  of  the  most  popular.  Its 
culture  does  riot  differ  much  from  that  of  0.  gigas,  and  it  delights  in  a 
light  warm  position  while  growing.  The  colouring  on  the  lip  when 
first  open  is  very  beautiful,  and  it  must  lie  classed  as  one  of  the  most 
gorgeous  of  all  Cattleyas. 
Sacco  la  ujum  Bmjmjsi. 
Small  plants  of  this  grand  old  species  in  baskets  suspended  from 
the  roof  are  very  beautiful  when  carrying  tho  long  cylindrical  racemes 
of  tlower,  but  cannot  compare  with  larger  and  freely  flowered  plants 
such  as  are  all  too  rarely  seen  nowadays,  though  they  are  amongst 
the  finest  plants  in  existence.  In  large  tropical  houses  where  ample 
light  is  assured  no  difficulty  will  lie  found  in  its  culture,  but  a  little 
care  in  ripening  in  autumn  is  necessary.  II.  If.  It. 
THE  mis. 
( Continued  from  page  81.) 
Turkic  are  two  great  divisions  in  the  Iris  family — viz.,  those  that 
are  rhizomatous,  and  those  that  are  bulbous  i.e.,  those  plants  which 
grow  from  a  rhizome,  and  those  which  grow  from  a  bulb. 
A  rhizome  is  tho  name  given  to  an  underground  stem  when  its 
shape  is  cylindrical,  to  a  creeping  stem  in  short.  It  is  easily 
distinguished  from  a  root  by  the  fact  that  it  ends  in  a  bud,  and  bear* 
leaves  or  scales.  It  gives  out  roots  here  and  there.  In  the  autumn 
the  aerial  leaves  disappear,  hut  the  rhizome  lives  through  the  winter, 
and  in  the  spring  its  terminal  bud  goes  on  growing. 
The  Iris  that  are  rhizomatous  are  the  huge  family  of  Iris  barbata 
(Bearded  Iris),  the  Beardless  Iris,  and  the  Japanese  Flag  Iris,  usually 
called  Iris  Kamipferi,  from  the  fact  of  Ksempfcr  having  discovered  the 
type. 
We  next  come  to  the  great  family  of  Iris  germanica,  or  Iris 
barbata,  Tall  Bearded  or  ( Jerman  Flag  Iris.  This  has  been  divided  by 
Mr.  Barr  into  seven  groups,  each  with  distinctive  colouring.  First 
there  is  the  type,  germanica.  This  and  its  varieties  flower  in  May. 
Tho  best  variety  oi  this  section  is  Kharput.  There  are  about  eight 
varieties,  the  colours  of  which  are  shades  of  blue  and  violet. 
Next  we  have  the  Aphylla  section.  All  the  flowers  of  these  have 
a  beautifully  coloured  frill  like  margin  on  a  white  ground,  the  best 
being  Gazella  and  Madame  (Jhereau.  There  are  about  six  prominent 
varieties  of  this. 
Then  there  is  the  Amoena  section.  In  this  the  standards — i,e.,  the 
upright  petals — are  white  ;  the  colours  of  the  falls  are  mostly  shades 
of  lavender  and  purple.  This  is  a  somewhat  large  section.  Best: 
Comte  de  St.  Clair,  Mrs.  II.  Darwin,  C.  Darion,  and  Victoria. 
The  next  section  is  Neglecta.  The  standards  of  this  range  in 
colour  from  lavender  to  purple.  The  best  varieties  are  Borcay, 
Cordelia,  Florence  Barr,  and  Lavater. 
The  fifth  group  is  the  Pallida  section,  the  best  examples  of  which 
are  Albert  Vidor,  Dalmatica,  Princess  Beatrice,  Queen  of  May,  and 
Walner. 
The  Squalcns  family  follows,  and  here  the  standards  are  of 
cloudy  shades  of  copper,  bronze  and  fawn.  Tho  best  examples  are 
Dr.  Bernice,  Harrison  Weir,  Jacquiniana,  Monsieur  Chereau,  Uachael, 
and  Saiav  Jung. 
The  Variegata  section  is  remarkable  for  the  standards  being  all 
yellow.  There  are  a  great  many  beautiful  specimens  in  this  group, 
such  as  Gracchus,  Hector,  Hubert  Burns,  John  Fraser,  Maori  King, 
and  Darius. 
There  are  various  other  beautiful  Tall  Bearded  Flag  Irises  not  included 
in  these  sections,  such  as  albicans,  Princess  of  Wales,  sarnhueina 
flavescons,  and  Baxteri. 
And  now  we  come  to  what  I  think  is  the  most  beautiful  of  all 
Irises,  and  that  is  Iris  laevigata  or  Kamipferi,  the  Cleraatis-liko  Iris  of 
Japan.  Mr.  Barr,  in  speaking  of  these  Iris,  uses  words  which  I  fully 
endorse.  The  magnificence  of  these  splendid  now  Japanese  Iris 
surpasses  any  written  description  that  I  could  give  of  them.  The  large 
flat  flowers  measure  from  G  to  8  inches  in  diameter,  with  a  breadth  ot 
petal  3  to  3i  inches;  tho  prevailing  colours  are  white,  red,  purple, 
crimson,  rose,  lilac,  lavender,  French  grey,  purple,  violet  and  blue. 
Each  flower  usually  represents  several  shades,  while  close  under  the 
petaloid  stigma  there  is  a  brilliant  yellow  or  orange  blotch  or  feather, 
more  or  less  conspicuous,  and  almost  always  surrounded,  except  in  the 
whites,  by  a  halo  of  blue  or  violet. 
They  are  tho  last  of  the  Irises  to  flower,  their  season  being  from 
June  to  August.  They  consist  of  two  great  divisions — tin  so  that 
have  single  flowers,  and  those  that  are  duplex.  Tho  best  varieties 
I  know  are  Aki-Chylo',  Ivogo,  Komaehi,  and  Bride  of  Japan. 
Mr.  Barr,  in  speaking  of  their  culture,  says  that  these  plants  are 
semi  aquatic,  and  are  seen  in  their  full  glory  when  growu  in  swamps 
and  marshy  places.  My  experience,  limited  I  must  own,  as  to  this 
way  of  growing  them,  is  not  favourable.  I  have  no  wa ter  myself, 
hut  a  friend  of  mine  lias  a  smalt  pond.  I  took  one  of  my  Kamipferi  Iris 
to  biH  gardener,  and  had  it  planted  in  exactly  the  position  indicated 
hy  Mr.  Barr,  but  it  has  not  yet  flowered. 
I  grow  them,  but  not,  I  admit,  successfully  iri  an  open  border 
backed  up  hy  trees  and  shrubs,  giving  them  all  the  water  I  can.  Still 
1  own  that  I  have  lost  a  very  large  number  of  them.  The  best 
position,  I  should  say,  is  the  dampest  and  lowest  part  of  the  garden, 
with  partial  shade.  It  will  help  the  plants  if  a  good  soaking  is  given 
them  once  a  week  of  weak  liquid  manure.  The  soil  should  be  good 
fibrous  loam.  If  any  readers  are  successful  in  growing  these  plants, 
they  will  be  perfectly  amazed  at  the  glorious  flowers  they  produce. 
We  now  come  to  the  second  great  division  of  the  Irit  viz.,  tlo 
bulbous  section.  This  is  a  very  numerous  group,  though  not  quite  so 
much  so  as  the  rhizomatous.  There  are  two  great  classes  of  these 
flowers,  the  English  (or  xiphioidr  s)  and  the  Spanish  The  first  are 
called  Iris  anglica,  and  the  Spanish  (Xiphium j  I  ris  xiphiurn,  a  native  of 
Spain  and  North  Africa. 
Besides  these  there  are  a  great  number  of  other  varieties,  some 
of  the  most  conspicuous  examples  of  which  are  I.  reticulata,  I.  histrio, 
J.  stylosa,  which  are  very  early  blooming  sorts,  coming  even  before 
the  Snowdrop  or  the  Winter  Aconite.  Another  beautiful  flowrr  is 
I.  Bakeriann,  blue  and  white;  I.  orchioides,  yellow;  and  persiea, 
pearl  blue  and  white;  and  alata,  pale  blue,  are  all  early. 
The  varieties  of  Spanish  and  English  Iris  am  so  numerous  that  it 
is  difficult  to  make  a  selection,  hut  J  can  safely  recommend  Mont 
Blanc,  jiure  white ;  Iluby,  crimson  purple  ;  Grande  Cmlcste,  blue; 
Argus,  pink  and  spotted;  and  Emma,  French  grey;  from  tho 
English  section;  and  Snow  Queen,  white  ;  Jaune  Brilliante,  orange 
yellow  ;  Blue  Beauty,  violet ;  and  Catherina,  sapphire,  blue  and  white  ; 
Iron:  the  Spanish, 
The  Spanish  varieties  bloom  about  a  fortnight,  before  the  English. 
Their  flowers  are  more  vivid  in  colour,  hut  are  smaller  in  size.  Their 
tubes  are  quite  narrow,  whilst  the  English  open  out  to  large  broad 
falls.  There  is  one  enormous  advantage  of  these  flowers  that  I  must 
name.  They  can  he  picked  directly  the  tips  of  the  spikes  show  colour, 
and  he  packed  quite  safely  and  sent  hy  post.  As  soon  as  they  are 
placed  in  water  the  blooms  develop.  J.  B.  M.  Camjw. 
(To  be  continued.) 
BLACK  BERRIES. 
Of  the  British  wild  fruits  the  Blackberry  has  been  up  to  tho  present 
the  most  neglected,  and  yet  there  is  none  that  would  so  well  repay 
cultivation  if  combined  with  judicious  selection  with  a  view  to 
improvement.  What  is  the  precise  number  of  species  of  (tubus 
indigenous  to  Britain  is  hard  to  say,  as  almost  any  number  from  live 
to  forty  five  has  been  authoritatively  given.  But  that  Is  a  question 
which  need  hardly  trouble  tho  man  who  wishes  to  improve  the  Black 
berry  so  as  to  make  a  good  and  payable  market  fruit  of  it. 
For  a  beginning  it.  laciniatus,  a  hybrid,  the  parents  of  which  are 
unknown;  If.  radula,  a  sweet  tasting  species;  It.  ptihescons,  n  sharp 
flavoured  species;  and  If.  Balfomi.mus,  the  earliest  of  all,  could  bo 
tried,  hut  many  others  would  probably  prove  equally  useful.  These 
four  are  all  vigorous  growers,  free  in  hearing,  and  the  fruits  are  of  good, 
size  and  fairly  firm.  it.  laciniatus  is  a  well  known  plant,  and  can  ho 
readily  obtained,  but  tho  others  might  is:  difficult  to  get  true,  unless 
from  a  botanic  garden  >  r  someone  with  a  thorough  knowledge  of  this 
intricate  genus.  A  thorough  search  along  country  lams  and  hedges, 
or  any  wild  spot  where  Blackberries  have  a  chance  to  properly  develop 
themselves,  would  result  in  many  good  forms  being  obtained.  These, 
if  noticed  when  the  fruits  are  ripe,  could  he  lifted  at  once,  or  a  low 
fruits  could  be  gathered  for  seed.  The  best  counties  for  Blackberries 
are  Devon,  Cornwall,  Gloucester,  and  Homorsct,  and  In  some  parts  of 
Kent  and  Murrey  good  ones  may  bo  found. 
Any  portion  of  a  garden  exposed  to  tho  sun  would  grow  Black 
berries,  though,  like  everything  else,  the  better  the  treatment  tho  finer 
the  result.  There  is  very  little  labour  required  beyond  cutting  away 
tire  old  fruiting  canes,  as  in  Raspberries,  and  giving  a  good  mulching 
alter  the  fruit  has  sot.  1 1  the  proper  kinds  are  obtained  and  worked 
in  a  systematic  manner,  good  Blackber  ries  could  he  Imd  from  the  end 
of  July,  when  If.  Hall  ■our  in  mis  is  ripe,  until  the  advent  of  frost.  It 
may  ho  objected  that,  there  would  not  be  sufficient  market  for  Black¬ 
berries  to  pay  for  tho  ground  and  tho  labour  involved  in  producing 
them.  Wiry  not  V  So  far  as  can  bo  ascertained  no  attempt  lias  ever 
been  made  to  put  them  on  tho  market  in  a  systematic  manner.  Black¬ 
berries  can  be  seen  in  many  fruiterers'  shops  every  year,  but  they  are 
picked  in  a  wild  slnto  in  country  places,  and  a  smashed,  unsavoury- 
looking  moss  they  usually  are.  It  might  as  well  bo'  urged  that 
wild  Straw  her  rii  s  or  Grab  Apples  could  compete  with  tho  splendid 
fruits  we  now  have  of  each  as  to  say  the  wild  Blackberries  could 
hold  their  own  against  cultivated  onoH. 
