J<anuary  22,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
7  0 
Hardy  Hybrid  Irises. 
The  first  step  towards  the  production  of  this 
new  race  of  Iris,  which  have  been  called  Early 
Alpine  Hybrid,  was  the  collection  of  every  known 
or  obtainable  species  of  early  flowering  Bearded 
Iris,  which  were  then  crossed  with  a  view  to 
improvement  in  colour,  habit,  size  of  bloom,  earli¬ 
ness,  or  increase  in  number  of  flowers  upon  one 
stem.  The  results  of  which  being  obtained  after 
from  five  to  eight  years,  proved  but  a  partial 
success,  the  tendency  to  reversion  being  always 
very  strong.  These  fii'st  hybrids  were  then 
crossed  both  with  original  plants  and  each  other. 
The  results  brought  many  greatly  improved 
flowers,  several  of  which  exhibited  new  tenden¬ 
cies,  such  as  lying  flat  open,  &c.,  instead  of  the 
simple  upright  standards  and  pendant  falls  ;  but 
it  is  from  the  third  generation  that  the  finest  and 
best  flowers  are  presented.  These  (the  best  named 
varieties  in  my  trade  list)  are  still  appearing,  many 
more  coming  up  from  the  seed  pans  each  year, 
for  the  seed  is  frequently  from  three  to  four 
years  in  germinating,  and  each  season  shows  an 
addition  to  new  varieties. 
The  early  attempts  were  very  much  hindered  by 
spring  frosts,  which,  in  some  seasons,  did  a 
year’s  damage  in  one  night,  but  this  has  been 
overcome  by  bringing  the  plants  over  to 
Guernsey,  where  such  is  their  hardihood,  that  flowers  are 
to  be  picked  from  them  during  October,  November, 
December,  January,  February,  and  March,  out-of-doors 
without  pi’otection  or  shelter  of  any  kind.  Thus,  after 
twenty  years  of  effort,  was  inaugurated  this  new  race  of 
Iris,  which  should  be  a  good  substantial  addition  to  our 
early  spring  flowers.  They  will  bloom  in  England  with 
slight  forcing  in  January  and  February,  in  a  cold 
house  in  February  and  March,  and  out  of  doors  in 
March,  April,  May.  For  market  purposes  they  travel 
perfectly  if  cut  in  bud  and  tightly  packed,  are  very  sure 
to  fully  expand  in  water  to  the  last  bud,  and  after  open¬ 
ing  can  be  worn  or  used  without  water  for  any  kind  of 
decorations.  Their  flowers  last  each  from  three  to  six 
days  in  perfection  ;  if  opened  in  heat  they  should  be 
afterwards  kept  in  a  cool  place,  as  is  the  case  with  all 
other  flowers.  They  are  fragrant,  even  the  rhizomes  of 
many  have  a  delicious  scent  of  Violets. — W.  J.  Caparne, 
Guernsey. 
A  Study  of  Seed  Catalogues. 
By  “  The  Man  Who  Serves  the  Kitchen.” 
“  Here,  Jim,  have  a  look  through  these  some  time,  and 
see  if  there  is  anything  that  strikes  you,”  is  what  the  head 
gardener  generally  says  to  me  at  this  time  o’  th’  year,  as 
he  comes  oat  o’  th’  office  with  a  bundle  o’  kattylogs  under 
his  arm.  He  never  gives  ’em  to  the  pleasure-ground  man, 
or  any  of  the  other  labourers,  ’cos  I  have  all  to  do  with  the 
vegetables,  d’yer  see  1 
Well,  I  takes  the  bundle,  puts  it  in  my  dinner  bas,  and 
then  at  night,  after  I’ve  had  my  tea,  I  has  a  look  at  the  cata¬ 
logues.  and  mighty  interestin’  I  fmd  ’em.  I’m  not  much  at 
readin’,  because  my  bit  o’  schoOTin’  was  done  afore  folks 
began  making  such  a  fuss  about  eddication  bills,  but  I’m 
terrible  fond  o’  picters.  Some  o’  those  in  the  catalogues 
are  really  beautiful,  and  those  seed  chaps  are  dab  hands 
at  colourin’  ;  but  I  think  it’s  often  a  question  o’  art  im¬ 
provin’  on  Natur  a  bit,  as  you  don’t  often  get  th’  vegetables 
quite  up  to  picter  standard.  However,  th’  plates  are  fine, 
and  I  cut  a  couple  out  once  and  framed  ’em,  and  hung  ’em 
up  in  th’  parlour.  The  missus  thought  a  lot  on  ’em,  and 
so  did  I  ;  but  my  daughter,  wot’s  lady’s  maid  up  at  th’  hall, 
said  they  looked  common,  and  so  down  they  had  to  come. 
Two  or  things  strike  me  as  I  look  through  the  cata¬ 
logues,  and  one  is,  who  pays  for  ’em  ?  I  know  th’  master 
doesn’t,  ’cos  they  come  to  him  free,  post  paid,  and  so  on. 
I  put  th’  question  to  th’  missus  once,  but  she  said  it  was  a 
matter  o’  advertisin’,  and  I  ought  to  know  that.  Once  I 
thought  I’d  send  for  a  few  things  out  o’  one  o’  th’  cata¬ 
logues  for  my  little  garden  at  home,  but  when  I  totalled  up 
the  cost  it  staggered  me  ;  and  it  struck  me  that  perhaps  I 
was  payin’  a  bit  towards  that  seedsman’s  catalogue  bill. 
Postage,  again,  must  be  a  serious  item ;  I’ve  heard  as  it 
amounts  to  a  mint  o’  money,  but  I  reckon  it  all  comes  out 
o’  th’  seeds.  I’m  thinkin’  that  one  could  fit  out  a  garden 
for  a  reasonable  figger  if  it  warn’t  for  th’  catalogue  business. 
Another  thing  that  puzzles  me  is  how  these  seedsmen 
get  so  many  varieties  o’  things,  and  whether  there  is  much 
difference  between  ’em.  Bein’  a  kitchen  garden  man  I 
know  th’  importance  o’  growin’  good  varieties  o’  vege¬ 
tables  ;  but  every  seedsman  has  got  a  knack  o’  stickin’  his 
own  surname  afore  every  variety  o’  vegetable  he  offers,  just 
as  though  he  was  proud  o’  seein’  it  in  print,  but  I  wonder 
how  much  those  varieties  differ  from  anybody  else’s.  I 
suppose  there  is  a  difference,  but  some  people  say  as  all  th’ 
seeds  come  out  o’  th’  same  box  to  start  with,  and  th’  cata¬ 
logue  man  makes  th’  distinctions  and  arranges  the  figgers. 
Catalogue  makin’  must  be  a  responsible  job  in  a  nursery, 
I  should  think.  I  wonder  what  he  gets  who  does  the 
colourin’. 
If  I  might  be  allowed  to  make  a  suggestion,  I’d  advise 
someone  to  make  a  study  o’  namin’.  I’d  do  it  myself,  only 
I’m  no  scholar ;  but  I’m  sure  there’s  money  in  it.  There’s 
so  many  “Best  of  Alls,”  “Earliest  of  Alls.”  “Perfections,"’ 
“  Ne  plus  Ultras,”  “  Magnum  Bonums.”  and  so  on,  that  one 
is  likely  to  get  mixed  up,  and  if  somebody  could  strike  a 
fresh  line  altogether  he  might  set  up  in  business  as  a  pro¬ 
fessional  catalogue  maker,  and  do  well. 
It  strikes  me  that  some  o’  these  seedsmen  have  got  the 
idea  that  all  vegetables  are  grown  for  is  exhibition.  It’s 
exhibition  this,  and  exhibition  that,  till  I  get  rather  tired 
on  it  afore  I  get  through  a  book,  ’cos  I  know  from  expe¬ 
rience  as  exhibition  stuff  ain’t  alius  the  best  to  eat.  One 
picter,  for  instance,  shows  an  Onion,  weighin’  over  two 
pounds.  Fine  specimen,  says  the  catalogue  ;  very  fine, 
thinks  I,  but  if  I  took  an  Onion  o’  that  stamp  in  to  our  cook 
I  should  stand  a  chance  o’  gettin’  it  back  at  my  head,  with 
instructions  to  bring  somethin’  o’  decent  size,  as  she  don't 
want  to  begin’  cuttin’  steaks  out  o’  vegetables  for  the  ste\y. 
These  good  people  who  are  alius  ravin’  about  big  things  in 
the  vegetable  line  should  have  my  job  for  six  months,  and 
tiiey’d  learn  as  it  ain’t  size  altogether  that  tells  in  th' 
kitchen. 
But  I  don't  intend  to  run  away  from  th’  catalogue  sub¬ 
ject,  and  another  thing  as  strikes  me  is  the  number  o’  new 
things  wot  keeps  cornin’  out,  I  mean,  of  course,  new 
varieties.  Now,  I’ve  lived  long  enough  to  know  the  ad¬ 
vantage  o’  growing  a  good  variety  o’  anythin’,  specially 
’taturs,  but  I’m  very  doubtful  whether  these  novelties,  as 
they  call  ’em.  are  all  that  much  better  than  th’  sorts  we  are 
already  growin’  ;  fact,  some  on  ’em  ain’t  so  good.  There’s 
one  thing,  however,  that  you  can’t  make  a  mistake  about, 
and  that’s  th’  price  o’  th’  novelties.  It’s  marked  up  in 
