The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1911-09-14
THREE SOURCES OF INCOME
IN GROWING THE ORR1S PLANT
Capable Producing 1000 Pounds Of Dried
Root. 5000 Flowers and 10000 Small
for Planting Aner Those for
Drying Have Been Gathered.
tBy DIR. c. A. oITcHELL. Virgin

By DIR. C. A. GITcHEIL. virginia)
The orris plant is a beautiful iris.
There are Of this species OF plants
500 Varieties. Some OF them bloom
under the snow. Some grow In water.
The flowers Of some Of them yield
an indelible liquid dye. Some Of them
have an exquisite perfume when In
bloom. One Of them is the orris plant.
Its leaves are long. thing. tough,
wide In the middle, and of a pale
green color. II produces. on each
stem. several sweet and fragrant large
white or blue flowers In the early
spring.
The root. after being dried, posses.
ses delicate perfume. which has the
peculiar character OF permanency, the
strength Of the perfume increasing
with age. For these the plant Is
grown. Orris is the commercial name
for the dried root. Perfumers and
manufacturers OF perfumed special.
ties use II powdered and graduated
a. the base Of their products.
II enters Into every face powder.
sachet powder. tooth powder. violet
powder and every other perfumed pow
der. IL imparts to the perfume OF
these powders the quality of perma-
hence.
The seat of the foreign orris in
dustry Is around Florence and Vienna.
In Italy. from whence most of the
orris comes.
Like all the varieties Of the iris
family. the roots grow near the sur.
face OF the soil. are tough and tenac.
ious. so that the plant is extremely
hardy and easy of propagation. The
plant will stand the toughest kind OF
treatment and still survive.
While moisture is good for II. water
standing about the roots causes them
to become soft and rot Manure, or
any moist substance. produces a sim
liar effect. and for this reason all
manuring must be In the soil and be
fore the planting.
When there is a drought, however
the plant does not die The roots lie
dormant during the dry spoil. and
when rain comes new shoots spring
up. and In a short time the plant Is
fully revived.
Weeds that completely envelop es.
tablished plants do but little injury
because the plant is a late fall and
early spring grower.
II grows after the weeds In the
fall have died. and is at II again In
the spring before the weeds appear
In a comparatively mild climate the
tops remain green throughout the en-.
tire winter.
II makes two distinct growths each
year. sending up new shoots in both
fall and spring The root formation Ia
regular and circular. new shoots and
roots growing from the outer rim as
the plant increases In size. and each
seasons growth remains attached &c
the growth OF the previous season.
At the end OF year the small feed
ers attaching to the under side of the
roots partially die. and this portion
after sending forth the flower stem
becomes suitable for drying.
II not harvested II is not lost. as II
remains attached to the other parts
OF the plant by small connecting
root
Among the many good points may
be mentioned the following:
II will thrive in the op. field with.
out any protection In winter
The plant is not injured by bugs or
moles; II has no fungous enemies.
II viii succeed on land too poor to