Evening star., 1927-04-12
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

THE Iris" by John c. Wister, just
issued by the Orange Judd Publishing
| Co. of New York, ought to be in the
library of every home gardener.
This book is described exactly by its
subtitle: "a Treatise on the History,
Development and Culture Of the Iris
for the Amateur Gardener" The
author is one Of the founders of the
American Iris Society, and his book
therefore has an official" status.
Despite the fact that Mr.. Wister Is
one of the great Iris enthusiasts, he
presents his subject with such re-
straint and common sense, making
such a fine plea for gardens in gen.
eral and all flowers, that the average
reader OF this book of 1872 pages will
be the better as we'll as the wiser for
his reading.
We know Of no other flower which
possesses quite so good a small hand
book as this one. Many of the vol.
umes published about individual
flowers fail to give essential facts.
and others are poorly written.
Mr.. Wister's THE Iris" is charm
ingly written, at the same time 1t tells
one what he ought to know to thor
oughly understand and grow the
flower. and, above all. it tells him
what varieties to choose. Those who
may have struggled through the in
terminable lists In catalogues will un-
derstand what this means.
We who love gardens for the joy
shat they bring often have wondered
why some one with great experience
could not sit himself down and take
US on q trip through his garden, tell
i've rin
what not to waste time on.
Well, Mr.. Wister has done just
this. His book takes the reader not
only on q happy, Informative trip.
but it will remain d ready reference in
time OF need, always on hand to coun-
sci wisely.
Mr.. Wister's book, according ~
Prof. Frank A. Waugh, general editor
of the series in which it appears, the
Farm and Garden Library, is de
signed not to replace the excellent
botanical and technical treatises al
ready on the shelves, but rather to
assist in placing the practical knowl-
edge of Iris growing within the reach
OF ALL"
Mr.. Wister declares, in his opening
chapter, This book will endeavor to
show the amateur how to plant and
care for the different types; how to
choose the best varieties of any given
type, and. most important Of all. how
to plant the Iris with other flowers for
the best garden effect.
For, aside from the specialist S
gardens as noted above, the Iris, or
any other flower, should be used only
as a part important or trivial as the
case may be, of the whole garden.
1.-The general effect of the successful
garden must come from its design and
setting-trees, shrubs. walls, hedges
must give the framework to the
beauty of the individual flower or of
the mass of flowers. (Note-These
words ought to be printed in red let
ters on every garden book issued)
Let us give more care to the de-
sign Of our gardens so that they may
be more truly American--more fitted
to our climate and soil and surround
ings. And when we have done this
let us take more care to put into these
eardens only the most worthy things
and only those fitted to our circum-
stances"
n X X "
With fine discrimination, Mr.. Wister
tells the history of the flower, and the
work and names of those who made
Iris history in Europe and America.
The book is dedicated to the memory