Evening star., 1945-05-27

better than you will find in the avera
Thus are we forced to admit that t
could be materially improved for a
very small expenditure.
There are hundreds of iris breed
ers in this country, all striving to
produce better flowers, consequently,
we have constant succession of
new varieties competing for place
in the garden rainbow" The
American Iris Society annually,
through its accredited judges, makes
various awards on the basis of Ger
tain standards. The highest award
is the Dykes Memorial Medal, which
is given after a variety has been
on the market for three years. A
buyer can note in the catalogues just
what awards given variety has
won as one guide to its quality
Take "San Francisco" giant
plicata - white = margined blue -
which sells for Is cents; one could
hardly want a finer variety and yet
it Is priced no higher than any other
perennial. 1t won the Dykes Medal
in 1927. San Diego" a medium
blue, that Is tall and well branched, is
listed in many catalogues at Is cents
Sensation" cornflower blue, and
eel CAPTAIN" light violet blue,
are both in the low-priced range.
"Pluie dor" and Alta California
are well known yellows that are in
expensive. Pink Satin" and Dog
Rose" two pinks of fairly recent
origin, do well in local gardens and
certainly they are as cheap as one
could expect. And so on through
the color classes one can continue
picking fine large Towering varieties
varieties that can hold their
heads up and look a show judge in
the eye. But, more important, they
will put quality into your iris border
at very little expense.
The Is cent division price level
used in this discussion is about the
minimum charge for which growers
can afford to dig, label and pack a
division. Some have recently, due
to increased labor costs. raised their
minimum charge to IS cents per
division.
Iris are not difficult to grow, de-
manding only a well-drained situa-
tion and sunshine for part of the
day. In wet soils iris usually suffer
from root rot, and such soils are
usually too acid for good growth
Iris can be grown in moist soils by
planting them on a ridge so that
the rhiZomes (the thick, feshy
tuberlike part that grows on top of
the ground is dry. Sunshine is
needed for good growth, too much
shade stunts the plant and prevents
Towering.
Iris are commonly sold as divisions
and in commercial trade a division
consists of piece of rhizome with
one fan" Of leaves. This should be
purchased as soon as the Towering
season is past, for that is the proper
time for dividing and resetting. If
started early enough in a we'll pre-
pared bed, such divisions should pro-
duce bloom the following season
Small divisions or those planted in
poorly prepared bed seldom bloom
the following season. Large divi-
sions, such as a gardener makes
when dividing old plants, usually
bloom the following season wher
transplanted at the proper season
late May or early June.
An iris bed may be prepared ir
many ways, but the experienced iris
grower goes to considerable effort tc
incorporate substantial quantities oil
well-rotted manure or compost ir
the soil, together with bone mea
and other slow-acting plant foods
When once planted an iris bed i:
difficult to fertiliZe so the iris fanciel
tries to put enough plant food ir
at the time Of preparation to last
his plants for four or five years
until 1t is time to lift and divide
again.
Iris rhizomes should be carefully
examined before planting for sign.
| OF the iris borer, a common pest
This fat worm starts from an egs
laid on the leaf early in the season
and after Matching, eats it's way
down into the rhizome Since it i.
difficult to make a poison stick tt
the glossy foliage. most gardener.
watch for signs of the worms &C.
tivity. They are easily seen. Al
soon as observed, grasp the leaves
between the thumb and first finger
and pull upward, using sufficient
pressure to crush the small worm
After the worm has gotten into the
rhizome, the only cure is to cut i
out with knife. After removal, the
root should be dipped into a Dor.
deaux spray or busted with powdered
bordeaux or sulphur. This is to pre-.
vent the entrance of rots.
The tops should be shortened to &
third of their length before reset.
ting in the newly prepared bed
Some gardeners leave the trimmed
divisions exposed to the sun for two
or three days before planting, bu
this is not necessary if they have
been treated with fungicide.
Ffreblight, a destructive virus dis.
ease attacking some varieties O.
pears and apples and OCCASIONAL,
the cotoneasters, is prevalent thi.
season. 1t appears without warn.
ing, turning the new growth black
There is no known control for the
disease. The usual practice is to re.
move and burn-infected shoots a.
soon as observed, cutting severa
A2zls ~ III