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INTRODUCTION.
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By W. R. DYKES.
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IN putting before the members of the Iris Society, and of the public, these four papers by experts on the cultivation of Bearded Irises, I feel that attention ought once more to be drawn to the fact that there are other Irises than Bearded Irises, and that there are among them many beautiful garden plants, which are in danger of being neglected. I When we remember that our garden Bearded Irises have been derived by hybridization from some half-a-dozen wild species, and that there are at least 160 species, and probably more, in the whole genus, we shall realise how slight our acquaintance with Irises will be if we confine our attention to the Bearded Irises of garden origin.

Even the Bearded species are very commonly neglected and seldom seen in our gardens. How often, for instance, do we see the real Iris pumila, though it is capable of producing such masses of flowers as almost to hide its foliage? Iris aphylla, too, in its many wild forms will give us flowers of every shade of purple as well as of white, pale yellow and pearly grey, and, moreover, some of its forms will flower a second time in the autumn although they have already bloomed in April and early May.

It is hard to understand this neglect of the wild species, for it is with their help alone that the hybridizer is now likely to obtain striking novelties among garden bearded Irises. Thus I. Alberti, an early flowering species from Turkestan, is capable, when combined with I. pallida, of giving us tall, early-flowering hybrids which stand out above all other varieties in bloom at that period of the season. I. Alberti passes on its early flowering habit and its colour, while size of flower can easily be supplied by our garden hybrids.

Roughly speaking, and unless we are willing to make or remake the soil of our gardens on an extensive scale, the Irises which we shall grow are determined for us by the soil and situation in which we garden. Where the soil is heavy and yet well drained the Spuria Section, which contains such good garden plants as I. ochroleuca and I. aurea, should do well, while I. graminea which is by no means fastidious as to soil, should be grown by everyone who appreciates a finely scented flower.

I. sibirica and its beautiful Chinese relatives, such as I. Delavayi, I. Forrestii and I. chrysographes, do best in a cool soil, rich in humus. They will also do well at the edge of ponds, though they seem to prefer not to be too wet in winter. The same applies to I. Kaempferi, of which the hybrid forms are so well known as Japanese Irises. They are distinctly not water plants, if by that we mean a plant which stands in water throughout the year. I. Kaempferi likes to be wet during the growing season and comparatively dry in winter.

On the other hand, I. laevigata, the deep blue purple type, its albino pure white variety, and the purple spotted albo-purpurea are real bog plants, and so are also our native I. pseudacorus and its American cousin, I. versicolor. These three species seem to form a closely related group, if we may judge by their seeds, which are practically indistinguishable.

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