earth must be pressed
well down around the root, as the crowns and tubers are injured by
exposure to dry weather, and the plants should be sheltered from the
heat of the sun, but not so as to confine the air; they require the
morning and evening sun to shine on them, particularly the former.

The IRIS is a handsome plant, attractive alike from the variety and the
beauty of its blossoms; some of them are also used medicinally. All
varieties produce abundance of seed, in which form the plant might with
great care be introduced into this country.

The _Florence Iris_, I. florentina, _Ueersa_, is a large variety,
growing some two feet in height, the flower being white, and produced in
the hot weather.

The _Persian Iris_ I. persica, _Hoobur_, is esteemed not only for its
handsome blue and purple flowers, but also for its fragrance, blossoming
in the latter part of the cold weather; one variety has blue and yellow
blossoms.

The _Chinese Iris_, I. chinensis, _Soosun peelgoosh_, in a small sized
variety, but has very pretty blue and purple flowers in the beginning of
the hot weather.

_Propagation_. Besides seed, which should be sown in drills, at the
close of the rains, in a sandy soil, it may be produced by offsets.

_Soil, &c._ Almost any kind of soil suits the Iris, but the best flowers
are obtained from a mixture of sandy loam, with leaf mould, the Persian
kind requiring a larger proportion of sand.

_Culture_. Little after culture is required, except keeping the beds
clear from weeds, and occasionally loosening the earth. But the roots
must be taken, up every two, or at most three years, and replanted,
after having been kept to harden for a month or six weeks; the proper
season for doing this being when the leaves decay after blossoming.

The TUBEROSE, Polianthes, is well deserving of culture, but it is not by
any means a rare plant, and like many indigenous odoriferous flowers,
has rather too strong an odour to be borne near at hand, and it is
considered unwholesome in a room.

The _Common Tuberose_, P. tuberosa, _Chubugulshubboo_, being a native of
India thrives in almost any soil, and requires no cultivation: it is
multiplied by dividing the roots. It flowers at all times of the year in
bunches of white flowers with long sepals.

The _Double Tuberose_, P. florepleno, is very rich in appearance, and of
more delicate fragrance, although still too powerful for the room. Crows
are great destroyers of the blos