IRISES AND PANSIES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19155, 11 November 1927, Page 15

IRISES AND PANSIES.

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S EXHIBITION. Tliore nas a large attendance of members of the Canterbury Horticultural Society, at its new rooms in Worcester street last night, when was staged an exhibition of irises and pansies. Mr O. W. B. Anderson, chairman of the Society, presided, and explained that, with the acquisition of more spacious offices and rooms, the Society was now in a position to hold regular exhibitions of flowers as they came into season. This was the fifth such gathering, but the first in the Society's own quarters. ' He congratulated those growers who had so kindly furnished blooms for exhibition, and prophesied thatnext year the Society's show would reveal a much livelier interest in these two old-time favourites. The exhibitors of irises were: —Mrs iteming, Mr W. Buller, Mr Wm. Taylor, Mrs T. Lowe, Messrs T. D. Lennie and Co., and Messrs A. H. Burgess and Son (Waikanae, Wellington); whilst pansies and violas were shown by Mrs E. J. Haynes, Mrs 3. R. Watt, and Messrs Lennie and Co. Mr J. H. Robmson staged some amaryllis, and Mrs 0. Rides some azaleas. ... Mr Lennie first touched on the iris, explaining that this flower was again coming into favour as a result of development and improvement by means of hybridisation. The progress made was shown by comparing the old-time blooms with the modern ones, with their larger petals and better branching habit. The bearded iris, as distinguished from the Japanese iris, was very easy to grow, revelling in sunlight and dry soil, so long as its roots were decently covered. The Japanese species, of course, preferred boggy conditions. ~ , . ~ Passing on the the pansy, Mr Lennie said that the standard to-day was scarcely so high as thirty or forty years ago, although the pansy was such a general favourite. The reason for the disappearance of the old named pansy was probably that fairly good stuff was so easily grown from seed. Mr Lennie explained the "points" necessary in the perfect pansy, and dealt briefly with the violas, the beautiful flower with prolific blooming propensities "which would stand any treatment you like to give it." Mr Lennie was heartily thanked for his address, which was full of interest to horticulturists.