18 JANUARY 1946, Page 14

In My Garden For the third consecutive month we are

still pulling faggots of delicious flowers from a few roots of Iris Stylosa, which is the one specie of the tribe that enables Iris fans to claim that you may pluck a blasom in every month of the year'. They happen to be blooming almost under a so-called autumnal prunus now ve.ry full of open blossom. To spray or not to spray? is a question that arises every year. It may be t4t the duty, is exaggerated ; but I must believe that all Orchards should have a winter spray every few years. It is the easiest form of spraying, 'can do no harm to bee or bud; and all insect hiding holes are destroyed. More- over it is a delight to see how bright and clean the bark looks.

W. BEACH THOMAS.