189S,] TATI.OW. — VVil d' flowers 171 a County Dtcb I in Garden. 131 



Ball3^vauglian, and they have flowered well for the last two 

 vSeasons, and are now (May 20) again in bloom. 



A single plant of Spiranthes Roina7izovia7ia, from Co. 

 Londonderrj^ has not been so successful, but is, I hope, 

 alive. 6*. ant7(7n7ialis has not, upon a first attempt, succeeded. 

 Oi Habcnaiia I have five species, all of which are doing well. 

 The Greater and Lesser Butterfly Orchis {^Habejiai'ia chlorolenca 

 and H. bifolia), the Sweet-scented Orchis (//". co7iopsea\ got 

 from Kellj^'s Glen some two miles awa}^ are all doing well, 

 and also a pretty white variety of the last-named. The rarer 

 H. albida is also thriving, and the Frog Orchis (//. vbidis) 

 this year came into flower in Februar3% and is blooming still. 

 Several colour- varieties are worth mentioning, such as white 

 O. viaculata^ white O. py7'aiiiidalis^ and beautiful pale varieties 

 of O. Morio, from Fethard, Co. Tipperary, which, in their 

 delicacy of colour, vie with some of the hot-house Orchids. 

 The Tway- blade {Liste7^a ovata) grows freely, but I was not 

 successful w4th a single root of the lovely Lady's-Slipper 

 {Cyp7'ipedi7i77i Calceohis), which was sent to me from England. 

 I brought a number of the rare Purple Helleborine {Epipactis 

 violacea) from the limestone pavement of Arnside in Lanca- 

 shire, and although it keeps small it flowers well. E, 

 palnstris has not done on a first trial, but this was, no 

 doubt, on account of insufficient attention being paid to the 

 fact that its underground stems creep extensivel3^ 



We have grown many water-plants, but are seriously 

 handicapped by the drying-up of our stream during summer 

 droughts. Bothspeciesof Reed-mace (7)^>^^^<^^^^?^-y^^)^/z« and T. 

 latifolid) grow splendidl}^ and curiously enough both species 

 appear to be equall}' at home in two feet of water, and on the 

 gravel walk adjoining. The former came from Lough 

 Erne, and the latter from Courtown Harbour in Wexford. 

 We are getting together by degrees all the large native 

 Sedges. Carex ripatia came two years ago from Portmarnock. 

 and C. paludosa from Co. Meath ; C. aquatalis from Winder- 

 mere, and C.pe7idula from Bray. All are flourishing, and form 

 exceedingl}^ handsome plants ; indeed, I can strongly recom- 

 mend their introduction into gardens where wet ground is 

 available ; especially in swanip}^ places where nothing else 



will grow, 



A 2 



