THE PLANT WORLD. 89 



than others, but it is sehloni that a few specimens cannot be gathered. 

 Of less frequent occurrence, but inhabiting the same situations is the 

 Ru"-2ecl Orchis, //. lacera. The inconspicuous //. tridi^uinin is some- 

 times present as is also II. dilatata, which we sometimes tind grow- 

 ing with the ( \ilt)jit)(j(ni and Pogonia. 



One of our commonest autumn plants is the Ladies-tresses, Sjn- 

 ranthes cernaa, and its spike of white I)Iossoms grace every meadow. 

 S. gracilis is of much rarer occurrence, but may sometimes be 

 found on sandy hills. 



Oiir native orchids are well worth careful study, and much is to 

 be learned from a close observation of their many devices for securing 

 fertilization. 



VITAITY OF WILLOWS. 

 By Eva M. Reed. 



ABOUT the middle of January (or earlier, I regret not having the 

 exact date) I was given a bundle of Willow slips which I 

 placed in a dish of water, changing it day by day, until the 

 21st of April, when, without the least attempt at careful planting, the 

 slips were set out in the ground merely "to see what they would do." 

 Meanwhile roots had formed in the water, and fresh green shoots from 

 one or two to five or six inches long had developed. The slii)s were 

 all placed in one dish, and the roots thus formed were of consideral)le 

 leno-th, but entangled and deflected from their [)roper course through 

 lack of room. It was in this matted con<lition that I took them out of 

 the glass, April 21st, and set them in the yard. 



Somewhat to my surprise, within a week several of these slips 

 showed that they meant to seize the opportunity to grow up into 

 orraceful Willows of sufficient size. 



Of course I know that Willow shoots would develop roots in water 

 alone, but 1 did not know that they could be kept in it nearly all 

 winter, and would then grow the following spring if planted out. It 

 appears however, that only certain species will survive — others failing 

 to show any sisn of life, 



At present my Willows are growing promisingly. 



Missouri Botanical Garden. 



