32 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. - 



modest litle bluets, innocence or quaker ladies (Houstonia 

 cerulea). These daity plants have been slowly spreading 

 since their introduction into the park several years ago. I 

 have seen them covering acres of moist field as with a fall 

 of tinted snow. A few very warm days saw the finish of the 

 early flowers, but their places were already taken by others. 



On the 18th the wild plum (Pnums Americana var. 

 nigra) growing on a ledge of rock was covered with a fairy 

 cloud of bloom, and a few days later the pin cherry (P. 

 Pennsyhanica) was in its full glory. By the 20th, twisted 

 stalk (Streptopus roseus) which I set last year, was in bloom; 

 also mitre-wort (Mifella dipJiylla), which my sister procured 

 in Newfane. False mitre-wort, cool-wort or foam flower 

 {Tiarella cordifolia) is native to the park and grows in many 

 parts of it. It is much the prettier of the two and blooms 

 about the same time. 



On May 28th, Hahenaria Hookerii began to bloom. It is 

 slightly ahead of time. All the plants are rank and thrifty, 

 five of them with flower stalks. Only one lady's-slipper or 

 moccasin-flower (Cypripediuin acanle) has bloomed this year, 

 and but two others came up. Their nonappearance is, I think, 

 largely due to what appears to have been a disease which at- 

 tacked them last fall. The parts above ground of nearly all 

 of my plants turned black and died before the usual time for 

 them to retire for their long winter's rest. I did not like the 

 looks of it at the time but thought perhaps they would come 

 out all right this spring. I did not examine the roots. I had 

 a half dozen that had bloomed for several years and last spring 

 I set eighteen or twenty more. I hoped for great things of 

 them, but was disappointed. 



Thus does the spring advance in Stony Park. The 

 flowers in the front ranks have fallen out but their work is 

 not yet done; they have, as it were, retired to private life, 

 perfecting their seeds. Many plants have been introduced, 



