WESTERN NEW YORK HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 459 



scarce about here, but it is abundant in the Adirondacks. The cut flowers of the 

 trilliums last for several days in water. The white t.riilium with its three leaves and 

 three white petals, is a favorite flower for trimming churches on Trinity Sunday. The 

 bulbs may be taken up when the plant is in full flower. The flowers increase in size by 

 cultivation. 



Spiderwort, Tradescantia Virginica, is a flower that was a favorite with me when a 

 boy and when it was a common flower in gardens. Mehan, in the flrst number of The 

 Native Flowers and Ferns of the United States, illustrates the Tradescantia and says: 

 ■" It is one of the flrst of our native flowers to find a home in England, having been car- 

 " ried to that country by the younger Tradescant before 1629." I have not found Trades- 

 cantia growing wild in New York State, but it grows in Michigan and on the western 

 prairies. I found it on the outskirts of Chicago last June. 



Wild crane's bill, Geranium malculatum, is very eifective in large masses in the sun. 

 Last year the masses of this flower growing in the fields were particularly fine. Herb 

 Robert, Geranium Robertianum, found in shady swamps, requires planting in leaf -mold 

 in a shady place. 



The delicate evergreen moss-pink. Phlox subitlata, with its pretty pink flowers, is a 

 charming plant for massing on rocky soil. It forms a dense sod, and it can hold is own 

 against ail comers. I find it near Scottsville, and on sunny, rocky places near the lake. 

 It has been claimed that the purple phlox, Phlox divaricata, found in the dense shade 

 of beech woods, is capricious under cultivation, but plants set out three years since, in 

 Highland Park, were in a flourishing condition last year. 



For several years I have been looking for the lung-wort, Mertensia Virginica, a most 

 delicate pink and blue flower with pretty, pale-green leaves. Last May, while strolling 

 along a romantic, rocky stream, lined with beech trees, I suddenly came upon a small 

 island, containing about an acre of land, covered with these most beautiful flowers in 

 all their glory, and it was a most entrancing sight, worth walking miles to see. The 

 name of a station on the Auburn branch of the N. Y. C. & H. R. R. R. has been changed 

 from West Parmington to Merteneia, for this plant that grows near the station. The 

 yards in the village are filled with the flowers early in May. A few of the plants are 

 found on the banks of the upper Genesee river. 



Marsh-marigold, Caltha palustris, a favorite flower of poets and painters, though 

 found in shaded streams, grows well in the garden. To a critical eye. it seems out of 

 place away from its native marshes. 



The twin-flower. Linnea borealis, a pretty, evergreen creeping plant, is scarce. It 

 thrives in crevices in rocks in shade, and also in swamps, but it requires a rich, 

 peaty soil. Linneas had a special regard for this plant, and, at his request, it was 

 named for him. 



Early in June, comes the lovely lady-slippers. Five species, Cupripediam candidum, 

 C. acaule, C. pubescens, C. parviflorum and C spectabile, the last not flowering until 

 July, are growing in the vicinity of Rochester. C. spectabile is the most beautiful of 

 them all, and fortunately is easy to cultivate. C. acaule, though scarce about here, is 

 abundant on the north shoreof Long Island. It is difficult toestablish. Five hundred 

 plants of these five species are growing in a shaded leaf -soil at Highland Park. During 

 the dry summer weather they are well watered. 



The showy Orchis spectabilis, bearing white, pink and purple flowers, grows on sandy, 

 shady hillsides, and it ihrives in rich garden soil. The small fringed orchis, Habenaria 

 psycodes, and the yellow fringed orchis, H. ciliaris and H. orbiculata, are found in 

 swampy places, and are easily cultivated. Another plant of the orchis family, that is 

 found on sandy soil, is the rattlesnake plaintain, Goodyera pubescens. The leaves are 

 thickly clustered around a base, and are beautifully netted with white and green. The 

 flower spike is about a foot long and handsome. A large number of these have been 

 planted in the parks, and they are thriving. Ladies' tresses, Spiranthes gracilis, and 

 S. cernud, are found in moist banks in September and October. I have found 

 S. cernua in dry, sandy meadows. S. latifolia blossoms in June and grows on moist 

 banks. They are all easy to cultivate. 



Calopogon pulchellus grows in sandy soil as well as sphagnum moss. Its bulb is like 

 a large bean. It is well to plant it in chopped sphagnum mo3s and peat in the shade, 

 and to water it copiously on alternate days during dry summer weather. Calypso 

 boreal has not been tried sufficiently to warrant its recommendation. 



The pretty little member of the primrose family, the star-flower, Trientalis 

 Americana, with its starry white flower, grows in moist beech woods. Planted last 

 June, it now seems to be thriving. 



The barren strawberry, Waldsteinia frageroides, a dwarf -growing plant with shining 

 leaves and a yellow flower, a companion of the star-flower, thrives in sun or shade. 



Three lilies, Lilittm Canadense, L. superbum and L. Philadelphicum, are well adapted 



