130 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



The air, also, of Switzerland, is in general much drier than our own. 

 Of course some of these plants require more moisture than others, 

 such as the Soldanella and Primula farinosa, but such a condition of 

 damp soil is to be found on the high mountains as well as in the 

 watered valleys of that country : for instance, on the Rigi Scheideck, 

 5408 feet above the sea, these lovely species grow in great abundance 

 in the peaty fields leading to the summit called the Dossen, between 

 the Eigi Kulm and the Scheideck ; and they are equally found, 

 between Reichenau and Tusis, in the valley of the Hinter Rhein, 

 where the pretty fringed blossom of the Soldanella, combined with 

 the purple crimson of the Primula farinosa, give a brilliancy to the 

 fields absolutely dazzling. Though the sun must be very powerful 

 at the time they are in blossom, the constant dump from the watery 

 meadows in which they grow, keeps them from being burnt and 

 shrivelled. In England we have no lack of moisture, and so far the 

 conditions are similar ; but then, again, there is much less power in 

 the sun to counteract it. In short, the great difficulty we have 

 to contend with in the cultivation of Swiss plants in our country, is 

 the uncertainty of climate, aud our inability to accommodate each 

 plant with a locality similar to that of its native growth. The 

 Swiss flora is so beautiful that it is well worthy of every effort we 

 may make in cultivating it. It is well known how completely we 

 have succeeded in naturalizing the Gentiana acaulis and some other 

 Swiss plants, but there are still many well deserving our notice 

 which are expensive to purchase and difficult to rear. It may not 

 be uninteresting to my readers if I enter more particularly into 

 the method I adopted for the transfer of roots from Switzerland, 

 and for their cultivation in our country. Having heard from a 

 friend that the only possible hope of bringing home flower-roots 

 would be to pack, or rather plant them, in moss, I had two deal 

 boxes made, 1 foot 8 inches long, 1 foot 3 inches wide, and 4 inches 

 in depth, fitted up with divisions about 3^ inches square, and lids to 

 drop over them, much like the lace boxes used in shops ; two or 

 three holes were pierced at the bottom of each compartmeut for 

 drainage, and when the squares were filled with damp moss, they 

 were ready for the reception of roots. There is sometimes a diffi- 

 culty in finding moss near the locality of flowers. I therefore took 

 the precaution of supplying my boxes with a moderate quantity of 

 moss before leading England, and, having two straps to secure them, 

 I carried them about with our luggage, much to the astonishment of 

 the custom-house officials in Paris, who concluded that they con- 

 tained lace, and very eagerly unstrapped them, and as speedily gave 

 up the search oii finding damp moss. When we went in search of 

 plants, I found it better to carry a tin case, which is sold in most 

 towns in Switzerland for botanical purposes, and this, with a frail, 

 and a fern-trowel (a very useful implement, to be purchased at 

 Buck's, Tottenham Court Road), proved very efficient for collecting 

 roots. 



On our return from floral researches, the roots were all carefully 

 planted (after getting rid of most of the mould) in the compartments 

 of my deal boxes, with plenty of moss about the roots, which pre- 



