306 



GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



Ecuadorean came up as while as a sheet and started feel- 

 ing my legs and arms to see if any bones were broken. 

 My friends said that my horse turned two somersaults 

 and I turned three. It was evidently a lucky escape for 

 me. If any bones had been broken it would have meant 

 waiting for exjjert treatment until we reached the far- 

 off town of Panama. However, I received nothing worse 

 than abrasions on knee, hip and elbow. The horse could 

 not be ridden the second day. 



"We eventually arrived at .Armenia without any further 

 mishaps. After a hard day"s ride over trails averaging 

 four to six feet in width, with a drop of 7.(XX) feet on the 

 side, we were ready for a good night's sleep. 



"We again set forth in the morning. Inasmuch as my 

 horse was lame, I mounted a mule for the day. L)ur ob- 

 jective for that night was La Maria. The scenery 

 throughout the day was extremely interesting and I saw 

 many orchids, both epiphytic and terrestrial. .\t noon 

 we were approaching the River Vieja when our guides 

 informed us that we would have to ferry across. The 

 ferry turned out to be two hand-made canoes, about 

 seventy-five feet long by three feet wide, tied abreast. 

 These were attached by a ring to a cable stretched across 

 the stream. As the canoes were poled along the ring 

 slipped along the cable, thus keeping the ferry in a straight 

 course. The river was about 150 feet wide and some 

 thirty feet deep. It took about an hour and a half for 

 the entire pack-train to cross, since all freight had to 

 be vmloaded from the mules and taken across separately, 

 with the exception of the mule carrying mail, whose pack 

 was left on his back. Most of the time was taken up in 

 trying to force the mules to enter the canoes. 



'"After all were across and the mules repacked, we 

 immediately started an ascent of several hundred feet, 

 almost at a perpendicular. We passed some very inter- 

 esting vegetation, especially Lantana camara, a variety 

 of which is used extensively in our summer bedding. I 

 also saw various species of begonias and araceous plants, 

 such as Anthuriums. etc. Of particular interest was an 

 entire hillside of tree ferns which were very tempting. 

 However, the cost of transportation was prohibitive. We 

 finally arrived at La Maria at dusk. 



"\Ve started on the fourth day's journey with Zarzal 

 as our objective. During this day I was alile to collect 

 several epiphytic orchids which were brought back to the 

 Garden. We reached Zarzal at noon and from here se- 

 cured automobiles which brought us to Tulua at four 

 o'clock. The next morning we left on the 'Ferrocarril 

 del Pacifico,' or Pacific railroad, for Call. We were ad- 

 vised not to leave Cali for the seaport of Ihienaventura 

 until our reservations for sailing were assured, because of 

 the lack of good hotels in Buenaventura. .So the Vir- 

 ginian and I, after two days in Cali, said gf)Oflbye to our 

 friends and left by train over the mountains to Bue- 

 naventura. The scenery across the Western .Andes is verv 

 picturesque, tn spite of the fact that the journey is an 

 all-day trip and very tiresome, it is extremely interesting 

 for the botanist, observihg the vegetation, varying ac- 

 cording to the altitude. ' On nearing the Pacific coast one 

 is particularly struck with the wonderful varieties of 

 Anthuriums, Philodendrons, and ferns. We reached 

 Buenaventura at five o'clock in the evening and .sailed 

 the next day, Monday, on the Panama- Pacific freigliter, 

 'General O. H. Ernst,' for Panama, and arrived at Hal- 

 boa early Wednesday morning. 



"My first act was to locate C. W. Powell, whom I had 

 previously cabled of my arrival. .After leaving my 

 baggage and ])lants in his care, I again boarded the 

 steamer and took the trip through the i'anama ("anal. 



On my return I was the guest of Mr. I'owell for a 

 week, during which time I went through his collection 



of orchids thoroughly. On leaving, upwards of 200 

 plants were given me for the Garden, many of which are 

 new to science and brought to this country for the first 

 time. In exchange I presented Mr. Powell with one case 

 of nu' Colombian orchids which I had brought with me. 



".\ly next objective was the West Indies, and I arrived 

 at Kingston, Jamaica, after a two days" trip. A week 

 was spent in Kngston, the principal place of interest being 

 the Hope Botanic Gardens. Through the courtesy of 

 the Director I secured a shipment of large tree ferns, 

 so necessary for our tropical fern house. These were ob- 

 tained in the region of the Castleton Gardens, about fif- 

 teen miles from the Botanic Gardens. Various orchids 

 and economic plants were also given me in exchange for 

 a case of Colombian orchids which I had brought with 

 me. I finally sailed for New York, bringing with me two 

 crates of plants aggregating 900 pounds. On arriving at 

 Xew York I was met by a special government represen- 

 tative. .\fter various preliminaries, I finally placed the 

 shipment in the hands of the American Express Com- 

 pany, thus terminating my responsibility for the expedi- 

 tion. 



"]\Iy first communication from the Director notified me 

 that the Colombian shipment had arrived in New Oleans. 

 I immediately started for St. Louis and upon arrival 

 found the imported orchids in every nook and corner of 

 the houses, demanding immediate attention. Within the 

 first month we had arranged in permanent baskets over 

 3,000 plants. Prompt action was necessary as the plants 

 had come through in excellent condition and had started 

 new growths which when developed produce the large 

 mauve flowers. The sooner the plants could be perma- 

 nently established in their baskets the more rapidly would 

 the growths develop, with more chance of producing 

 flowers at the scheduled time. The plants will un- 

 doubtedlv produce their best display next year. 



"The latter part of Septemljer twelve cases of Cattleya 

 Schrixderce were received at the Garden. These were con- 

 tracted for before I left Bogota. This is but half of the 

 plants ordered of this variety and it remains to be seen 

 whether any more will be shipped. Considering the length 

 of time on the way the plants arrived in excellent con- 

 dition." 



AROMATIC CREEPING WINTERGREEN 

 A NOTHER candidate of good character for our gar- 

 ■'^ dens is Gaultheria procumbens, Aromatic Creejiing 

 W'intcrgreen, a plant on the border line between a shrub 

 and a herbaceous j^lant. This j)lant, which has |)rettv ever- 

 green leaves, is found in cool, damp woods, from Maine to 

 Minnesota and Southward to Georgia, and also northward. 

 In addition to the common name wintergreen it is called in 

 the interior Tea-berry ; in some sections also Box-berry, 

 rind eastward Checker-berry and Partridge-berry, the last 

 two names being applied to Mitchclla rcpens, also, and 

 thus causing cf)nfusion. Mitchella repcns, Patridge-berry, 

 is a very pretty little trailing evergreen, herbaceous plant, 

 the place of which no other plant can fill as well in our 

 Winter garden. We should plant it about the foot of the 

 trees just where it is most found in its native habitat in 

 the dry woods from far north well toward the south. The 

 ovate, shining leaves of this jilant are often variegated 

 witli whitish lines. Mitchella belongs to the family Ru- 

 bi;ice;e, to which ;dso belongs such important ])l;uils as the 

 Coffee and Peruvian liark trees, but F.pig.a-a repens, the 

 l'\rol;is, and ( i;uiltlu'ria belong to b".ricace;v. the Ilcath 

 f:irnil\-, which embraces so manv (if nuv ii,iii\r berry 

 I'luits .-ind broad-leaved evergreens. 



1 will honor Christmas in my heart, and tr\- to kec]i it 

 ;dl the vear. — Dickriis. 



