INTRODUCTION. 
given us, however, by their general run of plants. Going yet 
further north again, onto the fringes of the everlasting ice, we 
meet disappointment in a race of flowers that run towards stem, 
unlike the alpines, thanks to their longer summer ; and show a 
corresponding diminution alike in the size and the brilliancy of 
their blossoms. The beauties among them, however, require 
conditions of especial coolness and constant humidity for their 
success. Now we cross towards the Americas. Japan, it must 
never be forgotten, stretches far down towards the tropics, from 
regions verging on the Arctic circle; therefore, to claim Japan 
for its origin is no testimonial to a plant’s hardiness, unless it 
can add that it hails from regions ranging northward from 
Yokohama. The alpines of Central and Northern Japan are as 
safe with us, as they are usually beautiful ; there the summer is 
very hot, and the winter intensely cold, and the atmosphere, 
except during the frozen reign of winter, always surcharged with 
moisture, assisted by inconveniently frequent and abundant rains. 
The Alps of the New World, at least m Canada and the 
northern States, offer no very marked difference from the climatic 
conditions in those of the Old, but from the mid Rockies south- 
wards the plants develop, in English conditions, a great impatience 
of wet, a great craving for sun and perfect drainage, and a general 
tendency to be a little miffish and uncertain on cold soils and in 
damp winters. The more southerly ranges, indeed, have races of 
alpine treasures as yet unguessed at in gardens, where however 
they will usually be found, most probably, a trifle capricious. 
As to the Andes, this vast and gorgeous range of giants is crested 
all along with wonders, but these are as yet to us bare names 
and wizened phantoms of themselves in herbaria, so that of their 
usual habits we have as yet no chance to speak. Continuing 
further south still, we come towards a mountainous land of awful 
winds and rains and chilliness. Species of the Chilean Andes are, 
on the whole, very comfortable in a cool English climate, while 
more and more coolness, more and more moisture, seem to be 
the usual needs of such rare treasures as have yet come to us from 
Tierra del Fuego and the Falklands. Australia is, of course, a 
li 
