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SOME HUMBLE ORCHIDS 



of this barbaric orange flower. Yet its haunt has 

 already been encroached upon by the onion -raiser 

 and small farmer who, with growing intelligence, 

 finds the deep rich soil well worth redeeming, 

 until, I fear, another half dozen years will see 

 this flower driven to a few uncultivatable borders. 

 The plant -stalk itself sometimes grows three feet 

 in height, with lance -shaped leaves and a flower - 

 spike of often thirty florets with 

 beard -shaped, fringed lips and 

 long spurs. It is of firm growth, 

 and yet, like so many plants of 

 slightly brackish or marshy soil, 

 loses quality when picked, often 

 refusing to revive in water. 



Here and there I pointed out 

 to Flower Hat a spike or two 

 of the White Fringed Orchis, 

 which looks like a small al- 

 bino brother of the Orange, 

 and also a few stray plants of 

 the dull green Ragged Orchis, 

 with a cross -shaped cleft lip. 

 This last has a weedy look 

 and is without any of the 

 dainty fragility of the Fringed 



