CULTURE OF OUR NATIVE PLANTS. 53 



Gerardia flava, glauca, and pedicularia are all beautiful plants, but the 

 uniform result of any attempt to cultivate them has been a total failure. 

 The plants do well the first season, if transplanted with the turf; are 

 weaker the next year, and soon dwindle away. They live as long as they 

 draw nourishment from the turf, but die when that supply fails them. A 

 reason for this has often been asked, and no satisfactory answer given ; but 

 on this subject we have a theory, of which, however, we cannot claim the 

 whole credit, for, on mentioning it to a friend — a botanist of great obser- 

 vation and no little experience — we found the same idea had long since 

 occurred to him. Are not some plants, of which the gerardias are our 

 most familiar examples, partial parasites ? do they not derive a portion of 

 their nourishment from the roots of other plants, or from the trees near 

 which they grow ? We all know the beech drops (Orobanche Virginica) 

 are pure parasites ; and may not the gerardias, though very different in 

 nature, partake, in a slight degree, of their nature ? 



The suggestion is an important one, and opens a field for investigation. 

 We are thus brought to our last head ; i. e., the dissemination of our native 

 plants, as a natural result of a better acquaintance with them. 



The progress must be slow, but it must be, for our amateurs cannot 

 longer be blind to the beauty, or insensible to the merit, of our flora. Much 

 might be written, but this article has already far exceeded the bounds of a 

 floral report. It may and must of necessity (where, in such a limited space, 

 more must be omitted than can be said) be imperfect in most of its details, 

 but if it serves to excite the attention of any, or open the eyes of any, to 

 the beauty of our native herbaceous plants, its purpose will be answered. 



The Chairman takes great pleasure in being able to present the results 

 of some experiments made in the cultivation of our native plants by Mr. 

 Fearing Burr of Hingham, which have been kindly furnished by that 

 gentleman, whose well known enthusiasm and care in the culture of native 

 plants render these experiments most valuable : — 



Gerardia flava, G. pedicdlaris, G. qdercifolia — very little suc- 

 cess. Made many trials, with like results. While the soil in which the 

 plants were removed offered the peculiar nutriment the plants required, they 

 feebly existed, then died. 



SoLiDAGO BicoLOR — succeeds well ; spikes of flowers much larger, and 

 the whole plant improved in every respect. 



S. L5:viGATA — few plants will reward the cultivator more. Not only 

 are the spikes of flowers increased in size, but the individual flowers be- 

 come larger and finer. 



S. ODORA — continues to improve ; the stool spreading, and the foliage 

 more and more developed. 



Arethusa bulbosa — met with no success. The plants grew feeble 

 from year to year, and died. 



Cymbidium pulchellum — the same result. 



Orchis fimbriata, and other species — a failure. Endured while the 

 earth in which they had been removed remained, and then died. 



