SEPTEMBER 25 



colour, and spotted all over with lilac spots ; but beautiful 

 in its growth, and well worth cultivating. The dry rock- 

 work seems to suit it, but I generally water it when 

 coming into flower. Every year as it comes round it is a 

 pleasurable excitement to see it develop its late flowers. 

 In a book by Mrs. Brightwen (' Glimpses into Plant Life : 

 an Easy Guide to the Study of Botany,' Fisher Unwin) 

 it is alluded to as a typical pollenation plant. She 

 says : ' We have seen that there are all kinds of 

 devices by which the pollen of one flower may be made 

 sure to reach the stigma of another ; but if by any means 

 this crossing fails, if the weather is such that insects are 

 scarce or other conditions cause failure, then, in the case 

 of many flowers, most curious contrivances are provided 

 to secure seed by self -pollenation. Truly this is one of 

 the most beautiful of God's wonders in floral construction. 

 One of the gems of my own flower-garden is a lovely 

 little Japanese toad-lily (Tricyrtis hirta). In this flower 

 there are three styles which stand well above the stamens ; 

 the points of the styles are bent over, and the stigmatic 

 surface grows mature before the anthers shed their pollen. 

 If, however, no insect visits the flowers, pollenation is 

 effected in the following way : the styles bend down and 

 place their forked points in direct contact with the open 

 anther-lobes, the style assuming almost the form of a 

 semicircle. This is done very deliberately, for it is often 

 a week before the act is complete.' I think that ' Glimpses 

 into Plant Life ' is a book that everyone interested in 

 country life or a garden would very much enjoy. The 

 illustrations are clear and good, and explain the text 

 satisfactorily. 



Nothing is more useful at this time of year in a 

 window or a greenhouse than the Vallota pur pur ea. It is 

 perfectly easy of cultivation, if the leaves are encouraged 

 in their growth and thoroughly sunned and dried off. 



