1 8 WILD I-LOWKRS OF COLORADO. 



Coloradcj Springs hnvc discovered this, and niorninf^s after a rain 

 you can see parties of two, four, and sometimes ten and twelve, 

 ridini; toward the t:an}'on. 



I can not describe to you my dehi^ht when I discovered this 

 primrose. My friends were all looking uj) at the magnificent 

 sight before them. I, who had been there many times before, 

 was looking down, and (Hscovered this lovely specimen just in 

 time to prevent my horse stepping upon it. It grew alone, and 

 just above it was a red sandstone rock ; one could imagine that 

 the washing from this rock had affected its color. 



I have given you only a |)ortion of the plant. It grows no 

 highc^r than rej)resent(Ml in the painting, but from the root will 

 come many s|)reading branches. This rej)resents one branch. 

 On the whole plant I counted nine full blossoms and thirty-three 

 buds. 



The iris, or fleur-de-lis, grows grandly in these mountains. I 

 selected these from a bed that grew in the western part of the 

 State. Dick told me of them and said there was a bed ol them 

 that could be seen at a ureat distance, so lap'e was it and so 

 completely covered with flowers. I le said it looked from a short 

 distance like a lovely j)urple car|)et. 



I rode out one day and found he had not exaggerated their 

 beauties. They covered at least an acre of ground. It was 

 damp and in some places wet. I think there was a natural 

 spring in the midst of them that kept them constantly moist, an J 

 this made them trrow so lari^e and rich. I have often seen thc^m 



