ALPINES AND BOG-PLANTS 



with damp soil in a sheltered corner, though it is not 

 more delightful than our own native, Habena/r'm conopsea, 

 with long, thin, pink spikes of delicious fragrance. I can- 

 not say as much for a notable American Cypripedium, 

 second of its race for damp, rich treatment. 



For with Cypripedewm acaule I have never been able to 

 do anything at all. This dwarf species, with two leaves, 

 and then a vast, bellying, pink pouch, folded double in the 

 middle, is, I believe, the most southerly of the hardy 

 Slippers, both in latitude and situation. For it frequents 

 woods in the United States, and though Mr. Smith of 

 Newry seems to grow it quite happily, with me it has 

 never proved really winter-hard, though I have tried 

 every possible soil and situation for it. A cold dry 

 winter would probably please it a great deal better than 

 our muggy, wet ones. Anyhow, in whatever light, warm, 

 sandy stuff I put it, Cypripedium acaule, after flowering, 

 goes home to mother earth in the normal course, but 

 never comes back again. 



Even more limited has been my experience with Cypri- 

 pedium guttatum, a rare and most beautiful species from 

 high dank woods all over Asia, through Siberia to Japan. 

 I have never collected it, but apparently it haunts the 

 mountain forests in the very thickest darkness of the 

 pines, where it enjoys the black, cool humus of incalcul- 

 able ages. The flower is small and rather hoody in out- 

 line, but wonderfully dappled with crimson and purple 

 on a white ground. I have tried the plant only once, 

 and then with little success. And it is by no means easy 

 to get hold of unless one can manage to collect it for 

 oneself. 



The lesser American Cypripediums, candidum, paroi- 

 Jlorutn, and pubescens, are all easy doers and pretty species, 

 growing as much as two feet high, with numerous flowers 

 that, in pubescens and parviflorum, have yellow slippers — 



o 



