252 ALPINES AND BOG-PLANTS 



infrequently in the rough, marshy meadows rising up to 

 the high moors opposite Ingleborough. In cultivation 

 one has to be very careful lest it show the coarse habit 

 and the plebeian greed of the Dog- Violet. 



To deal completely now with the race. I wiU own 

 that for dry places in the garden I think no Violet (as 

 distinct from Pansy-violas) beats our native Mrta at its 

 best — a stalwart clump, producing an extraordinary 

 abundance of contemporary blossoms, very large, scent- 

 less, and of a rich clear blue. I do not think the leafy 

 American cucuUata approaches this, nor stricta, Rydbergi, 

 Sorora, nor any other of the fancy Violets that my man- 

 ager so piously cherishes. To my taste these are all 

 weeds, variant on canina. Sorora has big blue flowers 

 and a good deal of leafage ; the same applies to Rydbergi 

 and cucullata ; striata is rank and very leafy, with abun- 

 dance of small creamy-white flowers ; and the blue 

 Violets all have white varieties — except Mrta, so far as I 

 know. This almost certainly has one too, only nobody 

 has troubled to discover it. The best I can find to say 

 for these coarse rampageous Violets is that they will 

 thrive anywhere and make unobtrusive masses in any cool, 

 good soil. Hirta, on the other hand, is tidy and neat in 

 growth, sparing of leaves, and loves well-drained, rather 

 dry positions, in woodland or open ground. 



The last Violet I have to mention I call upon with 

 lamentation. I have never been able to get hold of it, 

 for all the enthusiasm it aroused in me. It was in the 

 wood above the Temple-Tomb of lyesyasu Tokugawa at 

 Nikko. Between the vast columnar trunks of those 

 secular Cryptomerias the setting sun cast arrows of gold 

 on the dappled green carpet of herbage round their feet. 

 The trees themselves were fired to ruddy sanguine, 

 great scarlet pillars of a huge cathedral. And here and 

 there on the ground there shone a wonderful Violet, fired 



