RALPH LYON 

 530 West 27th Street 

 New Yohk 



-2- 



Well, with these trees from Hicks llarseries as a background we have 

 constructed a wild flower and plant garden extending along one side 

 of our house for over fifty feet. Through this runs a little path 

 and between the path and the house is a bank in which we have in- 

 serted rocks from the woods. 



We have over 200 small evergreen trees and shrubs, many of which 

 we have grown from seed and numberless wild flowers. The wild 

 flowers seed themselves so quickly that I have trouble keeping them 

 thinned out and we are now scattering seeds in the woods where cer- 

 tain varieties have been exterminated. We are very proud of our 

 trailing ^rbutus that blooms very well and our Wintergreen plants 

 that bear berries. 



The native evergreen trees in oar vicinity are now limited to 

 white pine, pitch pine, hemlock and red cedar. A few laurel bushes 

 are left and among the evergreen plants, the Pipsisiwa and spotted 

 variety^ rattlesnake plantain and one variety of Christmas vine. 



We have brought home seed and seedlings where there were plenty 

 as well as specimens from further Ilorth. 



Hot far from our home we discovered some rocky ledges facing 

 West on which we found rock pink, columbine, white saxifrage, pale 

 coridallis, ferns and a number of other plants. A few specimens 

 have how spread all over our little rocky bank and we collected from 

 our plants lots of seed to give away or scatter in the woods. 



During the Winter we plant seed in pots of rotted wood in pans of 

 water in our cellar. In t ; ds way we have grown wintergreen, laurel, 

 arbor vitae and Austrian pine. In the Spring we will set the plants 

 out of doors. 



I cannot tell you how much pleasure we and our friends get from 

 this wild garden. 



At least once a week Mrs. Lyon and I go for long tramps through 

 the woods and we can lead anyone interested to groups of interesting 

 trees or plants. 



The greatest enemy of plant life with us is the woods fire that 

 usually burns part of the woods Spring and Fall and sometimes all of 

 the woods for miles around Englewood. 



Not only do these fires destroy the evergreen plants and trees but 

 by destroying the fallen leaves make the ground unfit for their growth 

 and germination of their seeds. 



However, in our little v/ild garden we will be able to keep some var- 

 ieties from local extinction. 



This has been a long letter but from it you can obtain some idea of 

 what your influence has been in bringing an interesting and healthy 

 hobby into an otherwise peaceful family. 



Trusting that we will have the pleasure of seeing you this coming 

 Summer and with best regards, I am 



Very sincerely 



