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GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



initely as to the value of these plants for rock gardens at 

 low altitudes with high Summer temperatures — some are 

 very promising. The ''Mountain Cranberry" I'acciniuni 

 Vitis-Idcra var. minus seems to stand our conditions well. 

 It it dwarf, evergreen, about four inches high, with shin- 

 ing coriaceous leaves. Geitm Peckii a species with bright 

 yellow flowers; the "Mountain Sandwort," Arenaria 

 grccnlandica; a mountain variety of "Bluets," Hoiistonia 

 carndca var. Faxoiwrnm. having pure white flowers with 

 a yellow throat ; and several species of dwarf Willow are 

 thriving quite satisfactorily. The latter when growing 

 above timber line hug the ground closely but when given 

 less rigorous conditions they have a tendency to aspire 

 and we have some that are five or six inches high. 



Among the interesting plants collected was the "Lap- 

 land Rose Bay,'' Rhododendron lapponicum, a prostrate 

 evergreen with bright purple flowers. A most deceiving 

 plant to dig up as the roots are out of all proportion to 

 the size of the top and usually extend in un-get-at-able 

 positions between the rocks. The plants of this bloomed 

 fairly well last Spring — some have since died but there 

 are good prospects for establishing a few. Diapensia 

 lapponica will probably prove amenable to cultivation if 

 coddled. We have plants that have survived a Summer 

 and a \\'inter. It is a typical alpine "cushion" plant form- 

 ing mounds of tight rosettes spangled in Spring with soli- 

 tary white flowers an inch in diameter. Ericaceous 

 plants collected in addition to those already mentioned 

 were the "Alpine Azalea," Loisleuria procumbens, small 

 rose-colored flowers; "Labrador Tea," Ledum granlan- 

 dicum; PkvHodoce ccerulea, purplish flowers ; and Cas- 

 siope hypHoidcs, a dwarf moss-like plant with flowers of 

 white or rose color. All of these are evergreen. They 

 are very interesting botanically and horticulturally too — 

 if they can be grown without too much trouble. The 

 Cassiope is probably too "milTy" but the others are likely 

 to succeed especially when we know more of their re- 

 quirements. One plant found in great abundance is 

 Potcntilla tridciitata. This, which is not by any means 

 restricted to alpine summits, is a good rock garden plant 

 and will thrive almost anvwhere. 



When looking over a list of "really truly" alpine plants 

 that are cultivated in our rock gardens one finds that 

 most of them are of European origin. This is partly due, 

 no doubt, to the European alpine flora being richer in 

 ornamental species than the N. American and to the fact 

 that in Europe more attention has been paid to this class 

 of plants, which in consequence have been taken up by 

 the trade and thus made more accessible. But for all 

 that it provides an interesting commentary on our lack 

 of appreciation of floral treasures which are comparative- 

 ly close at hand. Where can one obtain the gems of the 

 Rockies except by the process of "Go get 'em?" Such 

 plants as Erythronium grandiflorum, the Snow Lily ; 

 Ranunculus Eschscholtsii, the Snow- Buttercup ; Aqiii- 

 legia fla2'esccns; Delphinium iMcncicsii; Dryas Driim- 

 tnondi: the choice Pentstemons and the Androsaces and 

 Primulas, all good rock garden subjects, where can one 

 get them ? I have been unable to find them in any cata- 

 log even of those who make a specialty of native mate- 

 rial. There is a Colorado nursery that lists a few Rocky 

 Mountain plants, but many more must be added to make 

 the list truly representative. Many lovers of horticulture 

 have long been urging the use of native plants as land- 

 scape material with good reason. Is it too much to hope 

 that, with the increasing interest in rock gardening 

 coupled with the difficulty of obtaining suitable plants 

 from Europe, our own alpine flora may soon find its way 

 into our gardens ? 



Perhaps it is permissible to return once more to the 

 subject of the English sparrow. A couple of months ago 

 use was made of a quotation from a contemporary to the 

 effect that a British Experiment Station had demonstrat- 

 ed that sparrows and other common birds had a horror 

 of blue paper and that it might be a valuable method of 

 protecting gardens from pests of this kind. Since then 

 I have had an opportunity of seeing it put to the test. 

 The partner of my joys and sorrows, who is head gar- 

 dener of our backyard and the Morello cherry tree there- 

 in, noticed that the robins were helping themselves to 

 the ripe cherries. As she honors me by reading these 

 monthly lucubrations the item concerning the new "scare- 

 sparrow" was brought to mind and acted upon. In con- 

 sequence, on returning home one evening, I was greeted 

 with a vision of the cherry tree tastefully decorated with 

 blue paper streamers. The result was according to ex- 

 pectations. The robins treated the paper with absolute 

 contempt and continued taking toll of the cherries ; while 

 as far as the sparrows were concerned, instead of being 

 horror struck as they should have been, they started in 

 at once to pick the flower buds from the adjacent "Ken- 

 tucky Wonders" — a thing they had never done before. 

 I am not prepared to say that exasperation induced by 

 the blue streamers impelled them to this unusual mis- 

 chief, but the facts are as stated. Personally I intend to 

 rely on hackneyed methods of dealing with sparrows in 



the future. 



* * * 



The most interesting profession in the world is made 

 so, in part, by the contacts it affords with branches of 

 natural science such as climatology, geology and zoology. 



The weather, if its frequency as a subject of conversa- 

 tion is any criterion, is far from uninteresting, and to 

 gardeners is most important. It is absolutely necessary 

 that we should know a good deal about it, its eft'ect on 

 plants, the methods of foretelling frosts, etc. In our 

 handling of soils we come in close contact with the sci- 

 ence of geology, and in the zoological branch of natural 

 science we are intimately concerned with furred and 

 feathered friends and foes and also with that vast host 

 of animals that has neither fur nor feathers — the insects. 

 All of these subjects are intriguing to specialists and 

 perhaps even more to gardeners, who for lack of time, 

 can only approach them in a dilettante way. 



With many gardeners to think of insects is to curse 

 and not to bless, and yet many of the insects common 

 in gardens have most entertaining life-histories, and 

 some are of distinct service to the gardener. The beau- 

 tiful "lace-winged flies'' or "golden-eyed flies," which 

 are fairly common about this time, are examples of in- 

 sects which are beautiful, beneficial and interesting. The 

 adults of one common species have transparent, blue, 

 wonderfully veined wings and conspicuous golden eyes. 

 The female lays its eggs on vegetation of some kind, 

 each egg being supported about a quarter of an inch 

 from the surface by a slender stalk. This probably pro- 

 tects them from other predaceous insects. I remember 

 reading somewhere of a suggestion that the eggs were 

 laid on stilts because the larvae are so voracious that 

 they would eat each other unless the eggs were elevated 

 in this way. One would think this cannibalism could be 

 prevented more effectually by laying the eggs at widely 

 separated points. The larvae feed largely on plant lice 

 of various kinds which has obtained for them the name 

 of "aphis lions." When they are full-grown the co- 

 coons are spun in which they pupate to emerge later on 

 through a circular lid in their exquisite adult forms. Al- 

 though so beautiful one does not unnecessarily handle 

 them more than once on account of the offensive odor 

 which thev emit. 



