C>(j President's Address. 



Experiences in the Cidtivatiun of Alpine and other Plants 

 suited for the Rockery, and Hcrhaceous Plants in the 

 Mixed Border. By W. B. Boyd of Faldonside. The' 

 Presidential Address, delivered November 8, 1883. 



[In some preliminary remarks on the Society's work during 

 the previous session, Mr Boyd alluded to the publication 

 by the Society of Dr Spruce's work " On the Hepaticce of 

 the Amazon and Andes." The Society had lost during the 

 year Professor Oswald Heer, M.D., Zurich, Honorary Fellow ; 

 Dr Eobson Scott, Councillor ; Mr E. T. Mackintosh and 

 Mr W. T. Thomson, F.E.S.E., Ordinary Fellows ; Mr Thomas 

 H. Corry, Non-Eesident Fellow ; and Mrs Bain, Lady Associ- 

 ate. The new additions to our membership were Eev. Patrick 

 M. Playfair, Edinburgh, and Mr John Stewart, Arbroath, as 

 Ordinary Fellows ; Mr George Stabler, Westmoreland, as 

 Xon-Eesldent Fellow; Mrs E. Farquharson, London, as 

 Lady Associate ; and Mr Bullen, of the Botanic Gardens, 

 Glasgow, as Associate.] 



During the reign of the bedding-out system of gardening 

 the time and energies of the gardener were taken up almost 

 entirely with the propagation and culture of plants which 

 jointly combined to give a great effect of colour during the 

 late autumn and summer months ; consequently, many most 

 beautiful alpine and herbaceous plants, not adapted to this 

 system, were allowed to go out of cultivation. 



By the bedding-out system a gay effect is produced during 

 a short pfiriod of the year, which to an unscientific lover of 

 nature is very pleasing and beautiful ; but, except perhaps on 

 a limited scale, in large public gardens, this system is not to 

 be advocated. The species of bedding-out plants are so limited 

 that one tires of them and wishes for something new. On 

 the other hand, in the herbaceous border the plants are, as a 

 rule, perfectly hardy, and thus all lifting and planting in 

 autumn and spring is avoided. The green house, which 

 formerly was filled with bedding-out plants, in a so to speak 

 dormant state, is now utilised for winter flowering plants, and 

 thus a succession of bloom can be obtained all the year round. 

 When I grew bedding-out plants in a border 50 yards long by 

 2 yards wide., I had two thousand plants, but only six varieties. 



