President's Address, 67 



Now, however, this is completely altered, as will be seen when 

 I describe my rock borders. 



In the rockery at Faklonsidu a scries of beds are raised from 2 to 

 3 feet high, from 6 to 12 feet across, and I have kept tlie soil in 

 every division level, so that in watering the plant may get the full 

 benefit, and none run off — an essential precaution where rare alpine 

 plants are to be grown, otherwise, if planted on a slope, they soon 

 die of drought. The natural soil in my garden is a damp heavy 

 clay, quite unsuited for the cultivation of alpine plants. I there- 

 fore collect and use large quantities of leaf mould with a mixture 

 of coarse sharp sand, and a small quantity of loam, in the formation 

 of my rockery beds. This answers well for most plants, but a 

 considerable number require special treatment ; some want more 

 drainage, others less ; some require a mixture of lime rubbish, and 

 others again a little peat and loam. There are also several classes of 

 plants which, by their habit of growth, are well suited for association 

 with others in the alpine garden, that require soil wholly of one 

 kind, such as peat-loving plants and those found growing on the 

 chalk downs. These do not care for the mixture, previously 

 described. The peat-loving plants, of which many of the dwarf 

 American plants may be quoted as examples, require only fibrous 

 peat mixed with a little sharp sand for their healthy growth, and 

 the chalk plants require nothing but chalky soil, in which they 

 luxuriate, and neither of these classes will grow well or long in any 

 other soil. Many of our rarest Orchidpce are confined to the chalky 

 downs of England, and they are usually difficult plants to manage 

 in cultivation ; but if carefully planted in suitable soil, they can 

 be grown with considerable success. The principal cause of failure 

 with these plants is the excessive moisture to which we are usually 

 subject in this northern climate during the winter. To avoid this, 

 a considerable depth of chalky soil which is of a very porous nature 

 should be used, along with good drainage underneath ; thus the 

 accumulation of the moisture round the bulbs at a season when they 

 are at rest is to a considerable extent avoided. 



The peat beds should always be placed at the lower part of the 

 rock garden, as the plants of this section all delight in moisture. 

 It is, however, necessary that even these beds should be drained, as 

 few plants can endure stagnant moisture. The chalk beds, on the 

 contrary, should be placed on the higher portions, so that they may 

 be kept as dry as possible during the winter ; and during the 

 summer, when the plants are growing, artificial watering can be 

 applied when necessary. 



I have used leaf mould largely in the making of my rock beds, 



