G8 President's Address. 



because the natural soil in my garden is clay; but where the natural 

 soil is of a lighter nature, it is not necessary to use such a large 

 quantity, as the natural loam from an old pasture, well rotted down, 

 when mixed with a small proportion of leaf mould and sand, is 

 suitable for the growth of most rock plants. 



It is well for an amateur, in commencing the culture of rock 

 plants, to confine his attention for some time to those plants that 

 AvQl thrive in such a mixture as has been mentioned, and afterwards, 

 when they are thoroughly at home, he can commence cautiously 

 with those that require more special treatment. 



In the summer management of the rockery, the principal matter 

 is watering in dry weather. Those plants which are accustomed on 

 their native hills to a large amount of moisture, supplied principally 

 from the melting snow, during all the summer months must be 

 supplied by artificial means. Great care should be taken by the 

 cultivator to see that this is done thoroughly. A slight sprinkling 

 of water during summer does really more harm than good, as the 

 roots during dry weather are always on the search for moisture, and 

 if they cannot get this at the level of their roots, they naturally 

 turn upwards to get the benefit of the Avater applied near the surface, 

 where they suffer more from drought (if water be not applied regu- 

 larly) than they would do when their roots are in their natural 

 position. " Giving always as much water as will saturate the soil 

 quite down to the roots, it does not require to be done so frequently. 

 If watering is neglected in dry weather, no real alpine plants can be 

 expected to thrive long. This matter of watering in dry weather, 

 taken in connection with the proper making of the rockery, so as to 

 secure good drainage, constitute essentially the whole matter in the 

 successful growing of alpine plants. 



One good rule — and it should be carefully attended to — is, never 

 plant strong-growing and spreading plants in the same bed with 

 small, rare, and delicate species, as the one is sure to outgrow and 

 choke the others. Nothing kills an alpine plant so soon as being 

 shaded or overgrown by its next neighbour. Hence I generally 

 devote one section of the rock work entirely to the cultivation of 

 very small growing plants. The edges, however, of these beds may 

 be planted with dense-growing or overhanging plants, such as Saxi- 

 fraga oppositifoUa, Silene acaidis, Hypericum reptans, or plants of a 

 similar habit, so that they may hang down to the walks, and cover 

 partially the stones supporting the outside edge of the beds ; care 

 being taken not to let them encroach into the divisions where the 

 smaller plants are growing. Alpine plants on their native mountains 

 are free from this danger, as no strong-growing species occur at the 

 great elevation where the true alpine plants are found. 



