Prcsideiit' ti Address. 73 



uble to keep it long unless some precaution of this kind is taken. 

 It has largo flowers for the size of the plant, rose-coloured, and never 

 rises more than about 2 inches above the ground. Plants of it should 

 always be kept in reserve in the cold frame, in case of accidents 

 during winter. This is such a little gem that every one should try 

 to possess it. Silene Elizahethce is also a very fine variety, and was 

 got first on the mountains near Lake Como, and has flowers more 

 like a handsome dwarf Clarkia than a Silene. To grow this plant 

 well it must be planted between stones with rich soil. Ramondia 

 pyrenaica is a beautiful plant from the Pyrenees, and requires to be 

 placed in the shade, but is rarely seen in this country growing with 

 the same vigour as in its native locality. I once saw it growing very 

 luxuriantly, with flower stems more than a foot high, planted on 

 the side of a gravel walk and shaded by a large stone. The soil 

 was light, but firmly trodden down. It is easily propagated by 

 seed, which it produces freelj'. 



Spreading Plants. — There are many spreading plants which are 

 very useful in the rockery, either for planting along the edge of beds 

 to hang down and partially cover the stones, or on the higher por- 

 tion of the rockery where other and more delicate plants would not 

 grow ; these plants, however, as a rule, are best kept in beds by them- 

 selves, as if not carefully watched they are apt to overgrow others 

 near them. Among the best plants for this purpose are Accena Nova 

 ZeoJandia, Genista /dlosa, a native plant growing wild on the moors 

 in Cornwall. Areiiarki balearica is a capital plant for adhering to 

 damp stones. Dryas integrlfoUa, is, I think, the best of this family. 

 Our native D. octopetala is also a good plant for the purpose, but is 

 not so free flowering as D. integrifoUa. Hipiiocrepis comosa is also a 

 nice low-growing and spreading plant, which never fails to produce 

 a profusion of its pretty yeDow flowers in the season. This plant 

 grows abundantly on the sugar-loaf limestone in Teesdale. Alyssuni 

 olympicimi is also very dwarf and spreading, of the same character, 

 with white silvery-looking leaves, which contrast well with other 

 plants. These and many others are all showy, and well fitted for this 

 purpose, as they are more easily kept within bounds than the Saxi- 

 frages or Sedums, which are also well adapted for covering stones, 

 &c., but require a great deal more attention to keep them from 

 growing too fast, though best seen in very large rockeries. 



Many species of Dianthus are also well fitted for the rockery. 

 D. aJpimis, one of the most difficult of the family to grow well, 

 has the bad habit of dying off without any apparent reason. 

 This happens, however, more frequently with ptlants which arc two 

 or three years old. The only way I have found of getting over 

 this difficulty is by sowing seed every year, when the young seed- 



