THE WILD PINKS 129 



advantage to the soil in which they are grown. 

 D. alpinus, D. callizotius, D. glacialis, D. monspes- 

 sulanus, D. sylvestris, and others from the higher 

 altitudes may also be raised in the same way, but they 

 require more care afterwards. Instead of being 

 pricked out in boxes they should be potted off singly 

 in small pots, which should be plunged in a cool, 

 shady frame until the seedlings are of sufficient size 

 for planting out ; the compost should be loam and 

 leaf soil, with plenty of grit and lime rubble. This 

 mixture is suitable for almost all the alpine species, 

 with the exception of D. glacialis, which is a granite- 

 loving plant, and to the soil in which it is potted and 

 planted out granite chippings may be added with 

 advantage in place of lime. When planting out in 

 the rock-garden a sunny, well-drained position should 

 be chosen for nearly all the alpine species, though 

 there are some exceptions, such as D. callizonus and 

 D. sylvestris, which require a certain amount of shade. 

 They should be planted where they receive the direct 

 rays of the sun for a brief period only. Established 

 tufts of the smaller alpine species require top-dressing 

 once or twice during the season with a mixture of 

 sand and leaf soil. This should be worked well 

 amongst the young growths, but the growing points 

 must not be covered up. The autumn dressing should 

 contain more sand, so as to absorb the excessive 

 moisture surrounding the plant in winter. 



