n8 IRocfeS anfc Mater. 



of a house or ou both sides of the steps with the foundation 

 of the house for a background. These would, however, 



look out of place if the walls of 



the house were built of wood. 



Such miniature rockeries should 



**' be simple, unpretentious affairs 



FIG. 66.— SMALL ROCKERY AGAINST 



a wall. that can be bunt in a day or 



two without any heavy outlay. A cart-load of stones a 

 foot in diameter or less, stones left by the masons after the 

 construction of a house, clinkers, and pieces of brickwork 

 from an old wall are amonir the materials that can be used. 

 Rockeries should have a thorough drainage and con- 

 genial soil for all classes of dwarf herbaceous perennials 

 and rock-plants, from the stone-crops, that delight to grow- 

 in an imperceptible crevice of a calcareous rock, sending 



their roots below to some 

 hidden source of moist- 

 ure, to the prim auricula 

 that seeks a moist, mossy 



FIQ. 67.— ROCKY BANK OF A RIVULET phlCC ll\ tllC ('(Ige of a 



mountain stream. The materials used in the actual con- 

 struction are of various nature; granite bowlders, sand- 

 stone blocks, masses of overburnt bricks, and segments of 

 old walls — mortar and all — can lie used to advantage. 

 For the borders of cisterns and small sheets of water gen- 

 erally, tuff stone and coral arc excellent materials when 

 they can be obtained. Sandstone and calcareous rocks are 

 most desirable, as all classes of plants will succeed best on 

 and among these; they form many cracks and crevices in 

 which numerous rock-plants will lodge and grow to per- 



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