COMMON SENSE IN GARDENING 119 



ous to a plant, should be very cautious in his use of 

 it. It is quite likely that many Alpine plants would 

 be the better for a dose of manure underneath them 

 as a protection against drought, if any one could be 

 sure that their roots would not reach it. But un- 

 fortunately they are apt to root very deeply, partic- 

 ularly in search of moisture, and some of them, if 

 their roots got down to a layer of manure, would 

 quickly die of indigestion; for in their native homes 

 they get very little nourishment, and so have come 

 to need very little. 



There are many surface-rooting plants, however, 

 that like manure both as a food and as a protection 

 from drought, and they can be fed with it from above 

 as well as from below. Mulching is particularly good 

 for surface-rooting plants, since the juices of the 

 manure quickly reach their roots and since the manure 

 itself on the surface protects them from drought. 

 Most surface-rooting plants are the better for some 

 kind of nourishment applied from above, especially 

 if they are plants that resent being moved into fresh 

 soil. Thus Eremuri, which throw out thick roots in 

 all directions just under the surface of the soil, will 

 often thrive wonderfully where they would otherwise 

 seldom flower if they are top-dressed in autumn or 

 early spring with rich loam or leaf-mould, or with 

 old manure off a hot bed. And in the same way the 

 hardy Cypripediums, particularly C. spectabile, the 

 roots of which run like a network of whipcord over 

 the surface of the soil, should be dressed with rich 



