FOREWORDS TO NEW EDITION. 



THIS book is written to dispel a general but erroneous 

 idea, that the plants of alpine regions cannot be grown 

 in gardens. This idea is not confined to the general 

 public ; it has been taught by botanists and horti- 

 culturists whenever they have had to speak of alpine 

 plants, while the alpine traveller has regretted that we 

 could not enjoy in our gardens these most charming 

 of flowers. The late Duke of Argyll, presiding some 

 years ago at the dinner of the Gardeners' Benevolent 

 Institution, told the company that, though they had 

 overcome almost every difficulty of cultivation, they 

 were beaten by one that of growing alpine plants. 



Any reader of this book may prove for himself that 

 this idea is a baseless one ; and that, so far from its 

 being true that these plants cannot be cultivated, there 

 is no alpine flower that ever cheered the traveller's 

 eye which cannot be grown in our island gardens. 

 Instead of being very difficult, they will be found 

 to be among the most easily cultivated of all plants, 

 especially to those who begin modestly and avoid the 

 ugly extravagance of artificial "rocks." 



What are alpine plants ? The word alpine is used 

 to denote the plants that grow naturally on all 



be 



