110 ALPINE FLOWERS [PART I. 



tion, or lamination, direct the operation. Where such beds 

 are highly inclined, as on the south-west coast or in Brittany, 

 a curious appearance is often seen, which may be called the 

 " Artichoke form," as it exactly resembles the mode of arrange- 

 ment of the Artichoke leaves. At lower inclinations, schists 

 and the harder shales do not form striking features ; but, by 

 offering slight rocky elevations, above a more or less level 

 ground, with distinct " craig and tail shapes," they can be made 

 highly effective in rock-gardening where they occur naturally. 

 This has been done with the greatest success in the Central 

 Park, New York. The softer shales may be dismissed as 

 rockery materials, except for the purpose of forming the lower 

 of the two beds of rock essential to the construction of a good 

 waterfall or of an overhanging crag. While on the subject of 

 waterfalls, it may be as well to remind the landscape gardener 

 that, with very few exceptions, the rocks forming waterfalls in 

 Nature dip up-stream, and this holds good for great and small 

 falls alike. The clays and sands need not detain us ; where 

 these unrocky materials prevail, the rock-maker is clearly 

 entitled to do the best he can to try and imitate the rock- 

 masses of more favoured districts. But even then he should 

 be bound by what we will call our third rule, which flows 

 naturally from our other two, enounced above : " In no case 

 should the rock-garden be constructed in a manner contrary to 

 the broad geological laws to which all rocks are subject in their 

 natural state." 



In this brief survey of a large and interesting subject, it has 

 only been intended to suggest some points for the consideration 

 of rock-builders, and to show that success in their art, as in 

 every other, is to be attained only by careful observation and 

 study of Nature's own models. G. A. LEBOUR, F.G.S. 



