Commercial Gardening 



up clammy clusters of beautiful white flowers, dotted with pink in early 

 summer, in great profusion. The plants flourish anywhere in shade or sun- 

 shine in any garden soil, and produce offsets with remarkable freedom. 

 There is therefore no trouble in keeping up the stock. The young offsets 

 should be taken off in August or September earlier or later according to 

 circumstances and dibbled about 4 in. apart in beds 4 to 5 ft. wide. In 

 this way over 300,000 plants can be got to an acre, allowing for pathways, 

 and if they realize only a farthing each, the receipts are over 300 per 

 acre. Unfortunately anyone can grow London Pride, therefore it would be 



unwise to overstock it. Amongst 

 nurserymen a very good trade is 

 done with the "mossy" and "en- 

 crusted" species of Saxifrages, 

 as well as with the large-leaved 

 or " Megasea " section. They 

 are charming plants for rock 

 gardens and borders; while one 

 large-leaved species, S. peltata, 

 the Umbrella Plant, with leaves 

 often 18 in. across, is a first-rate 

 plant for the sides of lakes, 

 streams, pools, &c. The reader 

 interested in these species would 

 do well to consult the Prac- 

 tical Guide to Garden Plants 

 (J. Weathers), which contains 

 full descriptions of most species 

 with cultural details. 



One other species is some- 

 times found grown in quantity 

 for market, viz. S. sarmentosa, 

 known under such popular names 

 as Aaron's Beard, Creeping 

 Sailor, Mother of Thousands, 

 Wandering Jew, Pedlar's Basket, and doubtless many others. It is a 

 Chinese plant, with roundish, hairy, roundly toothed leaves, mottled above, 

 red beneath, and has white flowers spotted with yellow and red. Numerous 

 young plants are produced at the end of creeping stems. The plants flourish 

 in any garden soil, and are generally grown in hanging pots or baskets. 

 The variety tricolor has the leaves blotched with green, white, and red, 

 but is more tender than the common variety. Both can, however, be grown 

 in a cool greenhouse or frame, and are increased by the offsets. 



The following is a good selection of "cushion", "mossy", and "en- 

 crusted " Saxifrages : 



CUSHION SAXIFRAGES All white flowered, except where otherwise 

 stated; apiculata (yellow) (fig. 242), Burseriana, crenata, ccesia, corio- 



Fig. ZiZ.Saxifraga apiculata 



