THE ALPINE HOUSE 39 



endurance by the alternations of mildness and rigour to which 

 they are subjected, and we who try to cultivate rare and 

 beautiful species under these altered conditions too often meet 

 with disappointment. Under the protection of a simple glass 

 roof, however, the want of the snow coverlet is not so much 

 felt, and such plants can go on, without check from wind or 

 weather, to perfect their pure, stainless flowers. At the same 

 time, they do not give us that sense of unnatural forcing which 

 is inseparable from the hardy spring-flowering shrubs, like 

 Lilac or Wistaria, when, as is often done, they are brought on 

 quickly into bloom in a heated atmosphere. True alpine 

 plants will not stand artificial heat, and the Saxifrages, Solda- 

 nellas, Cyclamens, Irises, and other mountain plants shown in 

 the Alpine House at Kew are grown out of doors during the 

 summer and autumn, either in prepared beds or in cold 

 frames where they can be planted or plunged according to 

 their requirements, and are brought inside to open their 

 flowers. They are mainly grown in pans and pots which can 

 be easily returned to their growing-quarters as soon as their 

 beauty is past. Ice has been standing on several occasions 

 on a small glass tank containing Azolla filiculoides in the 

 Alpine House when I have seen Saxifraga burseriana major, 

 Corbularia monophylla, Primula megaseaefolia, &c., in flower, 

 and many other plants in bud without showing the least sign 

 of distress. 



Saxifrages are typical plants for the alpine house. The 

 earliest of them all to open is S. burseriana major, and any one 

 may be proud of having, early in January, a well-established 

 pan of so lovely a plant in bloom, for it takes some time to 

 build up and some care to preserve in good condition. Few 

 gardens possess a superabundance of this fine variety or even 

 of the typical species with smaller flowers which open a little 

 later. Saxifrages, and especially these slow-growing, densely 

 tufted species, do well grown in pans from 6 in. to 8 in, 



