THE ALPINE HOUSE 41 



two and even three feet in height, is extremely ornamental. 

 By planting several of the rosettes in a pan, thus restricting 

 root-room, and taking care still to remove all offsets, a dwarf 

 specimen may be grown, carrying several feathery white plumes 

 instead of the single pyramid. 



No more truly alpine plant can be named than that child of 

 the snowdrift, Soldanella. Its cultivation is not altogether 

 easy, and a hint given by M. Correvon, years ago, having 

 proved of great value, may be passed on to others. Solda- 

 nellas enjoy nothing so much, under abnormal conditions, as 

 growing in living sphagnum, in full sunshine. Living sphagnum 

 must, of course, be constantly moist, and requires a thin layer 

 of sandy bog-soil at the bottom of the pan. The tiny plants of 

 Soldanella inserted over the surface of the moss send down their 

 roots among the cool spongy stems and thrive apace. This 

 method provides as good a substitute for the melting snow as 

 can be devised under cultivation, but they are successfully 

 flowered at Kew under ordinary treatment in pans of suitable 

 soil. 



To turn to an entirely different class of plant. Amongst the 

 luxuries of the alpine house, at present, must be counted the 

 newer species, increasing in number year by year, of dwarf 

 bulbous Iris. Some of these are far from new, since I. persica, 

 nearly related to some of these more recent introductions, 

 is the very first plant figured in the old series of the Botanical 

 Magazine (A.D. 1793). But of late years, collectors in various 

 parts of Asia Minor have turned their attention to this beautiful 

 genus, and our gardens will be richer in future by their 

 labours. Very many of these new species are tempting items 

 for the Iris connoisseur. I. Heldreichi, with large grey-blue 

 flowers and deep violet falls, is one of the most attractive of 

 plants to grow for an alpine house. Not quite so striking, 

 perhaps, in flower, but more so as a plant, with its abundant 

 channelled leaves, is I. sindjarensis, a Mesopotamian species, 



