146 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



commonly called Queen of the rraiiie ; this grows about eighteen 

 inches hitrh. and produces very showy clusters of deep pink flow- 

 ers. IMany other valuable plants belonging to this class should 

 be mentioned, but as this is only a brief review space must be re- 

 served to do justice to other classes. 



I must now pass to the 



Alpine AND Rock Plants. — This title will cover plants that 

 may be cultivated out of doors, but which require special situation, 

 soil, and protection. First, we have the Alpine plants proper, or 

 those that'are found growing at high altitudes, generally among or 

 upon rocks, exposed to breezes of pure and cool air, and subjected 

 to a perfect rest for more than six months in the year. They are 

 all delicate plants of neat habit, and exceedingly difficult to culti- 

 vate, even in our Northern States, on account of the hot 

 summer seasons, while in the South they could not be kept alive, 

 any more than we in the North could keep tropical plants through 

 our severe winters. 



The ground for growing these plants must be raised above that 

 surrounding it, and should consist of good light loam mingled with 

 leaf-mould and sand ; and in this should be set larger and smaller 

 pieces of sandstone or limestone, so as to imitate as far as possi- 

 ble, on a small scale, the conditions of some mountain regions. 

 It should have a northern exposure ; while the south side should 

 have some means of protection against the fierce rays of the sun, 

 but should not by any means be under trees, as these plants re- 

 quire all the light and air they can obtain, although sensitive to 

 the heat. The propagation of these plants is effected in the same 

 ways as recommended for hardy herbaceous plants, but it is a 

 much more difficult and often a disappointing work. Being small 

 and delicate plants, they do not require any manure, beyond a good 

 mulching of well decayed leaves in the autumn. 



Covering either with evergreen branches or other light material 

 is necessary to the well l)eiiig of these plants. This should be 

 done after tlie ground has frozen somewhat, so as to keep these 

 plants in a j)erfect and uniform rest; otherwise, if covered too 

 earl}', the plants may start to grow several times during the win- 

 ter, and thus exhaust themselves ; or they may be liable to damp 

 off. 



In the second division of this class we have plants that are not 

 Alpines but for some reason must be grown with them, to ensure 



