238 THE ALPINE FLORA 



been brought into cultivation of recent years from seed, 

 simply thanks to the great patience of the sowers. My 

 own experience with Jlnemone sulfurea and alpina shows 

 that seed sown in the same month as it is gathered germ- 

 inates in fifteen days, but not for three or four years if 

 you wait twelve months or more. 



When the seedlings are up and are gaining a little 

 substance, they are transplanted separately at a fair dis- 

 tance from one another in a quincunx pattern. Later they 

 are placed, as soon as they can stand complete isolation, 

 singly in pots or on the rockery. 



Alpine vegetation we have seen to fall, according to 

 chemical affinities, into two great classes, the chalk- 

 lovers and the chalk-haters. It is important, therefore, to 

 know the nature of the species we are introducing, and 

 to see whether their original habitat was chalk or gran- 

 ite, so that a congenial soil may be supplied. Plants in 

 the second category are to be grown in the siliceous ma- 

 terial commonly known as " terre de bruyere", in peat or 

 leaf mould. For the others one has a choice of numerous 

 composts of rotten vegetable matter taken from crevices 

 in the chalk, or in leaf-soil with an addition of finely bro- 

 ken chalk to make good the initial Jack of lime, or even 

 in good, sound pasture land or loam, mixed with chalky 

 detritus or leaf mould. 



Sphagnum, which is so valuable in the culture of exotic 

 orchids, may be used with equal success in growing 

 plants from the high mountains. In the T{evue des Sciences 

 naturelles appliquees l , the Journal de la Societe royale d'Jior- 

 Hculture de Toscane" 2 , and in the Gardener's Chronicle 3 1 

 have given full instructions on the subject, and will refer 



1 Bulletin de la Societe Rationale d'ficclimatation de "France ( 1 904). 



2 "Bollettino delta 7^. Societa toscana di Orticultura (1904). 



3 Gardener ' Chronicle (London, 18 April 1891). 



