1542 



ROCK GARDENS 



large-leaved saxifrages, such as S. crassifolia, S. ligu- 

 lata, S. Stracheyi and S. purpurascens. Quite at home 

 and in suitable positions were alpine primulas, auriculas, 

 and cyclamens. There were Iceland poppies, Himalayan 

 poppies (Meeonopsis Wallichi and Nepalensis) , gentians 

 from the tiny blue Gentiana verna to the tall G. sep- 

 temfida, and many kinds of Funkia, Fritillaria, Erica, 

 Epimedium, Cypripedium, Orchis, Lilium, Erythronium, 

 Allium, Alyssum, Ajuga, Achillea, Armeria, Sagina, 

 Sempervivum and creeping Veronica, besides other 

 plants too numerous to mention. Particularly promi- 

 nent positions, as on top of the rocks, or at a turning 

 point in the path, were occupied by some stately 

 plant, such as Wieum palmatum, Acanthus mollis, or 

 Gnnnera manicata, or scabra, while foxgloves, ver- 

 bascums and such like plants would fill up the recesses 

 in the shrubs on the top of the rockery. One end of the 

 rockery beneath the shade of overhanging trees was 

 devoted to hardy ferns, which grew with wonderful 

 luxuriance. With the variety of rare and interesting 

 plants, together with the artistic yet natural appearance 

 of the whole rockery, a more beautiful place it would be 

 difficult to conceive. 



With these pleasant remembrances in mind the 

 writer built a rockery in 1898, in the Botanic Gardens 

 of Smith College, Northampton, Mass., somewhat after 

 the pattern of the one at Kew, but at present on a very 

 much more limited scale. The position chosen (the 

 only one available) is near the outskirts of the garden 

 proper, on what was formerly a grassy southern slope. 

 A cutting was made through the slope in much the 

 same manner as the one at Kew, but to secure good 

 northern aspects the soil was all banked on the south- 

 ern side. The path, which is quite level, varies in width 

 from 3 to 6 feet. The height of the banks in which the 

 rocks are placed ranges from 2 feet at the entrances to 

 some 8 or 10 feet at the highest point. For rocks we used 

 large, water-worn boulders collected in the vicinity. One 

 shaded recess, with a northern aspect, is devoted to na- 

 tive ferns, which at the present time, 1901, number 

 some 40 species. The whole rockery outside is banked 

 with flowering shrubs, and on the southern bank out- 

 side are planted some trees, chiefly catalpas, for the 

 purpose of shading the southern aspect of the rock- 

 ery, as well as for ornament. Water is laid on so that 

 the plants might not suffer in dry weather. The writer 

 has not been successful with alpine primulas, mossy 

 saxifrages, tufted gentians, and several other subjects 

 which delight in a cool, moist climate, perhaps from his 

 not having provided the ideal conditions for such 

 plants, but more probably due to our extremes of cli- 

 mate. Still there is a large variety which does well 

 here. The writer has found most of the low-growing 

 veronicas, sedums, sempervivums, arabises, alyssums, 

 achilleas, alsines, erysimums, aquilegias, campanulas, 

 stellarias, pachysandras, the beautiful shrubby little 

 Daphne Cneorum, and many others, do very well in the 

 more sunny or southern aspects or the rockery, while on 

 the northern aspects cerastiums, iberises, ajugas, Ice- 

 land poppies, rosette and large-leaved saxifrages, moss 

 pinks, epimediums, herniarias, arenarias, cardamines, 

 armerias, dianthuses, native orchises, cypripediums and 

 many other plants do well. On the top of the rockery, 

 to fill in recesses in the shrubbery, are planted fox- 

 gloves, verbascums and tall veronicas, while at conspic- 

 uous points are planted clumps of Bocconia cordaia, 

 Telekia speciosa, Aruncus Sylvester, or any herbaceous 

 plant which looks well as an isolated specimen. In 

 among the plants in irregular colonies are planted hardy 

 bulbs, such as crocuses, scillas, ornithogalmns, nar- 

 cissi, snowdrops, chionodoxas, and grape hyacinths; 

 these come up the first thing in the spring and blossom 

 before the other plants get well started into growth, and 

 are a decided acquisition to a rockery. 



Almost all alpine plants may be readily propagated 

 by seed, cuttings or division of the plants, The writer 

 raises some from seed each year to fill up any vacancies 

 in the spring. His plan is to sow the seeds in 4-inch 

 >ots early in February in a finely-prepared light soil, 



id place the pots in a moderately warm greenhouse; 

 tiere they soon germinate, and as soon as large enough 

 to handle they are transplanted either into other pots 

 similarly prepared, or into small, shallow boxes. They 



RODRIGUEZ1A 



grow vigorously through the early spring months, and 

 by the first of May they may be planted out perma- 

 nently. Seeds may also be sown in some shaded frame 

 in spring and the plants transferred to the rockery in 

 the fall. All the plants in the rockery should have a 

 light covering of leaves or light strawy manure to pro- 

 tect them from excessive freezing and thawing during 

 the winter, especially those planted on the southern 

 exposure, or they may be protected with a few hemlock 

 branches laid lightly over them. These should be re- 

 moved as soon as the weather will permit in early 

 spring. In planting a newly made rockery it is a mistake 

 to plant 109 thick. Each plant should be allowed room 

 to develop so as to show its true character, and the 

 plant should then be limited in a measure to that space, 

 especially if a much more rampant grower than its 

 neighbors. As in other parts of the garden, weeds will 

 insinuate themselves wherever they can gain a foot- 

 hold. These must be removed as soon as they appear, 

 and the whole rockery should be gone over at least once 

 in ten days to keep each plant from encroaching on its 

 neighbors, and to keep all in good order. 



EDWARD J. CANNING. 

 ROCKET. See Hesperis. 



ROCKET CANDYTUFT. See Iberis coronaria. 

 ROCKET, YELLOW. Barbarea vulgaris. 

 ROCK ROSE. SeeCistiis; also Helianthemum. 



ROCKY MOUNTAIN BEE PLANT. 

 folia. 



Cleome integri- 



RODGERSIA (Commodore Rodgers, U. S. Navy). 

 Saxifragclceie. A gemis of one species, a hardy herba- 

 ceous perennial for which the following names have 

 been proposed: Rodgers' Bronze Leaf, Bronze Leaf of 

 Japan and Stately Five-Leaf. It grows 3-4 ft, high, and 

 the leaves are finger-shaped, the 5 lobes being bold in 

 outline, angled and serrate. In the spring the foliage 

 is light green; in summer it assumes a metallic bronzy 

 hue. The plant is a vigoroiis grower, and under favor- 

 able circumstances has been known to make a clump 9 

 ft. in diameter, the largest Ivs. being a yard across and 

 borne on stalks 3 ft. long. The fls. are borne in mid- 

 summer on stalks 4-5 ft. high. The general style of 

 inflorescence is that of the popular Astilbe, to which it 

 is closely allied. The fls. are very small, but make a 

 feathery spray of fluffy white bloom. The panicle is a 

 foot or more long and as wide at the base. Technically 

 the fls. have no petals; what seem to be petals are the 

 white calyx-segments. As a flowering plant it has been 

 said by enthusiasts to be superior to Astilbe, but the 

 bloom is scantier, rather greenish at first, and perhaps 

 does not last as long. It may not be so amenable to 

 forcing. Rodgersia is a native of the subalpine regions 

 of Japan and is presumably hardy in our northern 

 states. It is offered by importers of Japanese plants. 

 The plant is highly esteemed by English connoisseurs, 

 but seems to be nearly unknown to American gardens. 

 Although any deep, rich garden soil will do, it is said 

 to prefer a moist peaty soil. It should be placed in a 

 sunny position, with plenty of room, where high winds 

 cannot damage the foliage. Easily propagated. 



Botanically Rodgersia is close to certain species of 

 Astilbe, having 10 stamens and no petals, it differs in 

 having connate carpels, scorpioid inflorescence and 5- 

 cut rather than thrice ternate foliage. Other generic 

 characters are: calyx-lobes 5: ovary 2-3-loculed; styles 2 

 or 3; stigmas capitate: ovules many. 



podoph^lla, Gray. Rhizome thick, scaly: radical Ivs. 

 5-lobed; stem-lvs. 3-lobed: cymes scorpioid, forming a 

 large panicle. B.M. G691. G.C. II. 20:111. G.M, 33:477, 

 Gn. 36, p. 171; 38, p. 125; 46, p. 434. w M 



RODRIGUEZIA (Emanuel Rodriguez, Spanish bot- 

 anist and apothecary). Orchidilcece . A small genus of 

 South American orchids, a few of which are cultivated 

 for their graceful racemes of delicate flowers. The 

 flowers are nearly always fragrant. The plants vary 

 somewhat in habit. Some species form neat, compact 



