ALPINE FIELDS FOR ENGLAND 157 



Then there is another and, I think, a crying 

 reason for the creation of fields to supplement our 

 rockworks ; we garden at present, for the most part, 

 as if all Alpines were rock-plants, whereas quite an 

 important percentage are purely field-flowers. It 

 will be said that in England's comparatively 

 luxurious climate the grasses would overwhelm 

 the Alpines and that, therefore, it is only wise 

 to place these latter out of harm's way. But, 

 although there certainly are some subjects of an 

 Alpine meadow which could scarcely be expected 

 to grapple successfully with English conditions, 

 yet there is a whole host that could do so, especially 

 if care were taken to choose suitable grasses and 

 to exclude certain English weeds (the Field Bind- 

 weed, for example, or the Plantain). In advocating 

 any such adoption as the present, we must not 

 be so unphilosophic as to be sweeping and dog- 

 matic ; we must be quick to recognise that such 

 subjects of the Alpine grass-lands as Viola calcarata 

 and Gentiana verna, excisa, and nivalis shall of 

 necessity be ushered to the rockwork when they 

 arrive in our island home. But, frankly, I be- 

 lieve there are many of these plants which would 

 be altogether grateful to find themselves in a field 

 rather than in a garden-border or upon a rockery. 



