56 MORE POT-POURRI 



slope. On one side of these sunk rockeries, so as still 

 more to keep off the north-east wind, there is a wall 

 about four feet in width and four feet high, built up 

 gradually with pieces of stone and earth between them 

 no mortar. This makes an excellent cool depth of soil 

 for many precious plants. A small boggy bed can be 

 made, by guiding the rain as it runs away into a hole, 

 anywhere by the sides of paths and where the earth 

 slopes. This immensely increases the effect of rainfall 

 for individual plants, and it is a great help to gardening 

 on sandy soils. The fault of my rockery, unavoidable 

 from the situation, is that it has very little eastern 

 aspect, being shaded in that direction by trees ; and 

 morning sun is what early Alpines require. As the holes 

 approach the large trees, the banks are planted with 

 Ferns, various Ivies, Periwinkles (Vinca), and shade- 

 loving plants. Pernettyas, which are lovely little shrubs, 

 will not do in sun at all ; but in shade they seem to do 

 excellently, and are quite healthy in sandy soil. All 

 those I planted in full sun have simply died this dry 

 year, having been very much parched up. Cotoneaster 

 microphylla, on the contrary, never berries so well or is 

 so satisfactory as in a very dry place fully exposed to the 

 southern sun. 



The other day as I was working in this new Alpine 

 garden a caterpillar fell off a tree just in front of me. 

 His head was round ; he had a hairy body, plump and 

 thickest in the middle, covered with moderately abundant 

 hairs ; and four square-topped bunches of hair of & pale 

 yellow colour grew on his back. His head and body were 

 green ; his long, pointed tail bright pink. The spaces 

 between the tufts of hair were deep black. His legs and pro- 

 legs were green. I thought I had got hold of some wonder- 

 ful rare beast, as I had never before found a caterpillar with 

 a pink tail like a horn. A friend to whom I refer all my 



