INTRODUCTION. 13 



of deep pink between the mountain track and the 

 river. Then there is the St. Dabeoc's Heath with its 

 memories of the wide sweep of moor in Connemara ; 

 and its near relation the blue Menziesia, that grew in 

 such abundance in the upper part of the Romsdal, 

 along with other favourite mountain flowers, rosy- 

 beUed Andromeda, creamy clusters of May lily, and 

 the delicate pink blooms of Linnaea. 



And so the Hst might be prolonged, and the memories 

 increased, and the traveller who has wandered to 

 greater heights, and to lands farther away, will find 

 his rock garden increase thereby in its fascination. 



In one of his eloquent passages Ruskin has claimed 

 for the mountain flowers a superiority over those of 

 the lowlands. " The wood Hyacinth, and \vild Rose," 

 he writes, " are indeed the only supreme flowers that 

 the lowlands can generally show ; and the wild Rose 

 is also a mountaineer, and more fragrant in the hills, 

 while the wood Hyacinth, or grape Hyacinth, at its best 

 cannot match even the dark bell Gentian, leaving the 

 light blue star Gentian in its uncontested queenhness, 

 and the Alpine Rose and Highland heather wholly 

 without similitude." 



The claim is a sound one, and will be generally agreed 

 to. And there is this further point to be remembered, 

 that whereas the gardener with his skill in culture can 

 develop new varieties, and attain increased brilliancy 

 of bloom in most flowers, he cannot excel the blues of 

 the Gentian or the rosy clusters of moss Campion and 

 Androsace. As we look at these Alpine plants, we 

 marvel that such glowing colours are found amidst such 



