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JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ May 2, 1865. 



these and many other parts of the kingdom. Wales, for 

 instance, abounds in them, and so do Scotland and tho 

 Isle of Wight, but we nowhevo find an assemblage of small 

 stones piled one upon the other, like by far the largest pro- 

 portion of the rockwork of modern gardens. 



As regards the desire of growing rock plants, there is 

 no objection to them, provided the rockwork is not made 

 so as to be destructive to some other feature. To form a 

 rock on a level piece of ground is simply ridiculous — it can 

 never appear natural ; but it may be made to appear so by 

 excavating a hollow to be tilled with water, and throwing the 

 soil takenout into a mound of irregular form, building a part 

 ■with rock quite steep, another flat, with large pieces of rock 

 cast here and there as if by accident riither tliaa design, 

 some on their ends, others on their sides, some forming a 

 natural arch, some leaning and about to fall, and all uniting to 

 form a rough bold scene. In forming the rockwork care must 

 be taken that the earth is solid beneath and the crevices, also, 

 filled with soU where it is desirable to introduce plants ; but 

 cover the stones as little as possible, otherwise the rocky 

 character will be destroyed, and the rockwork will present the 

 appearance of a mound covered with stones. It should be ele- 

 vated, and so much so as not to be looked down upon. If water 

 is introduced it may come trickling down from a fissure in the 

 rock, drip over stones, and fall over some placed perpendicu- 

 larly into the pool or lake beneath, and here it is desirable to 

 have the rockn-ork in the shade so that it may be accom- 

 panied by Perns and plants that delight in shade and mois- 

 ture. The pool itself may be surrounded with grass or lawn, 

 or have a rocky edge where the smaller aquatics may be 

 grown. Instead of dripping from the rock into the pool 

 beneath, the water may be conveyed through a rocky passage 

 or channel strewed with stones, and planted with plants that 

 thrive in shallow water, or grow in moist ground. It may 

 lose itself in a fissure of the rock, appearing again at another 

 point. It may again find its way into a hollow and there 

 form a lake, and there may be a rocky path near the lake 

 with a rock rising abruptly from it, or the water may wash 

 the base of the rock, the latter rising from three sides and 

 forming a sort of amphitheatre, tho summit of the rook 

 being bold and rugged, and the plants in tho fissures and 

 on the ledges in large clumps ; shrubs, and even trees being 

 introduced in order to give the efl'ect at a distance which 

 small plants have close at hand. 



Rockwork may also be formed by sinking a path, throw- 

 ing the soU into irregular mounds, and forming arches in 

 some perpendicular part where the walk rapidly descends 

 or ascends, so as to appear as if the stones forming the arch 

 had fallen from the lieights, and being thrown ujion each 

 other formed the arch accidentally. This kind of rockwork 

 may be made very pleasing, only do not use too many and 

 too small stones in its construction. Perhaps tho best 

 example of this kind is in the Regent's Park gardens, where 

 the passes with their rocky sides and the rocky arches have 

 but one fault, and that is they are too small, though happily 

 contrived in other respects. 



As to the other points, the second is simply a repetition 

 of the first, except insomuch as it is a conversion of ma- 

 terials rather than providing a receptacle for plants. 'J'lio 

 third is easily remedied, providing irregularity of outline, 

 boldness of feature, and avoiding all appearance of same- 

 ness are kept in view. Tho sides may bo rocks and the 

 summit a grassy slope, or clothed with nobler vui-dure, and 

 the rock may appear again above that, which is perfectly 

 natural, for in mountainous places rocks protrude half-way, 

 and appear in patches here and there up tho whole face of 

 the mountain. J''ourth, a deep ravine or valley may bo much 

 improved by converting the rougher parts into rockwork, 

 and clothing tho leaa steep ; in some places having rock 

 on both sides as. if the ravine had been created by a seve- 

 ranco of the earth, and taking advantage of a projection to 

 introduce a rocky crag, which may bo backed up with ahrubs 

 not with a view to hide anything beyond, for that ia bad, 

 but to give the idea that the earth had been rent and the 

 part on the one side severed from that on the other, wliich 

 should be clothed in like manner, leaving tho rock promi- 

 nently in view. Tho ruin of a building appearing as if 

 demolished in tho general convulsion, may be introduced 

 with great effect. The paths should not be marked, though 

 they may be introduced to a certain extent to afford access 



to the different parts, but they should be of the rudest kind 

 and appear as neglected as possible. If dressed walks are 

 made, one taking a circuit of the whole and permitting of the 

 principal features being seen only once, or if twice from a dif- 

 ferent point of view, will be sufficient, and this walk should be 

 concealed as much as possible. If it were possible to bound 

 the view by high rocks, Ci-owning them with hanging woods 

 would have a fine effect, unless a stream passed through the 

 ravine, when the high rocks with overhanging woods should 

 not bound the view, but be situated on one side of the stream 

 washing tho base of the rocks, so as to afford a clear view of 

 the open country, the stream widening as it passed through 

 gi-eon meads and groves. This will be the open end of the 

 ravine, or the view from it. If there is no stream the view 

 may likewise be open, though bounded by some object in the 

 distance, or the view will be barren- looking. The view in 

 or up the ravine should be different. It may consist of a 

 high rock having a cascade in the centre, with a richly- 

 wooded background, or the ravine may lose itself at the 

 foot of a mountain, partly wooded, with here and there a 

 piece of rock projecting. If a stream pass through the 

 ravine or rocky glen it will be considerably improved by 

 placing rough stones in parts, and introducing rocks to 

 divert the course of the stream should it run straight. 



For forming caves and subterranean passages great fa- 

 cilities are afforded by quarries and gravel-pits. The sides 

 should be broken down to what we may term a sloping crag 

 in one part, leaving a perpendicular wall in another, just as 

 it may contribute to the general effect. The crags should. 

 be bold, with here and there broad shelves and deep fissures. 

 Some parts should appear as mounds of earth clothed, how- 

 ever, with shrubs and dense foliage, and grassy slopes may 

 be introduced to relieve the crags and connect the rocks 

 with the wooded parts. The shady and moist places are 

 peculiarly well adapted for Ferns. Form the whole so that 

 there may be no blemishes to be hidden by planting. Avoid 

 ruins — at least, do not form them of unhewn stones, and do 

 not throw arches to caverns with hewn stones, or even place 

 rough stones one upon the other systematically, but tumble 

 them together; let the crags, interstices, and ledges appear 

 real ; above all, let the character be that of a rock — distinct 

 and varied, bold and rugged, no even surface, but uneven ; 

 the whole forming a pleasing and noble object. 



Lastly, Alpine scenery. This is too much to attempt un- 

 less the ground favour such a disposition. In level ground 

 it cannot be produced without great labour and expense, and 

 it is better to let it alone. The examples which we find in 

 many nurseries and public gardens are not worth copying, 

 nor is anything to be learned from them except the evUs 

 to bo avoided. Imagine a stream running through rocks 

 rising from the water to a height of only a few feet, with 

 Heaths, so rarely found as rock plants, on the margin of the 

 water ; and find mo a lake not cut in two by a rustic bridge, 

 serving only to spoil an otherwise fine sheet of watei*. 

 Heaps of stones piled one on the other on level ground in 

 front of mansions, on lawns, in pleasure grounds, or pai'ks, 

 are not necessarily rockwork. If a rock is wanted, copy 

 nature. There rocks are of all sizes and forms, but not in 

 the middle of grass fields. Further, note a fountain in the 

 centre of a garden, truly a work of art, surrounded by rock- 

 work, and form your own opinion as to whether they are 

 not two very distinct and incongruous objects, tho ono 

 belonging to the polished or gardenesque, and tho other 

 to the picturesque or natural. Wherever a rockery is at- 

 tempted, it should bo screened from the rest of the groiind 

 by well-disposed shrubberies, so as to give that rockwork 

 a di-stinct character, forming a pleasing contrast to the 

 more regular portion of the grounds. Though barren rocks 

 apj)ear in nature, or plain rocks with but one or two kinds 

 of plants to adorn them, yet we are not bound to imitate 

 thcHC, but rather to bi'ing together many beauties of natural 

 rockwork in one place, and hardy plants from all parts of 

 the world, in order to secure diversity and tho best general 

 effect, that some parts may bo admired for their richness in 

 plants, others on account of tho rocks. — G. Adbey. 



VnaBTAnLK Flannel. — Those of your readers who take an 

 interest intho manufacturoof vegetable flannel from thePinus 

 sylvestris, may like to have the information that since about 



