372 



JOHENAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



[ M>r 16, 1M5. 



Ghent, and indeed of Belgium — but we will not plunge 

 among its vegetable treasures at once, but record collectively 

 our obligations to all the Dutch and Belgian cultivators of 

 plants with whom we held conference, for their uniform 

 courtesy. JI. Verschaffelt is a representative man — genial, 

 replete with information, communicative, and talking English 

 fluently, with no more of a foreign accent than is sufficient 

 to render it racy. 



His nursery is scarcely less extensive and his business 

 scarcely less large than M. Van Houtte's. We counted 

 thirty propagating-houses. Of Camellias 28,000 are grafted 

 annually, besides the thousands raised from cuttings. 

 M. Verschaffelt exhibits far and near at the continental 

 shows, and the possession of 1000 medals, of which we saw 

 250, are unmistakeable evidences of the richness of his stock, 

 and the skill devoted successfully to its cultiviition. In 

 every department there was a neatness in details, and a 

 healthiness without exception, which was very striking. 



In noticing at page 343, Palms used as Eoom Plants, and 

 to the propagation of which M. Verschaffelt addresses much 

 attention, we omitted to partioulaiisc Latania rubra. It is 

 a most agreeable addition to their groups, its red leaves in 

 some measure compensating for the absence of flowers. 



Among the most striking of profusely-flowering climbers 

 is Clerodendron Thomsons. Two years since, M. Ver- 

 schafi'elt placed a plant of it at each end of a house, 45 feet 

 long, and when we saw them in April, trained to a wire 

 along the apex of the roof, they had met and presented an 

 uninterrupted wreath of 45 feet long densely covered with 

 the plants' lovely white, crimson-tipped flowers. It was a 

 natural beauty uot to be forgotten. 



The Ferns throughout were gratifying specimens of care- 

 fiJ and able cultivation, whether we turned our attention to 

 the liliputian species, or to the Brobdignag specimens of such 

 genera as Cyathea. Many of them had resisted all attempts 

 to induce them to grow vigorously — and this well deserves 

 attention — until they were grown in a house sunk 5 feet 

 below the surface. The stems of the tree Ferns never 

 matured when grown in a house, the floor of which was on 

 the ground level. In the house sunk below that level the 

 natural moieture of the air sufficed to induce the desired 

 maturity, and the descent of rootlets in a kind of network 

 on the exterior is very remarkable. Tree Ferns which had 

 refused to thrive have in this house made rapid growth, 

 though only removed to it in last November. Even Cyathea 

 Smithii is there growing vigorously. The pots for even the ' 

 largest specimens are only 15 and 20 inches in diameter. 



With that note we must conclude, and hasten back to i 



" This other Eden, demi- Paradise ; 1 



This fortress, built by Nature for herself." I 



Thus John of Ghent, or Gaunt, as we English persist in 

 calling him, described England, as Shakespere tells us, and, 

 let us add, if ever business, or even sterner need, take us 

 again to Belgium, we shall readily adopt old Gaunt's advice, 

 for we shall remember how much of gratification we there 

 enjoyed, and again 



*' Call it a travel tba». wc take for pleasure." 

 certain of not being disappointed — G. 



EOCK PL.iNTS. 



ScccEss in the cultivation of rock plants depends in a 

 great measure on providing them with a suitable soil and 

 position. No hollow space should exist beneath them ; but 

 it is a very common practice to form the rockwork and fill in 

 the crevices with soil, and the soil becoming too dry in sum- 

 mcT the plant3 perish in consequence of their not being 

 deeply rooted, for the hollow space beneath prevents this 

 being the case. The rockwork, if properly formed, will have 

 the lower and inner parts efficiently drained by filling up, as 

 the work proceeds, with rabble or materials that will allow 

 of the water escaping, without leaving any vacancy that will 

 interfere with the well-being of the plants. In rocks that 

 are carried to a great height the inner parts need not be 

 composed of subftances that will allow of the superfluous 

 water escaping in that direction, but may consist of any 

 kind of materials. The portion immediately below the rocks, 

 however, should be loose and open, in order that water may 

 drain from the surface, and shoold communicate with a 



part laid lower and filled with rougher materials so as to 

 carry off the water. I have known a large mound fonned 

 I and covered with rock so as to have a fine effect, but though 

 ] several times planted it still remained barren, except the 

 i upper parts where the plants were more healthy. This 

 mound proved to have been formed of what was little better 

 I than a mass of clay and mud, water would not percolate 

 through it, and this so deluged the lower parts of the rock- 

 work that the plants nearly all perished in winter, especially 

 the more choice kinds, which were planted at the lower parts 

 so as to be more under the eye. 



Kocks, then, should be so formed that the lower parts may 

 not be deluged with water, for though many rock plants like 

 cool situations and moisture they will never thrive grown as 

 if in a bog. The majority of Alpines are found on moist soil 

 on rock, the under strata being rock or gravel, through 

 which the surface water finds its way. Whether plants 

 ; delight in moisture, sunshine, or shade, the draining away 

 of water by the under strata is necessary to their existence, 

 for none flourish in a wet and sour soil except aquatics. 

 With plants peculiarly adapted for growing on dry rocks, 

 moisture if at all excessive in winter is their certain de- 

 struction, and not less detrimental to their well-being is 

 ! planting them in unsuitable positions. It is in a great 

 measure owing to the bad construction of rockwork that the 

 majority of Alpines are grown in pots. In forming rockwork 

 not only shoxJd effect be studied, but the health of the 

 plants to be grown upon it. It should be formed so as to 

 I permit of superfluous water being drained away, and there 

 should be ledges and crevices between the surface stones 

 which may be filled with soil. 



As regards soil the majority of Alpines do well in a com- 

 post of turfy yellow, or hazel, loam, the top spit taken from 

 a pasture and laid in a heap for twelve months, and turned 

 over occasionally. To this may be added one-third of leaf 

 mould, or where it can be had sandy peat would be prefer- 

 able because more lasting. Some require peat soil alone, or 

 mixed with a smaller proportion of loam ; others a free open 

 soil, which may be obtained by mixing small pieces of stone 

 with the soil, sandstone being best ; but brick rubbish will 

 do if stone cannot be had. 



The crevices and ledges being furnished with soil of the 

 suitable kind (but without covering the stones to a:iy great 

 extent, and leaving some quite naked, otherwise the natural 

 rock-like appearance will be destroyed), planting may be pro- 

 ceeded with. In doing so take advantage of a hollo .v in the 

 upper part of a stone to introduce soil and a plant of a kind 

 that wiU cover it in time. Guard against crowding ; leave 

 room for all the plants to grow into large patches, unless, 

 indeed, they are not of a spreading nature, when they may 

 be planted much more closely, but never so as to smother 

 the non-spreading, but all so that they can grow and unfold 

 their beauties without requiring much and frequent attention 

 in order to keep them within bounds. In planting bear in 

 mind that rockwork is expected to be interesting not at one 

 particular period, but at all seasons, and do not put all the 

 spring-blooming species in one place, and the summer-bloom- 

 ing in another, nor should those of which the merit mainly 

 consists in their foliage be all collected in one place, but 

 plant for effect at all seasons. In a word, mass them as you 

 would bedding plants, and they will then form a fine feature 

 in the distance, being beds of white, blue, red, and yellow, 

 interspersed with green and rocky crags. It is astonishing 

 what splendid masses some Alpines, usually so insignificant 

 in pots, make when planted in nooks and corners of rock- 

 work where, small as they are, they often become too large 

 for the places assigned them. No one who has not seen 

 them in masses in their native wilds, or in large clumps on 

 rockwork, can form an idea of their beauty from the culti- 

 vation of them in pots or small patches. 



Whilst providing for rendering the rockwork effective at a 

 distance, these masses should not be seen all at once when 

 close at hand. Another great charm of rockwork is to find 

 some plant where no one would think of looking for it. 

 Some of the more diminut ive species should be apparently 

 hidden by the masses of the spreading kinds, and though 

 not productive of effect at a distance, will be very interest- 

 ing at a near view. Alpines are best planted in spring, but 

 those which are evergreen may be sacceasfuUy removed after 

 flowering. It is advisable to have them established in pots ; 



