fiWALLOir-WOliT GENTl-AX. 63 



placCj provide a moist spot for tlie seed-paiiSj and keep it 

 moid, and let the j'aus be covered with sheets of paper or 

 loose dam}? moss^ whieli^ of eoiirse, must he removed when 

 the seedling plants begin to appear. Finally, if the soil in 

 the ]3ans will get dr}^ iu spite of all your ^jreeautions, take 

 a large vessel, such as a jiail or tub, and fill it with water, 

 and lato this d'qj the pans or boxes. 13y standing them on 

 empty pots in the water, to the depth of two or three 

 inches, they will, iu the course of half an hour, aljsorb 

 enough to carry them on for a week or more, and this with- 

 out disturbing one grain of sand or seed on the surface. 



It matters little how close and dark the seed-pans are 

 kept; iu fact, damj) and darkness are favourable to tlie 

 germinating process, especially of the seeds of Alpine plants, 

 which naturally fall amongst mossy herljage, where there 

 is an almost perpetual humidity. But instantly on the 

 little plants appearing, light and air must be admitted, 

 and as they make progress they will need light and air 

 more and more, but must be guarded against all extreme 

 conditions, such as powerful sunshine, driving winds, and 

 drenching rains. To nurse them on with protection enough, 

 and yet to treat them as hardy plants, is not a difficult 

 matter, and indeed a little buffeting of the elemeuts will 

 ilo them no harm. And it will be equally easy to plant 

 them, as soon as large enough, in a bed made up for tlie 

 purpose in a frame, and there nurse them again uutd they 

 are large enough to be j^lanted out. 



Amongst the many gentians in cultivation, the follow- 

 ing are the most deserving of attention as rockery and 

 garden plants: gentianella (6/. acmditi), deep blue Howers, 

 the plant a very model of neatness ; swallow-wort gentian 

 [G. asclejjiadea) , the stems swollen at the joints, the flowers 



