50 Alpine House insures Success 



The Essential Principles of an Alpine House. — Firstly, 

 and, if you will, " secondly, thirdly, finally, and in con- 

 clusion," it should be — must be — an absolutely cold 

 structure (Fig. 26). There must be no half measures 

 about this, no putting in heating appliances in "case 

 they are wanted in severe weather." Bogies of such a 

 kind are quit;e out of place. We never attempted to 

 artificially heat our rock gardens in the past, and we do 

 not do it to-day. We have heavily matted the alpine 

 frame, however, to our cost, and lost many a precious 

 bit through damp or slugs, or both. The vital principle 

 of an alpine house is protection — protection prior to 

 and through the flowering period of the plant, protec- 

 tion which insures overhead dryness, and shields the 

 subjects from the worst of our ever-changing climatic 

 and atmospheric conditions. The plants of our choice 

 are not tender, but invariably hardy; and hardier still 

 where overhead dryness is secured to them, because 

 they are invested with greater powers of endurance. 

 Cold, dry cold, they enjoy; damp is doom. In my deal- 

 ings with the alpine house it was an inflexible rule that 

 the side and roof ventilators should never be closed. 

 I had faith in the complete hardiness of my subjects, 

 and provided them with hygienic conditions by a con- 

 stant circulation of air. One of the finest collections 

 of choice alpines I ever had in my keeping was win- 

 tered in a brick frame, amply pigeon-holed at back and 

 front, yet those plants, in the teeth of wind and frost 

 for weeks with the thermometer repeatedly at zero, 

 and with no further protection than the glazed lights 

 afforded, came through the ordeal unharmed. Over- 

 head dryness is therefore important. I am emphatic 

 on this point, possibly a little dogmatic, having seen 

 the dangers and drawbacks of a "little heat" applied 

 and misapplied, and equally those caused by damp and 

 the condensing moisture consequent upon closing up 

 house or frame. In a few words, the alpine house is 

 intended to preserve character, not to destroy it. 

 (Figs. 27 and 28). 



