CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



the former dominate or dwarf the latter. The 

 highest art in this form of garden architecture or 

 landscape — for it ia hoth — is so to introduce and 

 dispose of the rock as to improve the setting, 

 enhance the heauty, or add to the vigour or robust- 

 ness of the plants. The plants are nature's jewels ; 

 the rocks — at least the artificial ones — are the setting 

 used to throw them up or out to higher purpose or 

 vantage. 



Starting and holding on with vice-like tenacity to 

 this general principle would revolutionise many, and 

 improve nearly aU, of the artificial rookeries in the 

 kingdom. And there would be this tangible benefit, 

 that whatever else failed, the plants would thrive 



did to the gems of art which they well-nigh extin- 

 guished by their enormous weight and gaudy glitter 

 of golden gilding. No more rock than is needful 

 for the setting, and our Alpineries and ferneries 

 would become gems of art, sensibly adding by their 

 verdure, brilliance, and grandeur to the artistic 

 enrichments of the garden, instead of, as now, so 

 often being the one unpleasant blot that mars its 

 whole character, and drags it down to the low level 

 of sheer vulgarity. 



The Soil for Rook Plants. — Be its qusility 

 what it may, its depth is of more importance than 

 its width, the roots of many Alpines boring more 



Fig. 1. 



Fig. 2. 



rig. 3. 



In Fig. 1 the plant is considerably overhung by the roots, and is dwaifed in size in consequence. But by 

 placing the plant slightly in advance of the rook, these evils are less apparent than if the plant had been 

 placed directly against its base. In Pig. 2 the upstanding rook is placed almost vertically, and the plant 

 grows the better on that account. Fig. 3 shows the rock tilted over away from the plant. 



and be in health. It is not given to every one — 

 only, in fact, to very few — to observe and appropriate 

 to artificial uses nature's tit-bits of rockscape; but 

 almost any one who starts on the firm, safe ground 

 that every plant must have good soil and plenty 

 of water to grow it to perfection, is on the high 

 road to cultural success. So vitally important 

 is the latter, and such horrid abortions are many 

 rockeries, that one is ready to exclaim, " Perish the 

 rocks, if the plants will only live, thrive, and 

 flower ! " Some of them will do far better without 

 rocks than with, on, or among them ; and some of 

 the most effective banks, mounds, borders, and beds 

 of Alpine plants have been wholly reckless. 



But this is written not to discourage rockeries, 

 but to give emphasis to the advice to consider the 

 plants first and last. If this is always done, rocks 

 may be introduced among them with less injury, 

 and probably to the improvement of the general 

 effect. But so many rookeries bear the same rela- 

 tion to the plants, ferns, &o., with which they 

 are facetiously said to be clothed, as the enormously 

 heavy and monstrously gildedframes, once so common. 



than spreading. A yard deep should be looked 

 upon as the minimum needed to grow these 

 to anything like perfection; the deeper, in fact, 

 the better. Even the quality of the soil is of 

 less moment than its depth, for its function in 

 not a few cases is more of a water-holder than a 

 plant-feeder. This holds out good prospects of 

 success to those who would try water-culture for 

 Alpines. Hence, too, almost any soil that can be 

 kept moist without becoming sour may be used for 

 them. In a state of nature, the earth they grow in 

 is very much mixed. The debris of rocks and decom- 

 posed grasses, mosses, leaves, stems, with particles of 

 soU or silica, these form the natural compost for 

 Alpines ; and the nearer this mixture can be imitated 

 by artificial means the better. The nearest practical 

 approach to this natural mixture is sandy loam, with 

 a third of leaf-mould and a liberal addition of 

 smashed sandstone or other stone. A few prefer 

 peat, but these are comparatively few. Where leaf- 

 mould is not obtainable, peat may be substituted for 

 it. Some cultivators even recommend a slight addi- 

 tion of thoroughly decomposed manure, but this is 



