134 Alpine Plants. 
suitable, provided it is not of a soft, crumbling nature, 
liable to be split or to moulder away under stress of 
frost and weather. While rounded, characterless 
lumps or pyramidal masses are to be avoided, 
grotesque or unusual forms are to be eschewed even 
more severely, as unserviceable and out of place on 
any rockery erected with the object of cultivating 
Alpines. Pointed stones shaped like a canine tooth, 
stones irregularly jagged, or flat triangular or rhom- 
boidal pieces, are also of little use. 
The most serviceable stones are not too slab-like 
pieces, with little thickness compared to their length, 
or even depth, having as nearly vertical sides as may 
be, and either a flat or sharply-bevelled top, while 
ranging in size up to 2ft. or 3ft. long by 14ft. to 2ft. 
high by gin. to 12in. thick. Substantial, irregular- 
fronted blocks, with firm, flat bases, are also very 
useful. Although care to keep all to scale is always 
necessary, there should not be too much timidity in 
respect to the use of large stones on the small 
rockery, if they can be had. 
Comparatively large stones, although not actual 
boulders, are very valuable for use on all but 
insignificant pieces of rockwork, whether to wall up 
steep slopes, to obtain bold features in the low levels, 
or to form bluffs, over which sheets of flower and 
foliage may hang at the back of its top. A judicious 
use of big stones gives a surprising vigour and 
increase of scale to the rock-garden, although it is 
undoubtedly easy to bring about exactly the opposite 
result if they are employed without careful judgment 
and a prudent parsimony in their use. 
