58 STUDIES IN GARDENING 



this to cover the pan with a sheet of glass to prevent 

 evaporation. This sheet must be removed as soon 

 as there is any danger of its drawing the seedlings. 

 Watering must always be done with a very fine rose, 

 and care must be taken not to wash the seed all to 

 the edges of the pan. To avoid this, and to keep the 

 pans in an even state of moisture, some gardeners 

 place them in troughs or basins with about two inches 

 of water in them. Then the water gets into the pans 

 through the hole at the bottom and keeps the soil 

 always fairly moist. Where seed is sown of very 

 rare or delicate plants, it is well to follow this plan. 

 The seed of some Alpines, as, for instance, of the 

 Saxifrages and some Campanulas, is almost as fine 

 as dust. When such very small seed is sown it should 

 be mixed with sUver sand so that it may not be sown 

 too thick, and should be covered only with the slight- 

 est possible layer of the same silver sand. When the 

 seedlings are up they must be protected from the hot 

 sun, but must have plenty of light and air. 



It is impossible to give precise general directions 

 as to the best soil for Alpines, as they vary a good 

 deal in their requirements. Some, for instance, need 

 lime, and to some it is poison. It is much to be de- 

 sired that some one should make a trustworthy test 

 of the lime haters and lime lovers, based upon ob- 

 servation and experiment in an English garden. The 

 lists which have hitherto been made are usually im- 

 perfect and often erroneous. Most Alpine plants, 

 however, do not dislike lime, and a great many are 



