Part I. ALPINE PLANTS IN POTS. 57 



tetragona and A . fastigiata,\ht Menziesias and Gaultheria pro- 

 cumbens, the choicer Hehanthemums and dwarf Phloxes, and 

 many others enumerated in the selections of exhibition plants, 

 might be found pretty enough to satisfy even the most fasti- _ 

 dious growers of New Holland plants. 



The very grass is not more easily grown than plants like 

 Iberises and Aubrietias, yet to ensure their being^ worthy of a 

 place, they ought to be at least a year in pots so as to secure 

 well-furnished plants. Such vigorous subjects, to merit the 

 character of being well grown, should fall luxuriantly over the 

 edge of the pots, and in all cases as much as possible of the 

 crockeryware should be hidden. The dwarf and spreading 

 habit of many of this class of plants would render this a matter 

 of no difficulty. In some cases it would be desirable to put a 

 number of cuttings or young rooted plants into six-inch pots, so 

 as to form specimens quickly. Pots of six inches diameter suit 

 well for growing many subjects of this intermediate type ; and with 

 good culture, and a little liquid manure, it would be quite pos- 

 sible to get a large development of plant in such a comparatively 

 small pot, but if very large specimens were desired, a size larger 

 might be resorted to. 



To descend from the type that seems to present the greatest 

 number of neat and attractive flowering plants to the cultivator, 

 we will next deal with the dwarf race of hardy succulents, and 

 the numerous minute alpine plants that associate with them in 

 size — a class rich in merit and strong in numbers. These should, 

 as a rule, be grown and shown in pans : they are often so pretty 

 and singular in aspect, as in the cases of the little silvery Saxi- 

 frages, that they will be very attractive when out of flower, 

 while the flowers are none the less beautiful because the leaves 

 happen to be ornamental in an unusual way. Many of a Uke 

 size, as Erpetion reniforme and Mazus Pumilio, must be shown 

 in good flower. All these little plants are of the readiest culture 

 in pans, with good drainage, and light soil. Of course the 

 quick way to form good specimens of the most diminutive kinds 

 is to dot young plants over the surface of the pot or pan at once. 



Some few alpine plants are somewhat delicate or difficult to 

 grow ; and amongst the most beautiful and interesting of these 

 are the Gentians, and certain of the Primulas. There are many 

 who will of course be ambitious to succeed in cultivating them, 

 but, in a general way, it would be better to avoid, at first, all 



