Part I. A LITTLE TOUR IN THE ALPS. 89 



grown in pots, which they no more require than does a young 

 oak. To the cottage or garden of the poorest they will lend an 

 interest, and any of our largest gardens would be improved by 

 their presence, if suitably arranged. Generally it is rare to see 

 them in cultivation, but lately a fine species, S. calcareum, has 

 come into use as an edging plant. 



The Cobweb Houseleek is usually kept in a miserable state in 

 pots, though the accompanying cut, from a photograph taken 

 at Lamport Hall, Northampton, the 

 seat of Sir Charles I sham, shows 

 that it attains the rudest vigour in 

 British gardens. Indeed, I have not 

 seen it so vigorous on the Alps as 

 at Lamport Hall last summer. It 

 is, however, impossible to fully re- 

 present its singular structure in an 



engraving. Fig- 59.— The Cobweb Houseleek. 



Next our pretty old friend, the 

 Hepatica, came in sight, peeping here and there under the brush- 

 wood, but rarely in such strong tufts as one sees it make in our 

 gardens. In a wild state it has, like everything else, to fight for 

 existence, and is none the worse for it. To meet the httle king 

 of all our early. spring flowers in his old wild home would have 

 rewarded me for a day'^ hard walking in these soUtudes. This 

 plant had many interesting companions ; not the least attrac- 

 tive and welcome being the Helvetian Selaginella, occasionally 

 seen in fern collections in this country, which mantled over the 

 rocks in many places, pushing up little erect fruiting stems from 

 its green branchlets. It is hardy and well suited to gracefully 

 accompany the smallest flowering rock-herbs. 



The scenery now began to get very bold and striking, and, 

 after a walk of nearly two hours, we reached a village with a 

 very poor inn, where we had some black bread and wine. By 

 this time a sUght -misty rain had begun to fall, and bearing in 

 mind the long and toilsome valley we had to traverse before 

 reaching a place where we could rest for the night, we resolved 

 to use our legs as rapidly as possible, and practically shut our 

 eyes to all the interesting objects around us. A soaking rain 

 helped us to carry out this part of the plan. With rapid pace 

 and eyes fixed on the stony footway, on we went, the valley 

 becoming narrower as we progressed, and in some parts danger- 



