HERBERT'S THEORY OP SOILS. 535 



in dry pastures, having flowers either blue, white, or red. I 

 believe the stated habitation to be only thus far true, that it 

 does not grow in water. I do not recollect seeing it in sandy 

 pastures ; I know it well on chalk and on clay. In England it 

 is little admired. In the alluvial and very moist meadows of 

 Zante, near the sea, in the vicinity of Trieste, it formed a most 

 conspicuous part of the meadow-crop at the end of May, and 

 the beauty with which it painted the herbage was to me 

 astonishing. It seemed that, in a warmer climate, it could 

 endure more moisture than with . us. On the slope of Monte 

 Spaccato, where no Grass grows, large single plants of it stood 

 in the bare soil amongst the stones, with every intermediate 

 diversity of pearl-colour and lilac, showing evidently that the 

 merits of that little plant under cultivation are not appreciated 

 or known." / 



We believe that in this instance the views m Dean Herbert 

 were in perfect accordance with every well ascertained fact 

 relating to other plants ; and that one of the greatest errors 

 that have been committed is an unintelligent imitation of soils. 

 Men do not, in fact, distinguish between natural accidents, such as 

 soil, and natural habits, such as manner of growth coupled with 

 atmospheric peculiarities. It is the natural habit of the Sikkim 

 Rhododendrons to grow in a damp atmosphere, highly charged 

 with the results of frequent thunderstorms; and they may 

 never be grown well except in the presence of such conditions 

 or of their equivalents. But the growing upon the branches 

 of trees is with them an accident, and they grow quite as well 

 if not better in soil ; for there is nothing in the anatomical 

 condition of iheir roots which declares that in air alone are 

 they capable of existing. 



A striking example of this is given iu the Botanical Magazine, 

 Speaking of the management of the Lace-bark tree, Mr* John Smith 

 says : " Mr. WUson informed us that ' it is invariably found growing 

 in very dry situations on marly limestone hills, where there is not a 

 particle of earth to be seen. The young plants grow in the crevices, or 

 honeycomb, as it is caUed, and in order to obtain them with roots, a 

 hammer or large stone is required to break away the porous limestone.' 

 He further adds, that ' the soil for growing it in should be composed of 

 one-tjiird marl or lime-rubbish ; for I am persuaded that pure loam 



