100 PRACTICAL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS 



A coating of finely sifted burnt earth on the surface, and a piece of glass 

 laid over the pan, especially if no water is used for them unless it has 

 been boiled, reduces this trouble to a minimum. But sowings of 

 choice and rare seed should be carefully watched, and the Liverwort 

 picked off at the first appearance. 



' Division and Cutting. — Many alpines seem never to ripen seed 

 in cultivation, and must be reproduced by division or cuttings. The 

 skill required to do this varies greatly with different subjects : where a 

 shoot can seldom be found more than half an inch long, as in the case 

 of two or three hybrid alpine Pinks, the " striking " needs dehcate 

 manipulation. Other things grow very slowly, though not long-lived, 

 and a constant succession from cuttings must be ensured. Some of 

 the terrestrial Orchids— such as Bee, Fly, and Spider, excellent subjects 

 for rockery — we must be contented to keep as long as they choose to live, 

 as they never seem to increase in cultivation at all, though they may 

 flower well year after year. 



' But there are not a few plants which refuse to be tamed, and from 

 the time they are planted in our gardens seem always to go from bad 

 to worse, and are never presentable in appearance for two seasons to- 

 gether. Of these I may instance Gentiana bavarica (p. 653) and 

 Eritricliium nanum (p. 673), which I believe no skill has ever kept in 

 cultivation without constant renewal, and which perhaps are never 

 likely to repay the trouble of trying to keep them alive on an English 

 rockery. In all alpine gardening there will be (even where equal skill 

 is exerted) different degrees of success according to the surrounding 

 conditions, and it must not be expected that the same soil and treat- 

 ment which keeps a hundred rare alpines in perfect health at Edin- 

 burgh will be equally fortunate at Kew. 



' Cold Frames. — Where the area of rockery is considerable a cold 

 frame (see p. 47) should be assigned for keeping up the supply of 

 plants for it — cuttings and seedlings — in pots. The best treatment 

 of these plants in winter has been much discussed in gardening jour- 

 nals. I may say that I think all attempts to imitate natural conditions, 

 such as snow and long rest, by unnatural means are mistakes. During 

 warm winters, mountain plants will grow and must be allowed to grow, 

 and to keep them unnaturally dark or drying when growing is fatal to 

 their health. Even in severe frosts air must be given abundantly in 

 the daytime and the frames must not be muffied up. Stagnant air, 

 whether damp or dry, is their worst enemy ; but if the weather 

 is warm enough to set them growing, they may easily die for want 

 of moisture. I wiM not say more than this, for experience is the 

 best guide, and every one thinks he can manage his frames better 



