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deep, and, if it be stiff, it should be lightened by a libera] 

 dressing of leaf-mould during the digging process As t his 

 naturally raises the level somewhat, it is advisable to Let it 

 settle down before proceeding with the wall, so as to obviate 

 subsequent undue settlement after planting. In construct- 

 ing a wall of this kind, it is obvious that the planting should 

 be effected simultaneously with the laying of each course, 

 for once the wall is completed, the component pieces of rock 

 or burr are, as a rule, too firmly fixed to be removed, and 

 proper planting is, consequently, impossible. 



We proceed then as follows : From end to end of the pro- 

 jected wall bottom we bed very firmly and deeply in the 

 soil a row of fairly uniform pieces of stone, leaving spaces 

 of a couple of inches between each. In placing these the 

 bank soil is dug out with a trowel or spade to half the depth 

 of the stones, the excavated soil being thrown up the bank. 

 The stones being in place, the soil is well worked in and 

 rammed down behind them, leaving space for specially 

 prepared soil to be filled in all along as the planting proceeds. 

 The bottom courses of the wall will necessarily be the 

 moistest, and it is well, prior to planting, to sort out the 

 alpine or other plants into groups most suitable for dry or 

 moist positions, or requiring peat or lime in the soil, and so 

 on, since in constructing the rockery on the lines I am in- 

 dicating, their special tastes can all be provided for as we 

 proceed. Thus, if a plant requires lime, we can mix some 

 old lime rubble with the compost, and so on. The next 

 thing is to lay the plants on the layer of compost, spread 

 out their roots carefully, and arrange them so that their 

 growing crowns will just be free of the second course of 

 stones. The roots spread out as described, a little more 

 compost is spread over them, and a fresh row of stones is 

 bedded firmly in such a way that an inch or two of the first 



