32 
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
an ideal site. This should be fixed where there is suitable 
environment, because of its special character. I mean this in 
the sense that if we are to gather together in one place a special 
collection of flowers of one family, it will be worth while to do 
so with surroundings which may be expected to be conducive 
not only to the best scenic effects, but also to the best accommoda- 
tion of the plants culturally. If we grow Campanulas in mixed 
borders, or mix them with other Alpines on our rockeries, as a 
matter of course the borders and rockeries are not, and need not, 
be specially selected so as to give the Campanulas all or even a 
maximum of the advantages ; but it could, and should, be other- 
wise with a Campanula garden, and my point is that they merit 
and warrant this special style of culture where the opportunity 
presents itself. 
Doubtless many of the species (such as the Alpines) are better 
for the rarefied atmosphere of the higher altitudes, but generally 
speaking this section of Campanulas flourishes in almost any 
position where they are not absolutely or too partially shaded. 
It is well known that Campanulas flourish in the vicinity of 
dwarf shrubs and trees ; if these do not obstruct the direct sky- 
light they conduce to a more balmy condition of the atmosphere 
by reason of the amount of moisture evaporated from the abun- 
dance of leaf surface. I believe these are generally accepted 
facts, and, given an ideal position for a supposed Campanula 
garden, let us feebly attempt to imagine the picture. 
Coming round a bend where a slope rises from a small stream, 
the slope facing to the east, and by another bend facing to the 
south : the slopes furnished with dwarf shrubs a little distance 
up, presenting sometimes rounded, at other times forked points, 
tapering in dwarf ness to within a few inches of the ground. A 
little beyond, the groups of shrubs become larger as well as the 
stature of the individuals higher, and beyond, again, are forest 
trees, common to our parks and woodlands. Turning round 
and glancing at the irregular strip or stony bank between the walk 
on which you stand and the stream, your eye is caught at once by 
large patches, rambling between tlie boulders, of the delicate 
C. hederacea. C. isophylla (botli the white and blue forms) is 
far happier in these moist stony positions than you are wont to 
see it in drier places. 
Believing the stones are the glorious spikes of the big- 
