A FEW NOTES ON ROCK-GARDENS. 
455 
broadly, for where practicable it is well also to liave parts of the 
work creviced and pocketed for plants liking such treatment, or 
wanting such " setting." But, at least, large spaces should be 
general or frequent, that unbroken masses of plants may be seen. 
Now how to shape these surfaces. I know of no change to me 
so great, worked by effort so trivial, as that which I have often 
effected by a quarter of an hour's work with rake and spade upon 
shapeless piles of soil in a new-made rockery. If the soil is fairly 
loose, the rake (teeth and back) may do alone. Score the sides 
of the piles into such depressions and little gullies, of wavy out- 
line, as nature makes everywhere — both on a small and a large 
scale — by water action, and the effect, however simple, will 
become natural and pleasing. If the surface is to be planted 
with carpeters, as I recommend, these depressions need not be 
deep, in order that their outlines may still be retained and seen 
when they are planted. They must be deeper, of course, when 
planted with taller plants, and when it is wished to keep the 
outline. 
But I must cease these notes, which are necessarily roughs 
and some will think arbitrary. They certainly deal with matters 
which are largely questions of taste, and will, I hope, provoke 
criticism. Were I to continue I should have to enter upon the 
really vast subject of the literally thousands of species of fine 
rock-plants, on each class of which much might well be said. I 
will therefore only add one or two general observations. 
The first, that most bulbs, though effective and otherwise 
valuable, are not generally in place in the rock-garden, because 
suffering from the summer watering which is there needed. 
There are, however, a few which are exceptionally accommo- 
dating. And, as well as bulbs, numbers ,of other plants from 
low altitudes which need similar summer conditions may well be 
grown in the neighbourhood of Alpines, by the simple expedient 
of giving up to them a separate section of the rock-garden, and 
leaving it generally unwatered in summer. 
Next, that the small *'gems" of the rock-garden, plants 
whose beauties are not seen at a distant glance, should evidently 
be so placed that they may easily be seen and studied ; if may 
be, somewhere near the level of the eye, and at least in posi- 
tions where they will easily be approached, and at the same 
time not overgrown by larger subjects. It is an excellent plan 
