288 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



few as possible, providing only for secure interlocking, there will 

 be plenty of room for soil to nourish the plants. Ever-changing 

 variety of stone surface, both above and below the soil, is the 

 object to be aimed at, and any sort of symmetry must be avoided. 

 The second form, or facing rockery, is dependent upon the natural 

 shape of ground-surface. Wherever there is a steep bank facing 

 south or east it may be utilised for the growth of alpines. The 

 stones, as before advised, should be large and unshapely, and 

 be buried to two-thirds of their bulk, and form a very uneven 

 surface, all being interlocked from top to bottom as described. 

 Rockeries of this form are less liable to suffer from drought ; if 

 the surface covered is large, access to all parts should be provided 

 by convenient stepping-stones, because, although every stone in 

 the structure ought to be capable of bearing the weight of a 

 heavy man without danger of displacement, it is better not to 

 have to tread upon the plants. 



The sunk rockery is perhaps the best of all, but entails rather 

 more labour in construction. Where subsoil drainage is perfect, 

 a sunk walk may be made, not less than ten or twelve feet 

 wide, with sloping sides. The sides may be faced with stones, 

 as described in the second form of rockery, and all or part of 

 the excavated soil may be made into a raised mound, continuing 

 the slopes of the excavated banks above the ground-level, and 

 thus combining the facing rockery and the barrow rockery. If 

 the outer line of this portion above the ground be varied by small 

 bays, every possible aspect and slope may be provided to suit the 

 taste of every plant. However, unless drainage is perfect, a 

 sunk walk, rising to the ground-level at each end, would not be 

 feasible. But a broad walk, excavated into the side of a hill and 

 sloping all one way, could be adapted to a structure nearly 

 similar to that described, or the ground may be dug out in the 

 form of an amphitheatre to suit the taste or circumstances. 

 But whatever the form of rockery adopted, let the situation 

 be away from the influence of trees, beyond suspicion of the 

 reach of their roots below, or their drip, or even their shade 

 above. Trees which only shelter from high winds are so far 

 serviceable, and so are walls and high banks. There are few 

 alpines for which a storm-swept surface is good, but trees are 

 objectionable where they lessen the light, which is an important 

 element in the welfare of most mountain plants. The shade 



