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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



with just a little care you can raise by far the greater part of 

 Alpine plants from seed. I have myself raised, either in the 

 Botanic Garden of Geneva or in our Jardin d'Acclimatation, 

 more than two-thirds of the Alpine flora, and the plants obtained 

 in this way are always more robust and healthy than wild plants 

 transplanted into the gardens. 



The easiest to raise from seed are the Caryophyllaceai (Di- 

 anthus, Arenaria, Silene, Lychnis, &c), the Cruciferae (Erysimum, 

 Lepidium, Iberis, Arabis, Draba, &c), the different kinds of 

 Helianthemum, many of the Compositae, the Papavers, Globu- 

 larias, Potentillas, Geums, Aquilegias, Astrantias, Eryngiums, 

 the Campanulacea? (Edraianthus, Campanula, Phyteuma), Draco- 

 cephalums, Lithospermums, the Geraniaceae, Hypericinea?, 

 Lonicerie, Leguminosaa, Paronychieae, Polemonium, Rubus, 

 Scabiosa, Sedum, Sempervivum, Thalictrum, Veronicas, Saxi- 

 fragas. All these plants grow with the greatest ease and facility 

 in good and light soil ; they germinate in a few weeks after 

 having been sown, and have no special wants. 



The Primulacea?, Gentianaceae, Berberideae, many of the 

 Ranunculaceae, Scrophularineae, Umbellifera?, Liliaceae, Amaryl- 

 Lideae, Rutaceas, Irideae, and Daphne are slower to come up, but 

 come without difficulty. The raiser must wait often two years 

 (Paeonies and Dictamnus for instance), but they never fail. Give 

 them a porous light soil with a little Sphagnum, and you will 

 succeed in all cases. All the Alpine plants must be sown in a 

 cool frame, and in the early spring or in late autumn (November). 



The most difficult kinds are the following : — Pedicularis, 

 Bartsia Paederota, Parnassia, the Rhinanthacea?, Pinguicula, 

 Heaths (Ericas), Lycopods, Pyrolacea?, Ramondia, Haberlea, 

 Jankeea, Rhododendron, Orchids, &c. 



On these very difficult kinds Mr. Moo, of the Botanic Gardens, 

 Christiania, made some very interesting experiments. For the 

 Heaths, Lycopods, and Ferns he takes pieces of turf cut into 

 cubes of two ov three inches, and rubs the seeds or spores against 

 the sides and on the upper surface of the cubes, which he then 

 places in water to the depth of an inch. All the upper part is 

 thus kept in a state of constant and regular moisture, which 

 allows the slow and difficult germination to take place in a 

 regular manner. During the winter those turf-cubes sown with 

 Yaccinieffl and Ericaceaj arc placed in a cool frame sheltered from 



