84 JOURXAL OF THE ROYAL HoETICl'LTUEAL SOCIETY. 
general rule, not utilised at all, but are filled up with cement or mortar. 
This I consider a great mistake. Besides being unsightly, the cement 
often cracks and forms a harbour for vermin, while we have many 
hundreds of varieties of lovely plants to choose from, which would 
delight in just such a position, as, for instance, most Androsaces and 
Saxifrages, and especially all plants with their leaves arranged in the 
form of rosettes like Sempervivum, Ramonuia. and a host of others. As 
a rule these vertical fissures are best planted during the progress of the 
work, as some of them would be more difiicult to get at afterwards. 
The roots of such plants, instead of being in the usual more or less 
vertical position, would be in this case almost horizontal, and by means 
of small stones and soil the plants would have to be wedged in sideways 
in such a way that no water can rest in the centre of the rosettes of 
leaves. 
Where plants which develop large roots are used care must be taken 
that the earth among the rocks communicates with the general soil, so as 
to allow the roots to penetrate to a substratum of good earth, as other- 
wise the rocks might be forced apart by the development of the roots. 
Planting the surroundings of the rock-garden requires almost as 
much care as the planting of the rock-garden itself, if we wish to 
ensure that picturesque effect without which the work can never appear 
natural. 
Single specimens, too, judiciously placed will do much to enhance the 
character of the work, and might occur, not only here and there among 
the rocks, but also on the green sward between and around the groups of 
rocks and plants. But always will it be necessary to look ahead and to 
have due regard to the future proportions of the plants chosen. 
Watee in the Eock- garden is indeed a most desirable feature from 
every point of view. 
It must not be supposed that a rock-garden could not be beautiful 
without it : but water gives life to the scene, and, with the exception of a 
stagnant pool, it is most acceptable in any form, whether it be a natural 
brook meandering through ground bedecked with fiowers, or a murmur- 
ing spring, a streamlet, a bog-bed. a rushing torrent leaping from rock to 
rock in a series of waterfalls, or a pond partly filled with choice ^Yater- 
lilies and adorned on its banks with plants from the riverside. 
Even when water is introduced artificially, and has to be laid on in 
pipes, the rock-garden oft'ers probably a much better chance of making 
the most of it than any other part of the garden, as even a small supply 
can be made to do duty in quite a variety of difi'erent forms. 
In the case of a natural streamlet little need be said except that its 
banks should be judiciously adorned with suitable plants, of which a list 
will be appended. 
But in the great majority of cases water, if it can be had at all, is 
laid on artificially, and it is this form which I will briefiy consider. 
There is one advantage in water thus introduced, and that is it is 
under our absolute control, and we can shape its course where and how 
we like ; whilst a natural stream traversing the ground remains in most 
cases master of the situation, and its original level or course can seldom 
be altered without considerable trouble. 
