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JOUENAL OF THE EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



exposed to perish beneath the burning heat of summer, the abundant 

 rains of autumn, the intense cold of winter." It follows that the 

 plants become modified in structure and function, since it is practically 

 impossible to provide them with the environment of high altitudes — 

 " the dew to moisten their roots, the fresh air to bathe their organs, 

 the intense solar radiation which incites the functions of nutrition and 

 enhances the colour of the flowers, the hiantle of snow that preserves 

 them from the rigours of winter. ' ' 



For many reasons it seemed advisable to establish true alpine 

 gardens in the Alps, and this, like the rock gardens in the plain, was 

 first undertaken by professional botanists. 



In 1875 Nageli, Professor at Munich, pointed out the practical 

 and scientific value of gardens in the High Alps. To agriculture at 

 high levels they are as invaluable as experimental farming has proved 

 to be in the plains. They aim at preserving, utilizing, and improving 

 existing vegetation, at cultivating barren spots, at producing new 

 forms adapted to an alpine climate, at introducing others experi- 

 mentally selected from those of value in the plain. 



On the other hand, such gardens assist the study of the alpine 

 flora, of the variability and fixity of species, and their adaptation to 

 climate, the conditions (altitude, temperature, humidity, light, &c.) 

 under which they live. They are invaluable in the protection of 

 plants. Many alpine species are rapidly dying out. The very agricul- 

 tural improvements named above are fatal to innumerable flowers. 

 M. Lachmann, pleading for the magnificent Lautaret flora, points out 

 that the meadows are now mown annually instead of every two years 

 as formerly, so that an infinity of plants are cut down before their 

 seeds have time to ripen. Nowadays the pastures are improved by 

 irrigating the dry slopes, draining the hollows, manuring everywhere, 

 which creates new environmental conditions. Many species of plants 

 are unable to adapt themselves to this new regime and die out rapidly. 

 Again, of the 220 species which constitute the ordinary alpine pasture, 

 only 10 are excellent for forage, 70 are good, 60 medium, all the rest 

 are weeds, mauvaises herhesl Such "weeds" are all the Eanun- 

 culaceae; all the Orchids, Scrophulariaceae, Gentians, Polygalas ; 

 most of the Gruciferae, Arnica, and many other Gomposites, Narcissi, 

 St. Bruno's Lilies, Martagon Lilies — above all. Edelweiss. Sooner or 

 later they must be exterminated. Some of the Mont Genis pastures 

 already present a sad contrast to the enamelled meadows of Lautaret : 

 " Graminaceae, with sundry Leguminosae and a few of the Umbel- 

 liferae, which make good hay, predominate. This crop is tall and 

 fine, and is much sought after for military forage." 



Still more fatal are the sheep. As Dr. Levier remarks, " Forty 

 generatioDS of vandal botanists and exterminators of rare plants 

 would never equal the harm caused in a single year by this four- 

 footed razor ' ' ! 



For all these reasons the Association pour la protection des plantes 

 was founded at Geneva in 1883 by M. Henry Gorrevon, " the man 



