THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA 
301 
portulacas, calendulas, coreopsis, statices, crysanthe- 
munis, larkspurs, dianthus, sunflowers, gaillardias, schiz- 
anthus, nemophila, love-in-a-mist, eschscholtzias and 
cosmos may be safely sown any time after April 15 in 
this latitude if the ground has become dry ; if not, it is 
safer to wait a couple of weeks. Such subjects as gyp- 
sophila elegans, larkspurs, shirley poppies, clarkias, 
schizanthus, candytuft and sweet alyssum should be sown 
two or three times to secure a succession of bloom, mak- 
ing the last sowing as near June 1 as possible. 
Hardy herbaceous perennials are wonderfully popular 
now. 1 well remember the fight waged by Mr. William 
Robinson through the columns of the English "Garden" 
to secure them suitable recognition in the early '80s of 
the last century. A great proportion of these hardy 
plants are easily and inexpensively raised from seed. 
Taking first those usually treated as biennials, but some 
of which are perennial, we have pansies, bedding violas, 
double daisies, rockets, forget-me-nots, Canterbury bells, 
foxgloves, hollyhocks and honesty ; of these, pansies, 
violas, forget-me-nots and daisies should be sown in a 
cold frame, or in a shaded position outdoors from July 
25 to August 1. Foxgloves and Canterbury bells need 
sowing in May, and hollyhocks in early July. For any- 
one unable to succeed with the perennial hollyhocks I 
would commend the annual type ; these sown in April 
will flower well the same season, and rarely are aflfected 
by rust. 
Among the varieties of hardy perennials which come 
with ease from seeds are : delphiniums, aquilegias, cam- 
panulas, centaureas, shasta daisies, poppies, thalictrums, 
lupines, galegas, hibiscus, pentstemons, doronicums, 
eryngiums, asters and kniphofias ; any of these will start 
readily in cold frames in light soil in April and May or 
August, or if strong plants are wanted in the fall, sowing 
can be done in flats or pans in a greenhouse in January 
or February. Some perennials of slower germination are 
anemones, aconitums, dictamnus, trollius, some eupa- 
toriums, some primulas and liliums, which latter are 
bulbous, but are popular subjects in the hardy flower 
border. The varieties of slow germination are better 
sow'n in the fall when the seed is ripe and fresh ; it will 
do no harm to allow the soil to freeze over winter, but 
the flats or seed beds should be mulched with dry leaves, 
tight sashes being placed over these. 
Rock or alpine plants have become immensely popular 
the last two or three years and deservedly so ; this is one 
of the most fascinating types of gardening, and a large 
proportion of the plants adaptable for rock gardens can 
be raised from seed, while many germinate very readily. 
Others are quite slow, occasionally requiring one or even 
two years to start. Some of those which appear quickly 
above ground are alyssums, aubrietias, arabis, campan- 
ulas, dianthus, arenarias, violas, many sedums, many 
primulas, potentillas, tunicas, geums, leontopodiums, 
androsaces, myosotis, cheiranthus, linarias, veronicas and 
geraniums. Seed of rock plants can be sown in flats, or 
pans in a greenhouse, or in very shallow drills 6 inches 
apart in cold frames. I like to bake the soil for covering 
the seeds ; this kills out all weed seeds and fungoid 
growths ; it should be sifted over them through a fine 
screen. Seedlings if pricked out into other cold frames 
when of sufficient size and kept well watered can in the 
majority of cases be safely planted out in September, 
and if lightly mulched will winter perfectly, and bloom 
much better than the same stock placed out the following 
spring. 
{Concluded in the September issue.) 
Alpines in Dry Weather 
AAKJN'G the difficulties which puzzle the grower in 
the cultivation of alpine flowers is that of when 
and how to water his plants on his rockeries or 
walls. As Spring and Summer come round, and the soil 
becomes dry and parched, many flowers will show signs 
of distress, unless supplied with water. In Nature 
many of them are supported by the water which flows 
from the melting snows above, or have their roots 
snug between the rocks, where they are always moist 
and cool. 
On our rockeries the conditions are quite different, 
and the soil becomes parched and dry, with the result 
that the plants sufifer accordingly. Under such cir- 
cumstances, the grower has recourse to the hose or 
watering can, and in too many cases the last state of 
the plants is worse than the first. Not that one would 
forbid watering, which is often essential in prolonged 
periods of drought, but this watering must be applied 
with discretion, and not in the way so frequently done, 
which time after time leads to the remark: "My 
plants look far worse since I watered them than be- 
fore." 
If the alpines are planted so that the roots are 
shielded from strong sun by stones or gravel chips, 
they will suft'er much less than if there is bare earth 
about them. Such plants also will respond much more 
readily to a supply of water, as that is not licked up 
by the strong sunshine of the period. 
Mere driblets are harmful instead of helpful ; and an 
indiscriminate application by means of a hose pipe is 
very injurious to many subjects. A copious supply 
ought always to be given, and it is desirable to apply 
this to the roots without touching the foliage any more 
than can be helped. It must be obvious to anyone 
thinking over the matter that the blooms of many 
plants must be destroyed or reduced in beauty by 
watering over the whole plant. A shower of rain when 
alpines are in full beauty is detrimental to their ap- 
pearance if strong sun comes within a day or so. What 
must it not be with plants subjected to an artificial 
watering in brilliant and drying weather? With re- 
gard to this, however, one may add a qualification. 
This is that in continued dry periods a gentle spray- 
ing with a fine rose from a syringe, on a cool Summer 
evening after the sun has gone down, is often refresh- 
ing to the plants. It must, hovs'ever, be given in the 
form more of a dewing than a spraying — i.e., in such 
a way as almost to have the effect of a fine mist on 
the plants. 
Many subjects should have the watering applied to 
them individually, and in every case a thorough soak- 
ing, which will last for some days, ought to be applied. 
The maxim to water seldom and thoroughly is even 
more applicable to alpine flowers than to other plants. 
We cannot give them the precise conditions they en- 
joy at home in their native mountains, but we may, 
at all events, consider in the fullest way how best we 
can induce them to flourish under artificial conditions 
of climate and position. In nothing is this more neces- 
sary than in watering. — S. Arnott, Amateur Gardening 
(English). 
