July 31, 1884. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
89 
thinly (as they would be inland) the violent gales would soon uproot 
them. If the seaward side is wanted to be kept bright the following 
may be planted in the outside row—The Golden Alder, Laburnum, 
Sea Buckthorn (Ilippophae rhamnoides), and Mountain Ash (Pyrus 
Aucuparia). These do fairly w^ell exposed to the rough gales, and 
they should also be planted in the inside row with a few white and 
scarlet-flowering Thorns, as a bright background to the low-growing 
shrubs. Cupressus macrocarpa is the best Conifer for planting as 
single specimens inside the shelter. 
The following shrubs I have noticed doing very well when shel¬ 
tered :—Arbutus, white and yellow Broom, Buddlea globosa. Cotone- 
aster, Veronicas, Laurustinus, Portugal Laurel, Lilacs, Escallonia 
macrantha. Holly (Ilex Hodginsii), Euonymus, Hydrangea japonica, 
H. paniculata grandiflora. Sweet Briar, Deutzia scabra, Ulex europaea 
flore-pleno (double-flowering Furze), Pernettya, Aucuba japonica, and 
Osmanthus ilicifolius. 
I may mention that the trees and shrubs should be well staked, 
and if the position is veiy exposed a thick band of the differeni 
varieties of Alder may be planted in the outside rows.—A Seacoast 
Gardener. 
CHOICE ALPINE PLANTS. 
Ramondia pyrenaica. —What a charming and highly in¬ 
teresting alpine is this ! Easily grown in almost any situation or 
soil, and always pleasing and attractiv'e, it is doubly so when 
during the summer months it is producing in profusion for some 
weeks (provided the plants are large) its pretty violet-purple 
flowers, with a conspicuous orange eye, which are borne on short 
stems rarely more than b inches in height. It is a very distinct 
alpine, which even those who know little of hardy plants cannot 
fail to recognise after having once made its acquaintance. It 
inhabits a somewhat varied though by no means extensive area 
among the Pyrenean and Piedmontese Alps, oft-times on the 
steep and almost perpiendicular faces of the rocks. When so 
situated, however, it is generally where moisture is in abundance, 
as it is impatient of drought, preferring protection from hot sun. 
This, however, is of not so great moment as a plentiful supply of 
moisture in a well-drained position. Plant it in equal parts of 
peat and loam, together with a liberal addition of silver sand or 
grit—it delights to send its tiny fibres into moist sand—and 
success will invariably attend the operation. From its extremely 
prostrate habit of growth it is not to be recommended as a 
border plant, since heavy rains keep the plant almost wholly 
covered with earth, but on a mound above the ordinary level it 
may be made as equally at home as in its native habitat. It is 
chiefly increased from seed, though now and then some few 
plants throw out offsets; but to detach these with roots is a very 
dangerous operation, and should always be avoided. Sow the 
seed as soon as ripie. This will be about the middle of August, 
and the seedlings will appear the following spring. Do not be 
discouraged by the slov growth of seedlings, which is remark¬ 
able; not more so, however, than that of older and established 
plants, since the largest rosettes I have ever seen did not exceed 
y inches in diameter, and these were very old and very fine 
examples. When the seedlings are of sufficient size they may 
either be potted or pricked out in small colonies on the rockery. 
By so doing a goodly patch will soon be made. This method of 
grouping the smaller alpines is to be strongly recommended, 
especially in the case of such plants which are easily reproduced 
from seed. 
Campanula pulla. —No new arrival this, no novelty; but 
in how few gardens do we find it! Among the many members 
of its genus it holds a prominent position, and I venture to 
remark it will be many years before it becomes common in oixr 
gardens. It is i-arely seen in large quantities, and rarer still in 
large spreading masses, which years alone will foi'm; but it is 
when seen in this form, covered with hundreds of its lovely 
blossoms, that those who behold them never forget them, and I 
well remember a lovely patch similar to that just described 
which I saw at Kew two or three years since. It was a glorious 
specimen, fully a yard square, covered with lovely rich violet- 
purple blossoms—a sight sufficient to repay a long journey. 
This Campanula has been considered by many growers of 
alpines to be somewhat fastidious as to soil and situation. 
With regard to the former I cannot say that that is my 
experience. Peat is the generally prescribed soil for it, 
and indeed in such was the remar 1-able example at Kew to 
which I have referred. I have grown it well, however, in 
sandy loam, and know a variety of cases where it is growing 
and doing well in loamy soils. Of this much 1 am convinced, 
that it will wear itself away far more readily in pure peat soil 
than in either a mixture of peat and loam or sandy loam. I 
prefer about equal parts of each. As regards situation, I will 
cite two instances before giving my own experience, and which 
will show plainly the wide difference between the ideas of 
planters. For the Kew specimen a position at the foot of a 
tall Cypress, which kept the soil comparatively dry beneath it 
at all seasons, had been selected. On the other hand, Mr. Ware 
used to grow it in a bed of peat considerably below the ordinary 
level, which received the rainfall from a roadway near; con¬ 
sequently the bed was continually moist and very often wet, 
together with the shade of a high hedge at the back, and en¬ 
circled by short hedges on all sides. There they gi-ew well and 
flowered freely, but were not permanent, as was the case with 
the Kew plant. Here, then, we have the two extremes of com¬ 
paratively dry and moist situations, in both cases the plants 
doing well. This, then, should encourage all who grow hardy 
plants; indeed no collection is complete without it. For my 
own part I always select a shady moist situation, with a good 
depth of soil and free drainage. Give it abundance of room 
superficially, and encourage it to spread over its alloted space 
by every possible means, for it well repays attention. It was 
originally introduced from Austria about the year 1771), but has 
since been found among the mountains of central and southexm 
Europe, generally speaking on sunny slopes. It is easily and 
readily distinguished from all other Harebells by its large richly 
coloured drooping bells, which are borne singly on stems from 
2 to () inches high. Nothing is more charming than its lovely 
flowers. It is readily increased by division, and also by seeds. 
The latter will require careful watching, as the seeds are parti¬ 
cularly minute. 
OuRisiA cocciNEA.—A most beautiful, distinct, and rare 
alpine plant, rather uncertain, perhaps, in some soils and under 
some conditions, but trivial hindrances such as these must be 
overcome; indeed the enjoyment of success is thus greatly 
intensified. Avoid in the first place any approach to a stiff or 
retentive soil. In such it will linger and die, nor will the slugs 
leave it while a green leaf remains ; nay, more, I have even seen 
them hard at work devouring the rhizomes of this plant. And in 
the second place do not select a spot where the sun will have full 
play upon it. Such soils as sandy loam, or loam and peat mixed, 
suit it well, to which may be added well-decomposed manure to 
about one-fourth that of soil. It requu’es abundance of moisture 
at all times; and whether cultivated in pots in frames, on the 
rockery, or in the front row of the border, a somewhat shady 
position must be secured it; indeed I consider damp and shade 
both essential to its well-being. In planting it on the rock 
choose a position where it can ramble over some cool projecting 
and shady ledge of roc’''. Here, as is the case with pot plants, 
these overhanging shoots always flower freest. The plant is of 
recent introduction, and is at present little known and under¬ 
stood. It belongs to the Scrophulariaceous order, is of good 
habit, producing panicled clusters of crimson-s:arlet flowers, 
somewhat i-esembling a Pentstemon, on stems from G to 9 inches 
high. It is a native of Chili, and should find a place in all 
collections of choice plants.—J. II. E. 
LARGEST MONTHLY RAINFALL. 
As I cannot perceive that anyone has answered your Pershore corre¬ 
spondent’s question in your Journal of the 10th inst. as to whether the 
largest quantity of rain falls in the month of July, and on the greatest 
number of days in June, I venture to give you my experience during the 
fifteen years that I have kept a rain-gauge in the annexed table. From 
it, it appears, that the popular notion that the greatest quantity of rain 
falls in July is not strictly correct, for only in two months of July in the 
fifteen years was that the case, but a larger quantity than the average 
does fall in July. As to the greatest number of days on which rain falls, 
that is so uncertain that no opinion can be formed, except that it is n^t 
in the month of June. 
Yeai'. 
Month during 
■which the 
greatest 
Amount of 
Rain fell. 
Month during 
■svhich Rain 
fell on the 
greatest num¬ 
ber of days. 
Year. 
Month during 
■which the 
greatest 
Amount of 
Rain fell. 
Month during 
which Rain 
fell on the 
greatest num¬ 
ber of days. 
1869 
1870 
1871 
1872 
1873 
1874 
1875 
1876 
September 
December 
September 
Juno 
March 
August 
July 
September 
November 
October 
October 
January 
August 
October 
Januiiry 
September 
1877 
1878 
1879 
1880 
1881 
1882 
1883 
July 
August 
August 
December 
August 
December 
October 
December 
August 
July 
December 
August 
July 
July 
Average per month in fifteen years, 2.69 inches ; average for the month 
of July in fifteen years, 3.36.—H. Neumann. 
Eoot-bound Chrysanthemums and its Prevention.—I am 
much obliged for the kindly references to me, when discussing this sub- 
