March 14,1896. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
225 
good proportion of soil, but are so steep that the life-giving 
moisture runs off as from the roof of a house. Still worse than 
these, however, are more expensive and pretentious structures 
built of solid stone or brick and mortar, and without a proper 
crevice into which a plant struggling for existence can insinuite 
a root to keep it alive. 
A primary essential in the construction of a rockery is a good 
body of soil. With this stones may be mingled, but there should 
be no crevices between these which are not filled with earth. In 
actual practice there are two ways of forming a rockery of this 
kind, one being to make the mound of earth first, the other to 
place the soil in position as the building progresses. If, however, 
the mound can be made first and given a little time to settle, there 
is less fear of subsidence and consequent displacement of the 
stones. Its height will depend on the position it occupies, but 
there is, as a rule, no necessity for its being of great elevation ; 
indeed many alpines will thrive to perfection in a bed only slightly 
raised above the surface. For several reasons it is desirable that 
the rockwork should have an irregular outline, having here and 
there little nooks by means of which shelter or shade may be given 
to plants requiring special attention in this way. This irregularity 
of outline adds much to the natural appearance, which is a desider¬ 
atum in constructions of this kind. 
The general form of the rockwork having been decided on and 
the mound of soil placed in position, the stones may be laid in 
their places, and here it may be well to say a few words 
about the most desirable material to use ; this is not always 
available, and often we have to depend on the plants and the 
modifying influences of time to take away the unsightliness of the 
slag, bricks, or other artificial looking substances. Personally I 
do not like a rockery composed of granite, which for some years 
retains its “ new ” look, and, besides too often taking from the 
appearance of the colours of the flowers, is not porous enough to 
induce the plants to cling to it with their roots. Limestone, when 
it is not too soft, is suitable and harmonises well with the majority 
of the plants, but I prefer a grey sandstone which soon becomes 
weather-stained and from its porousness absorbs moisture, and to 
which the plants seem to love to cling.—S. Arnott. 
(To be continued.) 
THE DIFFICULTIES OF SPRING BEDDING. 
Spring bedding is an attractive and delightful aspect of 
gardening, for when the welcome sunshine begins, after a long 
absence, to shed its warmth upon us, it is refreshing and cheering 
to watch the tender leaves and flowers unfold their pristine beauty. 
But there is unfortunately a dark side to the picture which we 
have to face—after severe winters—before the contemplated effect 
can be secured, indeed in some instances the precise effect we have 
in our mind’s eye when planting is destined to remain a vision 
only. I fear there are innumerable cases in which such will be the 
case this year. 
The abnormally severe frosts recently experienced have wrought 
terrible havoc in flower gardens where spring bedding is carried 
out. Many Wallflowers, which are generally regarded as perfectly 
hardy, have been killed outright. The only types that, with us, 
have come through the ordeal fairly well are all dwarf ; these 
being only about 6 inches in height, were to a great extent 
protected by snow, which unfortunately was not of sufficient depth 
to save those of ordinary types. This ought to be kept in view 
when sowing seeds to provide plants for next year’s bedding; 
indeed, I think dwarf Wallflowers will before long quite supersede 
those of the. Belvoir Castle and Harbinger types where formal 
beds have to be filled. Myosotis dissitiflora is usually a splendid 
plant for bedding, as it is much more compact in growth and 
produces larger flowers than the common form ; but unfortunately 
it is more tender, and judging from present appearances quite 
half of our plants will succumb. Among the Aubrietias there 
is also a great loss. This generally occurs on the sunny side of 
the beds, which is doubtless due to the fact that the sun thawed 
the snow and left the plants exposed to succeeding frosts. 
Saponaria calabrica has proved quite a failure, every plant being 
killed. 
Violas seem to have come through the ordeal by far the best. 
Young plants set out early in November are quite uninjured ; old 
ones divided and replanted at the same time have not escaped so 
well, as the centres of the plants are much injured, doubtless 
because the young growths were somewhat tender. Silene pendula 
compacta has suffered but little, the edges of the leaves being 
browned, but the hearts of the plants are quite sound. 
Anemones of the French and fulgeus types are untouched. 
The leaves were pushing through the soil just before the snow 
came, and it seems to have afforded them ample protection. It is 
during such seasons as this that the value of mixed borders and 
rockeries is apparent, for many varieties of plants which in the 
flower garden are ruined, in borders quite as much exposed are but 
little injured. This, of course, is easily accounted for in this way 
—border plants are usually left undisturbed throughout the year, 
whereas those employed for spring bedding in the flower garden 
proper have to be lifted from their summer quarters and transferred 
to the flower beds during the autumn, and all gardeners know that 
the effect of frost on plants or shrubs that have been recently 
disturbed is much more serious than on others of the same 
species and varieties whose roots are well established in the soil. 
Many will, I fear, this year have a forcible lesson taught them in 
this respect, for where the planting of shrubs was deferred till 
December last disaster is already apparent. 
But I am digressing somewhat from the heading of ray notes, 
so let me return to the subject proper. Perhaps there are many 
who will be disheartened to see their autumn preparations rendered 
futile, and will in consequence be inclined to discontinue their 
attempts at spring bedding, for I remember a reaction of this kind 
took place a few years ago after a series of severe winters. This, 
I think, is scarcely the spirit in which to meet the case, and, 
according to the law of averages, is quite the wrong hing to do at 
the present climax, for after many hard winters we may reasonably 
look forward to some milder ones. 
All may, however, do much toward rendering failure less likely 
in the future by making a rigid selection of only such plants as are 
but little affected by our severest winters. We may then in time 
carry this selection of the fittest to a point approaching so nearly to 
perfection as to leave us practically indifferent in this matter to 
severe winters. Another point to which special attention ought to 
be given in the future is the oft repeated one—plant early in the 
autumn. No matter how mild the month of October may be, or 
how well the summer bedding may look even then, we ought not 
to be beguiled into a sense of security by appearances, but as soon 
as October comes round clear the flower beds with no unsparing 
hand. Then go at the work with energy ; manure, dig, and replant 
as soon as possible, so as to have all planting completed by the end 
of the month, or if it is found impossible to do this let the planting 
of the more tender kinds stand over till the spring. This, how¬ 
ever, is not a desirable practice on light soils, as the plants suffer 
should a dry period follow, and there is usually too great a pressure 
of work in most gardens during the spring months. Cocoa-nut 
fibre refuse or sifted leaf soil if spread on the ground after planting 
in the autumn would do much towards protecting the roots of 
plants from frost. 
There is one other way in which a good display may be unfail¬ 
ingly secured—namely, by employing bulbs largely. Unfortunately 
but few gardeners are able to spend a sufficient sum annually for 
this purpose, and there is no other way in which such a feast of 
brilliant colour can be obtained simultaneously during the spring 
months.—H. D. 
DAHLIAS. 
Whilst a few persons relatively are still interested in Dihlias 
as florists’ flowers, tens of thousands who have gardens love th( m 
for their intrinsic beauty as decorative flowers. That is a 
very different state of things to what existed some twenty years 
ago, when the Dahlia had both for exhibition and for garden 
decoration got into very low water indeed. That the National 
Dahlia Society has done much to help resuscitate a once greatly 
favoured flower there can be no doubt ; and for all it has accom¬ 
plished it is entitled to the fullest credit. But to numbers of 
persons the Dahlia owes its popularity more to the introduction 
into gardens of the beautiful Cactus and single forms than tn any 
mere exhibition merits. No doubt to day the Cactus section is by 
far the most popular of all, and flowers of the refined varieties 
rank amongst the most charming of double flowers in cultivation. 
It is well, therefore, to give to these non-florists’ forms that credit 
which they so much deserve. 
The show and fancy sections it is evident have almost, if not 
quite, attained to their fullest excellence. They show in the best 
of seedlings very little of advance ; indeed, beyond diverse colours 
or markings it is doubtful whether any real advance from the 
florists’ aspect has been seen in show Dahlias for several year.«, find 
it is very difficult to show in what direction farther advance is 
possible. But whatever may come the blooms will still he large, 
rounded, massive, and to use a common term, lumpy, at least 'hat 
is the description frequently applied by those who seek for other 
forms of elegance and beauty than is found in mere solidity and 
rotundity. These show and fancy D.ihlias, however, have their 
