March 21, 1895. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
247 
but the heads bend lower yet till they reach the soil. Not many 
flowers of spring can compare with the Camellia, and the white 
variety has the honour of being an example of “perfect loveliness.” 
In the red variety we behold “ unpretending excellence ; ” both 
hues unite in the hardy C. Pomponea, the petals being white 
touched with red. This received its name from a fancied resem¬ 
blance to the French head dress called a pompone. Then we 
have C. variegata, where a dark red has white blotches. That 
old border perennial, oddly called the Spiderwort, also Trades- 
cantia, from the worthy gardener of Stuart Lambeth, tells of 
“ transient happiness,” for the flowers are said to fade generally 
on the day they open. Old authors remark that the Hepaticas, 
when they open, are meant to give us “ confidence ” that the earth 
is now quite ready to receive seeds.—J. R. S. C. 
ALPINE FLOWERS. 
Making and Planting Rockekies. 
{^Continued from page 225.) 
For small rockeries the best plan is to construct them in the 
form of a series of terraces. It is difficult to explain this simple 
matter without the aid of diagrams, but I shall try to do so as well 
as possible. At the base of the mound of earth which is to form 
the foundation of the rockery a row of stones is placed, and the 
soil then filled up behind, so that the surface of the terrace thus 
formed is level. These stones, and, indeed, if possible, all those on 
the rockery, should be well embedded, so that a foot can be placed 
on them. The edges of the stones should be closely placed 
together, and the soil firmly packed in. The soil must not be too 
wet, as it is desirable that it should not be too stiff. Some persons 
fill up the crevices with cement or lime mortar, but it will be found 
that this is not beneficial to the plants, which seem to be the better 
of the drainage afforded by the joints, and when the rockery 
requires to be rebuilt the cement or mortar renders this difficult 
to do. 
The next step is to lay the stones for the next “ terrace,” and 
this should be done in a similar manner to that adopted for the 
first row. The distance between the two rows of stones is one that 
depends on the kind of plants it is intended to place on the terrace, 
and also on various other considerations which will occur to the 
reader, such as the height of the rockery. When the second row 
of stones has been laid, the rockery in course of formation will 
give a section something like this— 
A, ground level; B, stones placed to form first terrace ; C, flat 
portion of terrace ; D, second sow of stones ; E, flat portion of 
second terrace ; F, remainder of soil not yet formed into terraces. 
It will be found better to give the stones a slight incline inwards 
at the top. This will make them much firmer. 
Where a large number of plants are grown in a small space it 
will be found useful to make separate divisions for nearly every 
plant. This may be done by placing stones across the flat portions 
— e.g., from B to D, sinking these a few inches into the soil. By 
means of these a series of pockets will be formed, and in each soil 
suited to the respective plants can be placed. Where possible 
these transverse stones ought to be inserted in such a way that the 
end next the upper terrace should abut against the point of 
junction of two stones, so as to keep them in position. Even in 
rock work not divided into these “ pockets ” the insertion of such 
transverse stones adds greatly to the strength and security of the 
rockery. The building of the rockery may be carried on in the 
same manner until the necessary height is attained. 
For many gardens, what may be called a rock bed will be found 
a convenient means of growing alpines without the trouble and 
expense of erecting a rockery. Like other rockwork it is better to 
have this bed of an irregular form, and it will be found to give 
less trouble to keep in order if it is not laid on grass, but in some 
position where the roots of the grass and similar plants will not 
encroach. This, indeed, should be the case with all rockwork ; but 
where good reasons exist for placing it on grass a space must be 
kept clear, or great annoyance and labour will be required to keep 
the alpines from being overgrown. The rock bed should be elevated 
from 9 to 12 inches above the ordinary level at the outer edge, and 
ought to have a slight elevation in the centre. Where the soil is 
comparatively heavy the edge of the bed may be a little higher. 
The edging of the rock bed is composed of stones laid closely 
together and embedded a few inches below the surface. Disposed 
irregularly throughout the bed a number of good sized stones or 
small boulders ought to be placed with their bases inserted a few 
inches deep in the soil. 
Both rockeries and rock beds should be in a sunny position, and 
away from the drip of trees ; unless intended for shade-loving 
Ferns or the comparatively few alpines which will thrive under 
the shade of the trees. The shade or partial shade required for 
some plants can be secured by planting them in nooks provided for 
the purpose on rockeries or behind boulders in the rock beds. 
—S. Arnott. 
(To be concluded.) 
CYCLAMENS. 
One of the best and most useful plants that can be grown for 
various decorative purposes during the winter is the Cyclamen. 
A house full of them in flower, ranging from the purest white to 
the darkest crimson or purple, with almost every intermediate 
shade of colour, is a strikingly effective sight. They display a 
beauty when grouped together in quantity that few, if any other 
class of plants, are capable of producing. 
Cyclamens require fifteen or sixteen months of steady growth 
to develop into large plants in 7-inch pots. In twelve months 
some excellent and useful plants can be produced, and where a 
start is needed seeds may be sown in May or in September in 
shallow pans, boxes, or pots ; the soil, to be composed of loam and 
leaf mould in equal proportions, with a liberal addition of sand, 
should be passed through a half-inch sieve, while that used for 
covering the seeds should be still finer. Before sowing the surface 
should be made even, so that the seeds can be covered an equal 
depth. With the soil uniformly moist, under a sheet of glass, 
germination will soon follow in a temperature of 60°. 
When the seedlings have produced their first leaf they should 
be placed on a shelf not far from the glass, where they will grow 
slowly, but sturdily. No attempt should be made to hurry them ; 
this means ruin. When large enough they may be carefully trans¬ 
planted into other pans, about three-quarters of an inch apart, in 
similar compost, and returned to the shelf. In this position the 
young plants should be allowed to grow until they have made three 
or four leaves, then be lifted and placed in small 60-sized pots. 
When established in these they should be at once gradually inured 
by the admission of air to a temperature 5° lower. From small 60’s 
the plants can be shifted into larger 60’8, and from these into 
5-inch, and all the strongest afterwards in 7-inch pots, a size large 
enough in which to grow plants fully a foot through their foliage. 
Dwarf sturdy growth must be aimed at, and this is accomplished 
by a free, yet judicious, admission of air. 
In no stage of growth should the soil be allowed to become dry, 
or the plants will soon be seriously checked. Once the plants are 
brought to a standstill they cannot be induced to start again very 
freely into growth. The plants should stand on ashes or other 
moisture-holding material, and the house during bright weather 
must be freely damped. Cyclamens delight in being syringed, 
and this should be practised at least twice a day when the sun 
begins to gain power in the spring. Whenever the plants display 
signs of distress during hot weather a slight syringing proves of 
the greatest of assistance to them. We have found that perfectly 
clear soot water given occasionally soon imparts a darkness to the 
foliage which displays the beautiful markings of the leaves to 
greater advantage. 
The soil throughout should consist of loam, leaf mould, sand, 
and one-seventh of decayed manure passed through a fine sieve. 
Loam and leaf mould being used at first in equal proportions, the 
former may be increased each time the plants are potted until it 
comprises about two-thirds to the one-third of leaf mould. If cow 
manure can be had for mixing in the compost it is preferable; if 
not, any well-decayed manure, free from worms, will do. 
If aphides attack the plants, which they rarely do if kept 
growing without a check, they should be fumigated at once with 
tobacco smoke, as these pests soon disfigure the plants. Once a 
proper system of growing these plants annually from seeds is 
practised old plants will not be retained after they have done 
flowering or seed-bearing. But until a stock has been obtained 
these may be kept, and if stood outside after flowering for a 
time, and supplied with water, and then repotted and started 
into growth in frames, they will yield a good supply of flowers 
for cutting.— Wm, Bardney. 
