SEPTEMBER. 
205 
tects from snow and rain, or be grown in pots which can he placed under a 
glass frame admitting full ventilation in winter. Not that these plants are 
tender! They are nearly as ‘ hardy ’ as the rocks themselves; hut their 
winter alpine atmosphere is dry, till the spring thaw sets in. 
There are many alpine plants which are found chiefly (and perhaps some 
exclusively), in the grit of decomposed rocks carried down hy torrents, &c. 
In this, there is sometimes very little admixture of earth, though what little 
there is is usually of the richest kind. 
Crushed millstone grit, or coarse sandstone, forms an excellent substitute, 
and should if possible be largely mingled with the soil of a ‘ rockwork.’ 
For some alpines we use equal parts of grit and earth—a mixture of rich 
loam and peat or leaf mould. If not procurable, river sand is the best 
substitute. Some species grow well in almost pure grit. There are, how¬ 
ever, not a few, we have recently ascertained, which though found in grit 
(‘ in glareosis alpium ’) in a wild state, thrive better under cultivation if 
placed in pure loam in a narrow fissure of rock. The simple reason seems 
to be that they are frozen dry and kept dry for months in their own land in 
winter; while, when planted on rockwork, they are necessarily exposed to 
constant moisture during the winter months with us. The loam, from its 
compactness, does not receive or retain moisture so much as sandy or gritty 
soil, so that though unnatural in one sense, it is more natural in another. 
Senecio incanus, tS. carniolicus, Achillcea Clavennce, and others of this order 
illustrate it well. Their tendency to ‘ damp off ’ in winter is notorious, and 
we believe may be largely rectified by this means. 
Another most important subject is to suspend the abundant supply of mois¬ 
ture, essential for health in spring and summer (in imitation of the melting 
of alpine snows), when the annual growth is made, so as to coax the plants 
* to be quiet ’ as far as possible, and prevent a second and enfeebling 
growth. This seems very important to the alpine Gentians, and to the rare 
Eritricliium nanum. Natural rains will, as a rule, suffice after the end of 
August, and earlier if the weather be rainy. All artificial irrigation, except 
for bog plants, should then cease. 
LAGERSTRCEMIA IND1CA. 
How rarely one now meets with this grand old stove plant! Why so 
beautiful a plant should be so little grown is a matter not easily accounted 
for, especially as it is easily cultivated, and when well grown and finely 
flowered is certainly one of the finest of late summer or autumn-flowering 
stove plants. I saw a magnificent specimen a few years ago at one of our 
local shows here. It was an old plant, and of good size, and covered with 
its beautiful flowers. 
To flower it well, it requires a period of rest in winter. It should be kept 
in the coolest part of the stove during that season, and little or no water 
should be given to it. Towards spring, when it begins to grow, it should be 
watered as it may require, and be placed in a warm part of the stove ; it will 
then grow vigorously. When this growth is finished, which in general will 
be about the beginning of June, it should have all the light and air possible 
for a few weeks to ripen the young wood. If the plant requires a larger pot 
it should at this time have one. It should then be kept warm and close, and 
encouraged to make a fresh growth, which it soon will, pushing again at the 
extremity of every young shoot. These are the flowering shoots. In a few 
