fHE Gardening World 
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jy will thereby not only oblige this paper, but the advertisers. 
MOTTO FOR THE WEEK: 
“Delightful task* to rear the tender thought, to teach the young idea how to shoot.”— Thomson. 
Weekly Prize 
FOR 
Short Articles. 
The Proprietors of The Gardening World 
will give a cash prize of Ten Shillings for 
THE BEST PARAGRAPH, Or SHORT ARTICLE, sent 
by readers during the week. The Editor’s 
judgment must be considered final, and he will 
be at liberty to use any of the contributions 
sent in. The paragraph, or article, must not 
EXCEED ONE COLUMN IN LENGTH, but the value, 
rather than the length, of the article will be 
considered in making the award. Competitors 
may send in items of news or comments on 
news; hints of practical interest to gar¬ 
deners or growers of plants, fruits, or flowers; 
successful methods of propagating plants 
usually considered difficult; or contributions 
ON ANT SUBJECT COMING WITHIN THE SPHERE 
of gardening proper. Letters should be 
addressed to The Editor, marked “ Competi¬ 
tion,” and posted not later than Friday night 
to ensure insertion in the issue of next week. 
The following Coloured 
Plates have appeared :— 
March 14.— NEW CHINESE PRIMULAS. 
March 21.— A GROUP OF DAVALLIAS. 
March28 —TEA ROSE “ CHAMELEON,” 
andCOOMBE CLIFFE GARDENS. 
| April 4.-COLEUS THYRSOIDEUS. 
April 11.— PITCHER PLANTS. 
April 18.— CESTRUM SMITHII. 
April 25.— JAPANESE PIGMY TREE. 
iiwr 2 «; Half ' Toiie Plate of the rockery 
AT WENTWORTH HOUSE. 
Back numbers may be obtained from the 
publishers, price 2J-d. post free. 
^ e f RESENT ISSUE we present a 
ate of an °ther view of THE 
ROCKERY AT WENTWORTH HOUSE. 
) Piate^nf saSd? Sha11 present a Coloured 
J ate of SAXIFRAGA GRISEBACHII. 
Views and Reviews. 
Alpine Flowers. 
It would be incorrect to say that alpine 
flowers are more easily grown at the present 
day than in the past. More people have 
learned to grow them, however, than for¬ 
merly, and we see no reason why this interest¬ 
ing and even charming phase of gardening 
should not be greatly extended. We should 
not say that alpine plants are difficult to cul¬ 
tivate, but rather that in some cases cul¬ 
tivators have not learned to place the plants 
under favourable conditions. Many are 
under the impression that alpine plants will 
grow if planted on an elevated mound, of 
any form, which they may be pleased to term 
a rockery. This is altogether a mistaken 
view of the subject, for in the case of 
elevated rockeries at least, unless the other 
conditions are provided, the plants are being 
put under veiy unnatural conditions by such 
methods of gardening in the lowlands. We 
have not to' contend with the cold of our 
winters, but rather with the heat and 
drought, which diy up the plants and prevent 
'them even from making growth, far less 
from blooming, if planted on an elevated site 
where the rainfall and even the water that 
may be artificially applied run away by the 
surface, and leave the place as diy in a few 
hours’ time as it was before, or even more so. 
In their native homes on the Alps, whether 
on the Continent or in this country, the 
plants are often exposed to full sunshine, and 
to 1 drying winds occasionally, but more often 
the clouds which float around the mountain 
tops are laden with moisture, which keeps 
the plants in a dripping condition for the 
greater part of the time. The mountain rills 
and streams are always running, and even 
the moisture may be oozing down the face of 
perpendicular rocks in places, according to 
the nature of tlie strata. These facts we 
have frequently observed when climbing our 
own hills and mountains, when we have often 
thought that if rockery builders and would- 
be cultivators of alpine plants were only to 
spend a holiday now and again in those 
regions, and see the plants for themselves 
growing under natural conditions, it would 
greatly enlarge their views with regard to 
those dwarf and beautiful flowers, and could 
hardly fail to make them better cultivators if 
at all imbued with a love for alpine flowers. 
These facts have again been called to' mind 
by the receipt of “ Alpine Flowers,” * by Mr. 
W. Kobinson. So much information upon 
the subject is given in this book that we can 
only give a few facts to indicate the nature of 
the book and induce gardeners generally to 
take even a greater interest in the rock 
garden, than they have done. The subject 
of rock gardening admits of a wide range of 
treatment, according to the space at com¬ 
mand in the garden, but more particularly 
when the nature of the land favours the carry¬ 
ing out of rock building that will appear 
more or less natural. Even where the garden 
or grounds are entirely flat an interesting 
rock garden may be constructed by excavat¬ 
ing and elevating portions of the grounds, 
while the real nature of the place may be 
further masked by the planting of groups 
or masses of trees and shrubs. 
The author states that the reason why 
alpine vegetation covers the ground of these 
high elevations is because taller plants cannot 
grow there. This is partly on account of the 
cold, hut more obviously on account of the 
difficulty that trees would have of raising 
themselves in positions where they would he 
veiy frequently exposed to severe gales of 
wind, which are more rarely experienced in 
the valleys below. In all veiy much exposed 
positions, the plants have to lie veiy closely 
to the ground in order to exist at all. These 
soon become very obvious to the intelligent 
observer who may set foot upon the moun¬ 
tains. It is also stated here that alpine 
vegetation embraces almost eveiy type of 
plant found in temperate or northern regions. 
It will also be observed that those plants 
which are found at various elevations are 
usually veiy amenable to cultivation in the 
lowlands. At veiy high elevations the plants 
are dwarf and of diminutive size, but if 
specimens are brought to the lowlands it will 
he found that they grow entirely out of char¬ 
acter, resembling their brethren on the lower 
slopes of the Alps and in the valleys below 
* “ Alpine Flowers for Gardens. Roek, Wall, Harsh 
Plants, and Hountain Shrubs.” By W. Robinson. 3rd Edi¬ 
tion, revised and illustrated. London : John Hurray 
Albemarle Street. 1903. Price 10s. 6d. 
