THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 7., 3908. 
View of a Rook Garden 
At 
168 
The stems are vigorous with dark green 
neavy foliage, and flowers are produced at 
short distances apart, bearing pods of 
handsome size for an early Pea, and each 
pod is well filled with large Peas of ex¬ 
cellent quality. A pod that will bear 
eight Peas of large size as a first early 
may be regarded as an acquisition by 
comparison with the varieties of poor 
quality with which we had to be content 
in our early days of gardening. For the 
first crop it should, of course, be sown 
on warm sheltered borders where the 
haulm would be protected against winds 
that are usually troublesome in the early 
part of the year. The variety is also 
suitable for pot culture and fruiting under 
glass or forcing as this may be termed. 
The season being now well advanced, the 
variety can, of course, be sown out of 
doors. It is now being put into com¬ 
merce by Messrs. Fidler and Sons, Royal 
Berkshire Seed Stores, Reading, who have 
placed the accompanying illustration at 
our service. 
The accompanying illustration shows 
what can be done by any enthusiastic 
amateur gardener without calling in the 
aid of any expert whatever. Here we see 
the results after cultivation for some 
years, but we may first of all explain how 
these results are brought about. At one 
time, not so many years ago, the land 
was simply a field, practically level. The 
soil was then thrown up in ridges of 
various outlines, and where the soil was 
taken out the walks are now sunk below 
the surface. If it is desirable not to go 
down too deeply the soil may be obtained 
from elsewhere, with the object of 
heightening or making these ridges. 
Then some rough, unhewn blocks of 
porous stones, usually sandstone, are ob¬ 
tained, and these are used round the sides 
Barr’s Surbiton Nurseries. 
the water, whether rain or artificial! 
applied. The stone should be set at sue 
an angle as to dip in towards the so: 
thus causing all the water that falls upc 
it to moisten the rockery, instead of rui 
ning away by the pathways. 
The third process involved in the mal 
ing of a rockery is the proper plantin 
of it. Given any number of plants, tk 
cultivator before planting any of thei 
should first consider the case of the largt 
growing ones and the situation that the 
should occupy. The planting of tk 
smaller ones will follow in due coursi 
and the chief point in connection wit 
them is to select a situation facing a qua 
ter that will suit them and also put the: 
in soil that will meet their requirement 
From this point of view it will be clea 
View of Rock Garden at Barr’s Surbiton 
N 
urseries. 
Copyright., Barr and Sons. 
New Orchid Hybrid. 
At the last meeting of the Manchester 
and North of England Orchid Society, 
Messrs. Charlesworth, of Bradford, exhi¬ 
bited a very beautiful new hybrid bloom, 
the Sophrolaelia Feliciae, for which a Sil¬ 
ver Medal was awarded. 
Variegated Double Arabis. 
Few plants are better known than the 
white Arabis, of which there is the green 
and a variegated variety. More recently 
a double variety has been widely intro¬ 
duced to gardens. Now there is a varie¬ 
gated double variety of the same species, 
namely, Arabis albida flore pleno foliis 
variegatis. The name is rather a long 
one when mentioned botanically, but the 
heading of this note will get over the diffi¬ 
culty unless another variegated double 
Arabis should turn up. Plants are offered 
by Messrs. Baker’s, Wolverhampton. 
of the ridges of soil, with the object of 
forming niches, pockets, bays and promi¬ 
nent angles here and there, according to 
the taste or skill of the operator, whereby 
situations facing various quarters may be 
constructed for the cultivation of hardy 
plants. The making of a rockery is ex¬ 
tremely difficult to describe on paper, as 
no two methods of building may be ex¬ 
actly alike, nor it is desirable that they 
should be so. The more variety that can 
be introduced in rock work the better, so 
long as the situations intended for plants 
are suitable for their w r ell being. 
One great point is to make sure of 
plenty of depth of soil, and that is al¬ 
ready assured when the ridges are first 
made up with good soil. The next pro¬ 
ceeding is to arrange the stones for the 
welfare of the plants. They should never 
be set at such an angle as to throw off 
that some heaps of compost should be a 
ready made up and placed ready to hanc 
so that any particular situation may ha\ 
some of that soil placed there befoi 
planting. Some things require to k 
placed in full sunshine, others requii 
shade in varying degrees. Some requii 
sandy soil, while others delight in peat. 
The plant in bloom on the rocke: 
shown is a Yucca, while the twiggy-lool 
ing plants are the White Broom (Cytisi 
albus). In the springtime these are e: 
tremely effective on account of tk 
profusion of bloom, and, of course, the 
occupy the higher positions on the ridge: 
while "the smaller plants delight in th 
moister soil lower down. The illustration 
actually represents a corner of the nu: 
sery of Messrs. Barr and Sons, Long Di 
ton, Surrey, who have placed it at on. 
disposal. 
