ROCK-WORK, ROOT-WORK, ETC. 
155 
point of view, and tends more to the general enlightenment of the 
mind, is the production of new varieties ; which, as hybridization 
is the grand means of obtaining these, is, in fact, the philosophy 
of that process. Now, if every amateur would devote that time 
and talent to this subject which he spends in eyeing his flowers with 
delight, he would contribute something to the philosophy of flori¬ 
culture ; and the number of amateurs is so great that the sum of 
a very little done by each would amount to far more than can be 
accomplished by all the professional florists in the country. We 
have said that those professional florists cannot afford time for 
studying this matter thoroughly, or making the necessary experi¬ 
ments ; and as they find subjects for the amateur, the least that 
he can do is to study and experiment upon those subjects for his 
own enjoyment and the general benefit of the art. To excite the 
amateur to doing this is the object of this short preliminary paper; 
and we will occasionally revert to the subject, and treat of it as 
applicable to different species of flowers. 
ROCK-WORK, ROOT-WORK, ETC. 
Since the study of botany and a love of flowering plants has 
become so prevalent in this country, neither pains nor expense have 
been spared to render botanical collections complete. Buildings 
for the culture and preservation of exotic plants are accompanied 
by suitable beds and borders for those which are indigenous or 
hardy enough to bear the rigours of our climate. 
In introducing wild plants into our gardens, we always en¬ 
deavour to give them the same kind of soil, and, as far as possible, 
similar situations to those which they appear to require in their 
native habitats. 
In the vegetable kingdom we see there are aquatics, moun¬ 
taineers, or alpines, epiphytes, parasites, besides the great ma¬ 
jority of those which are found everywhere on the dry plains, or 
humid valleys of the country. 
Accordingly, in the domestication of wild beauties, we provide 
rich beds or borders for those requiring good soil; beds of peat 
or moor earth for marsh or moor plants; basins or troughs of 
water for aquatics; conical heaps or ridges of stones for alpines ; 
and mounds of roots or rugged parts of trunks thrown together 
