Excerpt from Alpine Plants: A Practical Manual for Their Culture Most Alpine plants are quite easy to grow, but all are not so; and the aim of this little treatise is simply to set forth, in the case of these more especially, such a method of planting, choice of soil, position, and after-treatment, as experience has shown to have satisfactory results. Any practical system for the culture of Alpines must be based upon an intelligent recognition of the primary importance of three things: drainage, mixture of composts, and periodic top-dressing. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

From the PREFACE. Induced in the first instance to write this little book by frequent requests for information as to how the rarer Alpines and those which, though not rare are yet exacting in their requirements, should be grown, I have, in this Second Edition, endeavoured to enlarge the scope of the work in such a way as to give it extended usefulness without detriment to its original aim. Although I have no longer confined attention either to rare plants or to such as are difficult to establish, keep, or grow well, I trust it will be found that the enumeration of these is now more complete, and the directions for their treatment more clear than before; while, in dealing with the far wider range of easily cultivated Alpines, none have been included which are either straggly, coarse, or commonplace. But my aim has grown more ambitious still, for I have sought to comprehend in one manual such a survey and such indications as shall provide a practical and suggestive guide over the broad field of Alpine gardening, and a comprehensive equipment for approaching those problems which arise in a pursuit that it is my sincere desire to encourage and assist. I have pleasure in acknowledging my indebtedness to the Rev. C. A. Barry for his contribution of an essay to the close of this volume, for drawing up the chart of cultural devices, and also for assistance throughout the work of revision and enlargement.

This 1913 volume provides complete directions on intensive vegetable culture, helping home gardeners to get the most production out of their available land while maintaining high soil fertility.