The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-01-21 00:00:00

HORTICULTURAL

We extract from the Gardener's Magazine the following
description of the artificial Rockery at Hoole House, near
Chester, the seat of Lady Broughton, which is one of the
most elaborate compositions of this kind in the country.
" The design of the rockery was taken from a small
model representing the mountains of Savoy, with the
Valley of Chamouni ; it has been the work of many years
to complete it, the difficulty being to make it stand the
weather. Rain washed away the soil, and frost swelled
the stones, several times the main wall failed from the
weight put upon it. The walls and the foundation are
built of the red sandstone of the country ; and the
materials have been collected from various parts of
Wales ; but it is now so covered with creeping and alpine
plants that it all mingles together in one heap. The out-
line is, however, carefully preserved ; and that part of
the model which represents " Le Mer de Glace" is worked
with grey limestone quartz and spar. It has no cells for
the spaces being filled up with broken fragments

of white marble to look like snow, and the spar is in-
tended for the glazier. The rockwork is planted with
a selection of the most rare and beautiful alpine plants,
particularly with all the close growing kinds, each being
placed in a ni.lus of suitable soil, and the surface pro-
tected from the weather by broken fragments of stone,
clean washed gravel, and the debris of decayed rock
moss, or other suitable substances, according as the object
is to retain moisture, or to evaporate moisture, in order
to prevent the plants from damping off; to increase the
heat, in which case dark fragments of stone are used, or

to diminish it, in which case white pebbles are used,
which by reflecting the light and heat keep the ground
cool." The description is rendered more perfect by a
beautiful wood-cut, in the superior style for which this
Magazine is famous.

PERIODICALS FOR JANUARY.
Curtis's Botanical Magazine.
The new or rare plants figured this month are Didymo-
carpus crinita, a plant with very beautiful foliage, and
elegant white tubular flowers ; a new Campanula—C. co-
lorata—sent by Dr. Hooker from the Sikkim-Himalaya;
another new hardy herbaceous plant, from the same inde-

fatigable collector—Aster Sikkimensis ; a handsome acan-
thaceous plant of a new genus—Hydromestus maculatus ;
a very valuable myrtle, with striking foliage—Myrtus
orbiculata, and the celebrated Visnaga echinocactus.
Hooker's Journal of Botany
Has a continuation of the highly-important communica-
tion from the Right Hon. Earl Grey, upon the destructive
scale which affects the coffee plant, and the interesting
Journal of Dr. Hooker during his Himalaya tour, is likely
to continue through the new volume.

Sowerby's English Botany
Has twenty plates, which complete the beautiful genera of
Rosa and Rubus. The beautiful wild roses of our country
were never more beautifully depicted.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
Contributors to this column will oblige by sending their
contributions not later than Saturday; and written
on one side only of the paper.
" H. Terswell."—We are obliged to you for your kind
offer, and think any information concerning our local
molluscs would be valuable.