5 OCTOBER 1934, Page 17

Alpine Zeal If there is any stronger evidence of the

growth of gardening zeal than the fortunes of the Alpine Garden- Society, it must be strong indeed. The Society has been in evidence this late September by reason of its special investigation of the flora of the Welsh Hills and its association with a special campaign of the Councils for 'the Preservation of Rural England and Wales. This garden society was founded only three years ago: its Membership rose to a cool thousand almost at once and rises continuously. It supports a beautifully illustrated quarterly magazine. It travels far in search of the tiny beauties that are its prizes : expeditions of several score of its members have visited, for example, Morocco and the Bernese Oberland merely to see and admire particular beauties and rarities; most of them small as gems should be.- The members give and exchange plants and seeds, with great co-operative generosity. The R.H.S. has no scion of greater vigour.

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