170 THE FLORIST. 



A CHAPTER IN 



THE IIISTOUY OF HYBRID RHODODENDRONS. 



The folio winj^ article, taken from the Journal of the Horticultural 

 Society, affords such concise and at the same time good informa- 

 tion on this somewhat obscure subject, that we think many of our 

 readers will thank us for extracting it : 



" Every lover of flowers," say Messrs. Standish and Noble, the 

 authors of the chapter, " is charmed with the appearance of Rliodo- 

 dendron arboreum. Its symmetrical trusses of the richest crimson 

 are objects which attract the most ordinary observer, and the con- 

 noisseur amongst plants is equally delighted with them. But on 

 account of the protection of a conservatory being necessary during a 

 considerable portion of the year to ensure the production of these 

 beauties, comparatively few who possess gardens can enjoy this fine 

 plant in perfection. From this circumstance an early desire evinces 

 itself in the gardening community to procure hybrids between it and 

 the hardier American kinds; but the result of such crosses, although 

 much was accomplished, was not of a satisfactory nature. It is 

 true, many beautiful hybrids were produced, among which we may 

 mention Russellianum and Altaclarense, presenting a richness of 

 colour almost equal to their Indian parent; but they did not inherit 

 sufficiently the hardy constitution of the American. Their tendency 

 to bloom so early in the year, generally from the latter part of 

 February to that of April, invariably exposed them to cutting winds 

 and severe frosts, so prevalent in this climate at that season. And 

 again, the length of time required to bring them into a blooming 

 condition was a severe tax upon the patience of the cultivator, from 

 ten to twelve years being occupied in this probationary state. We 

 have known many instances where hybrids of the character we are 

 describing have been full twenty years old before the anxious eye 

 has been gratified with a flower ; and often, when the production of 

 flower-buds had been effected, and the promise of abundant bloom 

 was about to be realised, an unfavourable season has prostrated all 

 hopes of seeing the flowers in any thing like perfection, if at all.* 

 Knowing that the many disappointments of this character were exer- 

 cising a retrograde movement in the taste for hybrid Rhododendrons 

 as they were then constituted, about twelve years ago we commenced 

 a series of ' crossings,' with the view of remedying the great defects 

 so apparent in the earliness of blooming and susceptibility to frost. 

 In this we have been perfectly successful. B)^ crossing the Ameri- 

 can species again by the first hybrids, such as Altaclarense, &c., we 

 have still retained the rich tints of the Indian kinds, with all the 

 hardiness of the American ; and, what is of equal import, the results 



• At Highclere, the seat of the Earl of Carnarvon, are large masses of 

 Rhododendron Altaclarense and Russellianum, 10 t<) 12 feet in height, which 

 for the last two seasons were well covered with flower-buds. Had the weather 

 been favourable, they would have formed magnificent objects ; but unfortunately 

 this was not the case, and the whole were completely destroyed by the frosts. 



