plant, bearing blossoms of an intense carmine, and having 

 a stature equal to that of a small tree, but not hardy enough 

 to live in the open air in this country, and also less beautiful 

 than might be anticipated from the rich colour of its 

 flowers, in consequence of the small size of its bunches. 

 Some years ago it occurred to Lord Caernarvon, that if a 

 hybrid variety could be obtained between this and some 

 one of the hardy American species, the result would be a 

 more robust constitution on the one hand, and a great bril- 

 liancy of colouring on the other; and also that if the pollen 

 of R. arboreum could be employed, the stature of the 

 hybrid would also be increased. 



An opportunity of ascertaining the justness of these 

 expectations having occurred, the experiment was tried in 

 the manner detailed in the following letter from Mr. Gowen. 

 How completely Lord Caernarvon's anticipations were 

 realised, is shewn by the same account, and by the accom- 

 panying figure. To the hardiness of R. catawbiense is 

 added the arborescent habit and rich colours of R. arbo- 

 reum, while the contracted clusters of the latter are ex- 

 changed for the spreading bunches of the former. 



" My dear Sir, " Highclere, May 13, 1831. 



*' You desire to have the history of the lovely Rho- 

 dodendrons of which I sent you flowers a short time ago. They are 

 intermediate between the magnificent Rhododendron arboreum of 

 Nipal and a seedling Rhododendron from R. catawbiense, which had 

 been fertilised by the pollen of Rhododendron ponticum. From the 

 period of the introduction of Rhododendron arboreum into the 

 Highclere Garden by my friend Dr. Wallich, and more particularly 

 since its inability to withstand the rigour of this climate had been 

 ascertained, Lord Caernarvon became desirous of producing a cross 

 breed between it and the hardy species. We were not fortunate in 

 bringing Rhododendron arboreum into bloom so early as we wished. 

 Being on a visit at the Grange in the autumn of 1825, I observed a 

 specimen, which had been planted out in Mr. Baring's magnificent 

 Conservatory, with flower-buds upon it. Mrs. Barino; was so kind 

 as to place one of the umbels at my disposal when it should come to 

 flower. Three plants of hardy Rhododendrons were selected early in 

 the winter, and removed from out-borders into boxes in readiness; 

 and early in the spring of 1826, I received from the Gardener at the 

 Grange a fine umbel of the flowers of Rhododendron arboreum in a 

 tin case. Their pollen was used m fertilising the flowers of the hardy 

 species which, by previous concert, had been brought into contem- 

 poraneous bloom. The result was the production of a number of 



