SEPTEMBER. 275 



large, and quite symmetrical in shape. In another part of the grounds 

 a common Pontic Azalea measured 90 feet in circumference and 14 feet 

 high. We may here add, the soil at Tottenham is a soft yellow loam, 

 belonging to the lower beds of the London clay ; and as very excellent 

 peat is found close by, every facility for growing American plants is on 

 the spot. Mr. Burn was one of the first who turned his attention to 

 hybridising the Rhododendron. This was on the first introduction of 

 R. arboreum, which with R. a. album have been employed to cross with 

 the hardy late flowering varieties, until every shade of colour is now 

 produced, from the richest crimson to a pure white, relieved by darker 

 spots in the throat. This, as every one knows, could not be effected at 

 once, but has been a work of time and perseverance. The first crosses 

 from the Nepal Rhododendron were only half hardy, and these have 

 been made to cross again with hardy varieties until the magnificent 

 hybrid Rhododendrons, which have made Tottenham and Mr. Burn so 

 famous, have been produced. Lee's Late Purple and Maximum album, 

 with another variety of a very dark purple, appear to Mr. Burn 

 favourable for crossing the hybrids from arboreum, so as to obtain a 

 crimson flowering Rhododendron to bloom in the end of June and 

 July, which many of them do. A vast number of interesting seedlings 

 have yet to bloom, and we have no doubt that many of them will be 

 novelties either in shape, colour, or marking, as many of these hybrids 

 were produced several years ago, and are now immense bushes. A 

 bank of hybrid varieties is planted, extending fi-om the Orangery west- 

 ward for a long distance. Many of the plants in this bank are 25 feet 

 high, and a more gorgeous display can nowhere be seen than this bank 

 generally presents the end of May and early in June ; they are a sight 

 worth going 100 miles to see. Unfortunately the frosts of the 24th of 

 April last destroyed all the exposed buds, and nothing escaped but a 

 few which were protected by the foliage. The same may be said of 

 the Azaleas, which presented a sad blank compared with the glowing 

 splendour in which we have seen them. We have more notes in hand, 

 but time will not allow us to say more than that we wish all lovers of 

 fine scenery and magnificent American plants would go to Tottenham 

 and judge for themselves during the season of bloom, and we hardly 

 know which they will admire the most — the courtesy and kindness of 

 our worthy fi-iend Mr. Burn, or the many wonders he has to show them. 



DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF FRUITS. 



{Continued from p. 2^1.) 



NEW STRAWBERRIES. 

 1. Omer Pacha. 



This variety is a seedling raised by Mr. Ward, the gardener at 

 Prospect Hill House, near Reading, Berks, from British Queen fertilised 

 by the old Carolina Pine, two good kinds, of which the present variety 

 seems to be a combination. The samples I received from Mr. Ward 

 (from which the woodcut on next page was taken) were very nice- 

 looking fruit, and of good quality. 



t2 



