iSyi.] NOTES ON RHODODENDRONS. 7 



country ; and it is to it that we are indebted for all the shades of 

 scarlet, crimson, and pink, which are so much admired in our pre- 

 sent race of hardy varieties. Among the first results of hybridising 

 in this direction were the still well-known Russellianum and Alta- 

 clarense from Catawbiense varieties, Smithii from Ponticum, and 

 Noblicanum from Caucasicum — all possessing in a greater or less 

 degree the fine crimson flowers of their male parent. It was soon 

 found, however, that though sufficiently hardy to stand the winter 

 outside in favourable situations, these hybrids inherited much of 

 its tree - habit and early - blooming peculiarity ; they were shy in 

 forming buds, or rather they required many years before they at- 

 tained sufficient size for blooming; while in nine cases out of ten 

 the flowers were blighted by late spring frosts before they were fully 

 expanded, detracting immensely from their value for outdoor cultiva- 

 tion, and rendering it necessary for their safety that they should be 

 potted in autumn, and placed in the conservatory after they were done 

 flowering; and while they were, as they still are, extremely useful for 

 this purpose, seeing that they can be had in all their glory during the 

 winter and early spring months, it was obvious that much was still 

 required to be done before bright-coloured Rhododendrons could be 

 got to flower in May and June. Hybridisers naturally turned to the 

 late species and their varieties ; and these were again crossed, but 

 with the crimson hybrids ; and this carried on with every possible 

 combination, and through a series of generations, has gradually devel- 

 oped that infinite variety of habit, form, and shade of colour with 

 which our collections are now so much enriched. It would almost 

 seem as if perfection itself had been attained; and a hybridiser may 

 consider himself fortunate if, after having raised thousands of seed- 

 lings, he finds even one sufiiciently distinct from, or even up to, the 

 high standard of those already grown. The work, however, is still 

 enthusiastically prosecuted, and from year to year novelties and im- 

 provements make their appearance. 



The introduction within the last twenty-five years of these magnifi- 

 cent species from Sikkim, Assam, and Bhotan, with their wonderful 

 diversity of foliage, form, and colour, along with, in some cases, ex- 

 quisite fragrance, has opened up a new and inviting field for further 

 efforts in hybridising. The most of these species, though hardy 

 enough to survive our winters in the open air in sheltered situations, 

 bloom too early to be useful in any other way than as conservatory 

 plants; and the great object to be obtained is to infuse some of their 

 peculiarities of foliage, colour, and above all, fragrance, into the late- 

 flowering varieties. This has been hitherto a slow process, owing to 

 the extreme difficulty of inducing many of them to intermix with the 



