292 
THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 
Bhododendron—continued. 
Rhododendron may be increased—namely, seeds, cuttings, 
and layers, and by grafting. Budding and inarching 
are also practicable. The seeds, which are very minute, 
require to be sown in thoroughly-drained pots, or 
shallow pans, of sandy peat. The top layer should 
have a little more sand intermixed than is necessary 
for the other portion, and should be passed through 
a fine sieve. After the surface has been rendered 
smooth and pressed firm, the pots, or pans, should be 
watered previous to sowing, and then allowed to drain. 
Scatter the seeds thinly over the top, press in, and 
cover very lightly with a little silver sand. To pre- 
vent the soil from drying too readily, the plan of 
placing a little moss over the soil is often practised ; 
this must not be allowed to remain after the seeds 
begin to germinate. The pans may be placed in gentle 
heat, or in a cold frame; and shading from sunshine is 
necessary. February and March are the best seasons 
for sowing. When the plants come up, and are large 
enough to handle, they should be pricked off in pans of 
soil similar to that in which they have previously been 
growing, and be kept shaded and close until re-established. 
Afterwards, they may gradually have air and light ad- 
mitted to harden them. Cuttings intended for pro- 
pagating should be made of partially-ripened wood, in- 
serted in sandy peat, and kept close and shaded. After 
they have callused,a slightly higher temperature may 
be allowed than at first, such as a gentle hotbed affords. 
Layering may be practised in autumn or spring, when 
the parent plant is sufficiently dwarf to allow of its 
being done. Roots proceed from almost any part of the 
firm wood near the base, but only very slowly indeed. 
Grafting is one of the principal methods adopted for in- 
creasing established varieties of Rhododendron, the stocks 
used being procured from seedlings or cuttings obtained 
from medium or strong-growing common varieties or 
species of good constitution. Grafting is most exten- 
sively practised towards the latter part of summer, when 
the scions have become ripened; with the tender indoor 
species, it is best done in winter. Grafted plants re- 
quire to be kept for a time in close frames until a 
union has been effected. 
Culture of Indoor Greenhouse Rhododendrons. Many 
of these develop into very large bushes, where space 
can be afforded, and provision made for planting them 
out. Amongst the species may be speciaily mentioned 
the magnificent R. Nuttallii, also R. arboreum, R. Auck- 
landii, R. Edgeworthii, &c. An open, peaty. soil suits 
best, and good drainage is essential, as large quantities 
of water are requisite in summer. Unless seeds are re- 
quired, the whole of the seed-vessels should be carefully 
removed when flowering is over, and the plants should 
then, if possible, be kept rather close while making their 
annual growth. Specimens of the species above-named 
may also be grown successfully in large tubs or pots, 
as the root space required is not really so much as 
the size of head would suggest. All the beautiful 
hybrid greenhouse Rhododendrons are most desirable 
subjects for decorative purposes in cool houses. They 
are mostly free-growing, and exceptionally free-flowering, 
as, by affording what is known as a warm greenhouse 
temperature, some of the plants in a collection are 
nearly always to be seen in flower. Especially are 
these remarks applicable to the section raised from 
R. jasminijlorum, R. javanicum, &c., which require more 
heat in winter than R. ciliatum, R. Edgeworthii, and 
others mentioned above. The hybrids succeed in rather 
small pots; good turfy peat and some silver sand is the 
most suitable compost to use. The plants should be kept 
under glass, but subjected to plenty of air in summer 
after their annual growth has been made. Water must 
be very carefully administered, particularly after pot- 
ting, or if signs of ill-health are apparent. Rain-water 
-be obtained more easily. 
Rhododendron—continued. 
for these, as for all other hard-wooded plants, is much 
to be preferred to any other. 
Culture of Hardy Outdoor Rhododendrons. Hardy 
Rhododendrons succeed under various conditions regard- 
ing situation and soil, but one thing is always fatal to 
the well-doing of most of them, namely, the presence of 
lime or chalk in the compost within reach of their roots. 
Naturally, they prefer a rather moist situation and 
partial shade, but these conditions are not absolutely 
necessary, as the plants are hardy enough to grow and 
flower splendidly where fully exposed to the sun. Peat 
and leaf soil are unquestionably best suited for Rhodo- 
dendrons; but R. ponticum and its numerous beautiful 
varieties grow well where there is a good proportion of 
loam, provided the destructive ingredients already re- 
ferred to are absent. It is generally necessary to have 
beds specially prepared for these plants, by taking out 
the ordinary soil and refilling with a prepared compost, 
If peat is procurable, it should: form the bulk; leaf soil 
and sandy loam may be added more freely when they can 
Dried cow-manure is also a 
good addition. Prepared beds for Rhododendrons should, 
if possible, be from 2ft. to 2}ft. deep; it is far better 
to make them properly at first, and large plants require 
that depth, although they always root near the surface. 
Transplanting may best be performed in spring; but 
there are few shrubs that withstand it so well at any 
season, provided the balls are not kept long out of the 
ground, and watering is well attended to afterwards. 
Large standard specimens of the numerous beautiful 
hybrids are exceedingly telling in pleasure-grounds, either 
isolated or planted amongst other smaller plants of Rho- 
dodendrons, or such subjects as are usually grown with 
them, hardy Ericas, Kalmias, Pieris, &c. The ponticum 
hybrids form valuable forcing subjects; they may be 
lifted from the open ground after, the flower buds are 
set, and potted up. If introduced to heat in early spring, 
the flowers soon expand, and showy specimens are 
thereby obtained early for greenhouse decoration. 
R. ferrugineum and R. hirsutum are dwarf, free-flower- 
ing species, well adapted for planting in small beds by 
themselves, or in prepared borders in different parts of 
rock-gardens, &c. They are always dwarf and some- 
what slow-growing, so that, if associated with the vigorous 
ponticum varieties, they are liable to become overgrown 
and smothered. All Rhododendrons have extremely 
small, fibre-like roots, which are disposed very close to, 
and even on, the surface of the soil. It is important 
that these be kept protected from the sun; if the foliage 
does not insure sufficient shade, a top-dressing of leaf 
soil, cocoanut-fibre refuse, or similar material, proves of 
great advantage through the summer time, when the 
roots require to be kept cool and moist. 
The best-known species and varieties are described 
below. Except where otherwise indicated, all are shrubs, 
and require greenhouse treatment. 
yt Poets: ginosum (verdigris-coloured), A synonym of R. campanu- 
um. * 
š + 
R. albiflorum (white-flowered). f. drooping, on fascicled, rarely 
solitary peduncles ; calyx large, deeply cut into five brownish- 
green segments ; corolla pure cream-white, twice as long as the 
calyx, rotate-campanulate, five-lobed; stamens ten, included. 
July. J. deciduous, elliptic-lanceolate, shortly petiolate, entire, 
glabrous, penninerved, lin. to 1}in. long; stipules brown, early 
deciduous. Branches erect. h, 2ft. to 3ft. Rocky Mountains. 
Hardy. (B.M. 3670.) i 
R. album (white). fl. small, on pedicels lin. to 14in. long ; calyx 
minute; corolla e ———— or cream-colour, broad- 
campanulate, its five lobes nearly equal, rounded, retuse ; stamens 
ten; corymbs umbellate, tins a shorter than the leaves. 
November. /. rather copious, spreading, 3in. to 4in. long, oblong- 
lanceolate, acute, on short, lepidoted petioles, glabrous and dar 
— above, thickly clothed with minute, ferruginous scales 
neath. Branches clothed with reddish-brown bark. A. lft. - 
Java. (B. M. 4972.) 
Anthopogon (bearded-flowered).* fl. sulphur-coloured, glo- 
merate ; calyx with a short, five-lobed thin ; —— salver-shaped, 
