THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



\_Jnnuary, 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



HARDY RHODODENDRONS. 



BY SAMl'KL I'AUSdNS, ri.USII INC, 1,. I. 



The remnrks that liavo recently a]»peared in 

 the Gardener's MoidhUj on the subject of hanly 

 Rhododendrons have been both interesting and 

 true. It has seemed, liowever, that certain dis- 

 tinctions or definitions should be fixed to place 

 the matter before the general public in just the 

 practical light intended. It is luuloubtedly true 

 that a very large variety of Khododendrons may 

 be enjoyed in America by means of i)rotecting 

 boughs, nooks of larger trees, and light cellars; 

 but it is likewise true that the inexperienced 

 need some explanation as to what varieties con- 

 stitute the hardy and tender portions of the 

 series. To express better the character of this 

 hardiness, all so-called hardy Khododendrons 

 may be divided into three classes, and, for con- 

 venience, termed hardy, almost hardy, and tender, 

 for scarcely any variety remains absolutely unin- 

 jured under conditions that occur at wide in- 

 tervals, and all may retain their beauty with 

 protection throughout the winter. 



The first includes such as may be planted in 

 ordinary positions, excepting bleak, north-west 

 exposures, and situations close to buildings 

 where heat and cold are naturally concentrated 

 by reflection. This class consists of hardly more 

 than a dozen varieties of the nature of Roseum 

 Grandiflorum, Bicolor, Everestianum, Purpu- 

 reum Grandiflorum, Album Elegans, Mrs. Mil- 

 ner, H. W. Sargent, Caractacus, Charles Bagley, 

 and Lady Armstrong, and comes almost, if not 

 entirely, of an improved pure Catawbiense strain. 

 Peculiar conditions of health, grubs at the root, 

 (fee, may sometimes induce an apparent delicacy, 

 in above varieties, that is very delusive. 



The second, and almost hardy class, may be 

 enjoyed very generally by planting in sheltered 

 corners, and covering loosely, both head and 

 foot, with boughs and leaves to break the force 

 of winter winds. The discoloration of the leaves, 

 that will now and then occur, quickly disappears 

 with the new growth. As representatives of the 

 class, may be mentioned Lee's Dark Purple, 

 Blandyanum, Mrs. McClutton, Scipio, Atrosan- 

 giiineum, Titian, Minnie, Purity, Stella, Mrs. 

 Halford. 



The third class, containing a number of va- 

 rieties apparently hardy in England, should 

 never be trusted out in our winters without 



thorough ]»rotcction, and are still safer housed 

 ill a light cellar during that season. Any attempt 

 to disobey this rule will only be fraught with 

 continual dissatisfaction. These kinds include 

 such varieties as Conccssum, John Waterer, Bar- 

 clayanum, Sir Robert Peel, MichafI Waterer, and 

 many other beautiful high-colored sorts. Rho- 

 dodendrons, even in this class, recjuire the ma- 

 turing effects of frost, hence the use of a green- 

 house cannot be advised, for, even unheated, a 

 certain freedom from frost and induced pre- 

 cocity exists therein that will probably injure the 

 after growth. If all amateurs and gardeners will 

 observe the above distinctions, and treat their 

 Rhododendrons accordingly, we doubt not that 

 much of the prejudice, now existing against the 

 family, will gradually disapjicar. Certainly the 

 wonderful success of Mr. Hunnewell and others, 

 in cultivating these kinds, seems almost perfect, 

 and probably the same judgment in manage- 

 ment would secure the enjoyment of all recom- 

 mended by Mr. Anthony Waterer, who undoubt- 

 edly stands among the first of European growers. 



DOUBLE LILIUM AURATUM. 



BY M. H. MERRIAM, l.KXINGTON", M.\SS. 



In the November number of the Monthly 

 among tlie new plants noticed is that of a double- 

 flowered Lilium auratum which had appeared 

 in France. It may be interesting to know that 

 about two weeks later, or late in September, I 

 discovered a similar production on one of the 

 plants among my own. There was a perfectly 

 symetrical, well-developed duplicate set of petals, 

 divided, however, nearly, or quite, to the base. 

 The plant was carefully watched in the hope that 

 seed might be secured, but it failed to produce 

 any. 



The l)ulb, however, is labeled, and since learn- 

 ing from your journal the variety of the phe- 

 nomena, I shall watch its future flowering with 

 great interest. Subsequently, another plant 

 seemed to be repeating the same phenomena, 

 but on development it proved to be an irregular 

 malformation. 



AMERICAN TUBEROSES. 



Having occasion to investigate the compar- 

 ative value of Italian over American bulbs, as 

 had been asserted by distinguished horticul- 

 turists, I made particular enquiry of several 

 florists in my neighborhood who are in the 

 practice of forcing for the market, and their tes- 



