220 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[July, 



tution, and hence where this " sap " predomi 

 nates, the plants are not hardy enough for an 

 average North American winter. The American 

 R. maximum is found wild as Hir north as Nova 

 Scotia. The Catawbiense flourishes in the cold 

 mountains of North Carolina. If these two 

 alone were concerned in these hybrids we should 

 have a true stock of " American plants." The 

 seed of the Rhododendron is as fine as dust: 

 and only those skilled in seed raising can grow 

 the plants in this way. It has to be strewn on or 

 very near the surface, and the atmosphere kept 

 so moist that very little watering to disturb the 

 seed will be required. After getting the plants, 

 if peculiar kinds are to be perpetuated, they 

 have to be grafted, and this adds to the expense. 

 Seedlings not grafted, are generally beautiful 

 enough for the average grower. They have :> 

 good variety of color and form among them. 



As a matter of culture it may be noted that 

 the roots are extremely delicate and hair-like: 

 and as roots must have air, the plants must be 

 kept very near the surface in the average heavy 

 soils of our country. Where the soil is of a 

 loose, sandy, stony, or peaty character, full of air 

 spaces, this precaution is of no consequence. 

 The Rhododendron seems also to have an anti- 

 pathy to lime. Those varieties which are of the 

 hardiest are still much benefited by a shelter of 

 trees or bushes from the windward quarter. If 

 they have this protection, and the precautions 

 we have suggested be taken in regard to keeping 

 the little roots near the surface and in cool, open 

 soil, it makes little difference whether they be 

 grown in the sun or the shade. 



These and similar questions were plied us 

 while we were taking notes in Waterer's tent, so 

 we thought we might just as well incorporate the 

 answers we had to give in this notice here. Often 

 it was observed to us, "So many look alike; 

 which are the most distinct?" In answer we 

 give the following, without, however, being able 

 to say that they are the best selection for stand- 

 ing our severe climate. That can be only a 

 matter for experiment, though some, as for in- 

 stance Everestianum, are known to do well. 



Album grandiflorum — very large dense heads 

 of lilac and white. 



Everestianum — a dense grower, free bloomer ; 

 flowers rosy pink, with crimped edges. 



Archimedes — rose white, small, but numerous 

 heads. 



Album elegans — rosy white; heads not numer- 

 ous, but large and conical. 



Titian — rose shaded white; rather loose habit 

 of growth, but very showy. 



Lady Eleanor Cathcart — one of the most at- 

 tractive, rosy flowers, with dark spots on the 

 upper petals ; heads compact and numerous. 



John Waterer — deep vermilion rose; one 

 might say as good as some Rhododendron arbor- 

 eums. Rather diff"use in habit. 



Queen — delicate rosj^ white. The great charm 

 of this is in its rounded lobes of the corolla; al- 

 most as perfect in this respect as the Camellia. 



Mrs. Halford- has very large heads, with dif- 

 fuse habit. 



Vandyke — small dense heads of purple crim- 

 son flowers. 



Minnie — small heads, rosy white, with yellow- 

 ish green spots on the upper petal ; an easy, free, 

 rapid grower. 



Lady Cathcart — a superb variety, looking as if 

 the heads of flowers were made up of the old- 

 fosViioned Pelargoniums, before we had to mix 

 up geraniums with them. 



Then we noted as possessing points of special 

 merit as distinct Archimedes, Fastuosum pleno, 

 Michael Waterer, Lady Armstrong, Mrs. John 

 Waterer, Stella, Lady Cleremont, Concessum, 

 King of the Purples, John Marshall Brooks, and 

 Mrs. John Chit ton. 



Desirous of knowing how fiir those we selected, 

 as the most distinct of the collection as we saw 

 them in bloom, would come out in a contest with 

 the whole of the collection as Mr. Waterer knew 

 them, we asked him for a list of six of those he 

 would consider the most distinct, whether in 

 flower are not, and these are they : Everestiana, 

 Mfs. John Chitton, John Waterer, Lees Purple, 

 Charles Dickens, and Titian. It was a great 

 pleasure to note that one who came so for to ex- 

 hibit at this great exposition did his part so well, 

 and that his efforts were so highly appreciated. 



We went from here to the open grounds, 

 where the two firms of Parsons, of Flushing, had 

 made grand exhibitions of Rhododendrons also. 

 If they had had a house given to them as the 

 commission gave one to Mr. Waterer, or if only 

 a part of the house had been given to Mr. Wa- 

 terer and a part to the two Parsons, there would 

 have been a fair chance of a competitive com- 

 parison. The Parsons' collections in the open 

 ground had apparently a greater number of fine 

 specimens than the Waterer collection, and per- 

 haps as many varieties, but of course had no 

 competitive chance whatever with those in the 

 house to make a public impression. In fact not 



