THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



679 



quire your services, the owners of the private estates. 

 Address by M. C. Ebel, secretary of the National Association 

 of Gardeners, before the Boston Gardeners and Florists Club, 

 at Horticultural Hall, Boston, Mass., October 14, 1913. 



GROWING RHODODENDRONS. 



Rhododendrons are undoubtedly among the finest of 

 ornamental plants. It is a great pity that nurserymen 

 in the United States do not make an attempt to grow 

 them rather than depending almost entirely upon im- 

 ported stock. While they are plants that are not 

 suited to every position and location, if conditions are 

 suitable they undoubtedly do well in this country, says 

 the National Nurseryman. 



Practically all the hybrids are imported from 

 Europe, mainly from Holland and England. Many of 

 the varieties that are imported are not hardy and are 

 grown mainl}' for decorative plants rather than plant- 

 ing outdoors. 



If properly grown in situations that are adapted for 

 them they are hardy from at least Boston south. It is 

 not, however, so much a question of temperature as 

 suitable conditions. The first requirement is a deep, 

 well drained soil, absolutely free from lime and alkali, 

 and if possible one of a peaty nature. The best ferti- 

 lizer is well rotted cow manure, with a liberal supply 

 of sand. This does not mean that they do not grow 

 in loamy soils, far from it. Good turfy loam that is 

 not stiff and heavy will do almost equally as well. 



One of the essentials is that the ground should be 

 kept constantly moist without stagnant water at the 

 roots. Unless the ground is exceptionally well drained 

 it is best to dig out very deeply, say 2^^ ft. to 3 ft., and 

 put in a layer of broken stone or brick to insure good 

 drainage. This should be covered with good turfy 

 loam and filled up with equal portions of leaf soil or 

 peat and a liberal quantity of well rotted manure and 

 sand thoroughly incorporated together. 



It will be readily recognized that this mixture will 

 naturally be porous so that an abundant supply of 

 moisture should be given. 



Another essential to success is protection from pre- 

 vailing cold, drying winds. Exposure to the sun does 

 not hurt them, as the writer has seen them doing 

 equally well with full southern exposure; also in posi- 

 tions where they were shaded at least a portion of the 

 <iay. 



They differ from most plants cultivated in the nur- 

 sery by objecting to cultivation to insure moisture. 

 The reason for this is that they are very shallow rooted 

 plants and cannot be grown in nursery rows where the 

 harrow is depended upon to keep the soil loosened up 

 in the dry weather to form a mulch. They are far 

 better grown in beds where they can be hand culti- 

 vated and a mulch given in dry weather. In the con- 

 ditions under which our native Rhododendron maxi- 

 mum are found growing arc studied, it will be readily 

 seen what the essentials are. These conditions per- 

 haps are rarely found in a commercial nursery, and so 

 would, to a great extent, have to be artificially 

 produced. 



Nearly everyone is familiar with the Rhododendron 

 maximum, or Rose Bay, which flowers in July and 

 August. These are being collected from the woods by 

 the carload, and in time will doubtless become very 

 scarce unless some steps arc taken to propagate and 

 grow them in the nurseries. 



The rhododendron hybrids approach nearer to our 

 native rhododendron Catawbiense, which grows wild 

 in the mountains of North Carolina and other portions 



of the south. It dift'ers from the rhododendron ma.xi- 

 mum in flowering in May. 



All the hybrids, however, are varieties of rhododen- 

 dron Ponticum, but they have been so crossed and re- 

 crossed with other species and varieties that their 

 original parentage has almost entirely been lost. Some 

 varieties are much hardier than others. The follow- 

 ing have been found to be the hardiest and best 

 adapted to the American climate: 



Album elegans, white tinged pink in the bud ; album 

 grandiflorum. white, tinted blue; atrosanguineum, rich 

 blood red ; Blandyanum, rosy crimson ; B. W. Elliot, 

 deep rose; Caractacus, crimson; Chas. Bagley, cherry 

 red; Chas. Dickens, scarlet crimson; delicatissimum, 

 blush white ; Everestianum, rosy lilac ; General Grant, 

 crimson ; giganteum, cherry red ; gloriosum, white, 

 tinted violet; John Waterer, rich crimson; Lady Arm- 

 strong, red; Lady Clermont, rosy scarlet, spotted; 

 Lady Grey Egerton, silvery white; iMichael Waterer, 

 bright scarlet; Mrs. J. Glutton, white spotted yellow; 

 Mrs. Milner, rich crimson ; Old Port, claret red ; Par- 

 son's grandillornm, dark red; purpureum elegans, pur- 

 ple; roseum elegans, light rose. 



Imported rhododendrons when received from abroad 

 invariably carry a good ball of earth and are usually 

 well budded. This ball should never be allowed to 

 become very dry. It is a good plan when unpacked if 

 they appear to be in a dry state to soak them in water 

 before planting. 



As a rule, rhododendrons, even when grown under 

 the most favorable conditions, will rarely produce a 

 full crop of bloom each year. There is usually the 

 vear of plenty followed by one in which they have very 

 few flowers, so that the one following their importa- 

 tion is usually a barren one as the plants have little 

 time to recover and form new buds. With this fact in 

 mind it is well to gi\e every encouragement to their 

 growth, not allowing them to become really dry at any 

 time or subject them to uncongenial conditions while 

 they are waiting to be sold. 



The new shoots which will carry the buds for the 

 succeeding vear are developed immediately beneath 

 the flowers, so that as soon as the flowers are faded 

 they should be removed so as to encourage the plants 

 to make all the growth possible early in the season, 

 which will permit the leaves to become thoroughly 

 hardened and so enabled to stand the rigors of winter. 



ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE 

 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GARDENERS 



October 31— November 4, 1913 



At AMERICAN MUSEUM Of NATURAL HISTORY, NEW YORK 



During Fall Flower Show of Horticultural Society 

 of New York 



BUSINESS MEETING AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS 

 Monday, November 3d— 2 P. M. 



BANQUET, HOTEL ENDICOTT, NEW YORK 

 Monday Evening, November 3d— 7 P. .M. 



