June 26, 1915 



HORTICULTUEE 



84.5 



Rhododendrons ^and Rhododendron 

 Exhibitions 



Editor Hokticultuke: 



Please allow me to apoligize to Mr. Koeliler and the 

 readers of Hokticultukk for an inexcusable oversight 

 in the omission of labels from the Hunnewell exhibit 

 of Rhododendrons at the June show. It is my first 

 offence and I will promise you it shall not happen again. 

 I did not attend to the labelling at the proper time; 

 that is, as soon as the blooms were set up. Intended 

 to do it later, and instead, forgot it. 



T agree with Mr. Koehler, Rhododendrons are not 

 made the feature at these exhibitions they sliould be. 

 That, liowever, cannot be charged against the Hunnewell 

 estate. For many years theirs has been about the only 

 exhibit of these flow-ers at the Rhododendron show. The 

 feeling that tlie Rhododendron show was only so-called 

 impressed the committee on prizes and exhibitors so 

 much that they changed the name in the 1915 schedule 

 to the "June" show. I understand the committee have 

 under consideration the offering of special inducements 

 to exhibitors to show Rhododendrons in tubs and in 

 other ways at the May show of 1916, and if this is done, 

 I would venture to ask Mr. Koehler to join in making 

 that show a success as far as concerns the Rhododendron. 

 I further agree Rhododendrons are not given the 

 prominence "they deserve in the planting of estates, 

 and herein may lie the reason why they do not appear 

 at our exhibitions. It takes time to get a collection of 

 Rhododendrons together. It is not all done when the 

 planting is finished. There is much experimenting to 

 do before one finds out just where and how they will 

 will do best. There are failures to meet and we need 

 a good deal of persistence to meet them. The average 

 owner objects to the expense and the average gardener 

 to the care required to make them a success, but we 

 think the compensations are worth the effort. I am in 

 doubt, however, whether any "inducements" horticul- 

 tural organizations may offer will be productive of the 

 results we wish until Rhododendrons become better ap- 

 preciated as garden plants. 



In the 1915 schedule of the Massachusetts Horticul- 

 tural Society we find No. 178, "Hunnewell Fund, 

 Rhododendrons — Largest and best collection, not less 

 than fifteen distinct varieties, six trusses of each, from 

 plants that have been grown in the open in Massachu- 

 setts, for at least three years, two prizes * * * $20. $15." 

 One would think the money inducement offered would 

 be sufficient to bring out good exhibits. It would if they 

 were commonly grown and kept properly named. The 

 proviso that the flowers must be taken from plants that 

 have been grown for three years in the open in Mass- 

 achusetts should meet Mr. Koehler's suggestion of a 

 means for determining the hardiness of the varieties 

 exhibited. 



As to what is hardy and what is tender no "hard and 

 fast" rule caji be laid down. Theories have been upset 

 considerably during this past winter. It is more diffi- 

 cult than ever to say what is hardy and what is tender. 

 A plant may be hardy in one place and tender in an- 

 other, even on the same estate. We naturally look for 

 a reason, and try to fit results to recognized causes. 

 This season they did not fit, either here or anywhere 

 else. Plants have come througli perfectly where occa- 

 sionally they have suffered and vice versa. 



Mr. Curtis, of Cornell University, published a class- 

 ified list of Rhododendrons in Horticultuuk. in issue 

 of May 3, 1913, in which the matter of hardiness was 

 a feature. It was made up of reports from the Arnold 



Arboretum, the Hunnewell estate, and the Rochester 

 parks. Ho has kept it checked up. Today, I have just 

 finished my report to him, from this estate, for the 

 past season. I find no two lists are alike, and in spite of 

 what has been considered an unfavorable winter I am 

 able to mark some hardy, which in previous years were 

 marked tender. 



It seems to me the more difficult it is to attain 

 success the more we should appreciate it. Let us hope 

 tlie tide of Rhododendron culture will rise so that we 

 can again have a Rhododendron show. 



Rhododendron Kaempferi 



See Cover Illustration. 



This scarlet azalea is probably the most ornamental 

 and the most valuable flowering shrub for northern 

 gardens that has been introduced to this country from 

 Japan. It is perfectly hardy as far north as Boston, 

 Mass., and ought to be grown in masses in every garden. 

 It has its home on the mountains of central Japan and 

 it is especially abundant in the Nikko region where it 

 makes a wonderful display during the latter half of 

 May and early June. 



In warm localities in Japan this azalea retains its 

 foliage throughout the winter, but in cold districts and 

 at its altitud'inal limits it is virtually deciduous. This 

 peculiarity is of value to those who wish to use thia 

 azalea as a pot plant for Easter work. If grown in 

 pots and "housed" before the early frost appears its- 

 full foliage should be retained as easily as in the Indian 

 azaleas so called. 



Kaempferi azalea is a bush four to seven feet tall 

 with twiggy branches, and is extraordinarily floriferous. 

 It does well in almost any well-drained situation but 

 in the full sun the flowers bleach. It is seen to best 

 advantage when planted under the lea of woods and 

 more especially against the dark background of conifers. 

 In such half shade the flowers retain their full brilliancy 

 and from a distance may be likened to the glow on a 

 dark night from burning charcoal in full blast. This 

 azalea was introduced to the A^rnold AJ-bo(retum in 

 1893, by Prof. C. S. Sargent, who collected seeds dur- 

 ing a tour in Japan. If this plant has the hortiailtural 

 vahie which the writer claims, the reader may rightly ask, 

 since it has been in the country over twenty-two years, 

 why is it not everywhere well known and appreciated. 

 By the numerous "amateurs who visit the Arnold Ar- 

 liovetum it is appreciated and one and all desire to 

 possess it. Why this legitimate desire remains ungrati- 

 lied the nurserymen can best supply the answer. 



When the professional plant growers for the Christ- 

 mas and Easter trade of this country properly realize 

 what the devastation of Belgium means insofar as their 

 affairs are concerned and begin to feel a pinch conse- 

 quent upon the failure of erstwhile supplies, they will 

 of necessity begin to look around for new sources and 

 for substitute materials. Those who heretofore have 

 imported for forcing purposes Belgian azaleas (Rho<lo- 

 deudron iiidicum vars.) will do well to turn their at- 

 tention to the scarlet azalea of Japan. 



Arnold Arboretum. 



