4!)S 



HORTICULTURE 



June 19, 1920 



RAMBLING OBSERVATIONS OF 

 A ROVING GARDENER 



them possible. Even vrith a guide 

 book it is difiicult for strangers to ap- 

 preciate all that the Arboretum offers, 

 but with an authority like. Professor 

 Jack pointing out the shrubs of special 

 interest, a walk through the grounds 

 becomes a rare treat. 



Ever.v year gardeners in New Eng- 

 land are impressed with the lack of 

 hardiness and vigor in most of the 

 rhododendrons which are in cultiva- 

 tion. A hardier race is needed for 

 colder sections of the country. Rhodo- 

 dendrons under present conditions are 

 much less satisfactory than is to be 

 desired. This fact is evidenced by the 

 condition of the plants at the Arnold 

 Arboretum this season. While they are 

 making an attractive display to the 

 eyes of the layman, the observant 

 gardener notices that they are patchy 

 and by no means up to standard. None 

 of the plants were killed outright by 

 the severe winter, but many had their 

 branches broken down by the weight 

 of the snow and ice, while the flower 

 buds of some of the hybrids were in- 

 jured. Rhododendron carolinianum, 

 from the southern Appalachian moun- 

 tains, which was introduced some 

 years ago, and had been featured by 

 Harlan P. Kelsey, of Salem, has proven 

 itself a good New England subject. In 

 the Arboreum it was the first species 

 to open its buds this year, and the 

 small, rose colored flowers made a 

 good appearance. Some forms of hy- 



brids of It. caucasicuni wore almost as 

 early, and in the opinion of Professor 

 Sargent, Boule de Niege is the most 

 satisfactory of these plants for immed- 

 iate cultivation. It has proven itself 

 entirely hardy and seldom fails to flow- 

 er. Mt. Blanc is also satisfactory, and 

 while somewhat dwarfer than Boule 

 de Niege has larger flowers. R. Smir- 

 nowii came through the winter with- 

 out any injury to the buds, and has 

 been blooming well the last two weeks. 

 Its handsome pink flowers make a very 

 desirable rhododendron for MassachUr 

 setts gardens, and it seems to have 

 possibilities for hybridizing because 

 tlie heavy felt covering on the under 

 part of the leaves renders it immune 

 to all attacks of the lace winged fly. 



The di.-;play of rhododendrons at the 

 Arnold Arboretum was enjoyed Thurs- 

 day by many people who participate in 

 a public walk conducted by Professor 

 J. G. Jack, of the Arboretum staff. 

 These walks, by the way, have served 

 as a pleasant introduction of the Ar- 

 boretum to a great many people, and 

 Professor Sargent, the director, has 

 been warmly commended for making 



One will have to go far to find a 

 more enterprising body of men than 

 the Chicago Florists' Club, and one of 

 its activities this season has revealed 

 this fact even to the general public. 

 Mention has already been made in 

 Horticulture of the action of the club 

 in distributing booklets on spraying 

 and on the making of vegetable gar- 

 dens in order to promote the cultiva- 

 tion of vegetables in a much greater 

 degree this season, when food products 

 are sure to be badly needed. A copy 

 of "Garden Pests and Their Control," 

 one of the booklets which is being put 

 out, has come to hand, and is found 

 to be remarkably complete and valu- 

 able. Among other things this booklet 

 contains sixteen pages given over to 

 colored plates depicting almost all of 

 the insect pests which feed on vege- 

 tables, fruit trees, berry bushes and 

 grape vines. With these plates one can 

 readily identify any bug or worm 

 which he is likely to encounter in his 

 garden operations. He will also find 

 carefully colored ilustrations of fungus 

 troubles. Altogether this booklet on 

 garden pests which is gotten out by 



Well (iron-n Khododendrunti .Make a (ior^eous Display 



