Be 



Vol. V. 



82.00 a Year. 

 24 Numbers. 



CHICAGO, SEPTEMBER I, 1897. 



Single Copt 

 10 Cents. 



No. 120. 



A SEEDLING RHODODENDRON PLANT 14 FEET IN DIAMETER AT MR. H. H. HDNNEWELLS 



Trees and Shrubs. 



RHODODENDRONS ON THE ESTATE OF MR. 

 «. fl. HUNNEWELL, WELLESLEY, MftSS. 



The beautiful grounds of Mr. Hunne- 

 well at Wellesley have been visited by 

 many of the readers of Gardening, and 

 the fame of the place, its proprietor and 

 his talented gardener, Mr. F. L. Harris, 

 extends beyond the sea. Mr. Hunnewell 

 has undoubtedly done more than any 

 other person to popularize the rhododen- 

 dron in America. None has studied the 

 rhododendron so thoroughly, none loves 

 it more. For many years all the promis- 

 ing novelties have been imported and 

 tested, watched and cherished under his 



eye as though they were his children. At 

 the annual rhododendron exhibition in 

 Boston upwards of one hundred dollars 

 in premiums are awarded each year from 

 the income of a fund which Mr. Hunne- 

 well has given for the encouragement of 

 rhododendron and hardy azalea culture. 

 The greatest disappointment to the 

 rhododendron fancier has resulted from 

 the introduction of varieties not suffi- 

 ciently hardy to withstand the extremes 

 of our climate, tempting in the beauty 

 and delicacy of their color, but with an 

 insufficient proportion of the hardy 

 Catawbiense blood in their constitution, 

 or, as is frequently the case, grafted on 

 the ponticutn stock, which is all right for 

 England, but valueless here for exposed 

 planting. The buyer should beware of 

 misleading lists of so-called hardy sorts. 



In another column we give a list of varie- 

 ties which Mr. Harris recommends as 

 thoroughly hardy and suitable for gen- 

 eral planting in the latitude of Boston. 

 Among them are quite a number of fine, 

 clear shades, and they comprise a suffi- 

 cient variety and range of color to satisfy 

 any reasonable demand. 



Air Harris emphasizes depth of soil as 

 one of the most essential requirements of 

 the rhododendron. The bed should be 

 not less than two and one-half feet in 

 depth. The soil at Wellesley is a light 

 sandy loam, and this with a mixture of 

 swamp muck seems to suit them exactly. 

 Another important point is to see that 

 the plants do not suffer from dry weather 

 in fall. If not provided with an abund- 

 ance of moisture branches will die, buds 

 will go abortive and the vigor of the 



