4d 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAKDBNER. 



I Jalj jS, UC9. 



that can be desired in habit, and nffording as great a dirersitv 

 of colour as any floner, it deserves more attention than it 

 naaally receives, and certainly more than many plants that are 

 eagerly sought after. Purhitps one reason of its being leas ex- 

 tensively cultivated than it ought to be, is the idea that only 

 a certain dejcription of soil suits it. This popular idea is 

 certainly carried farther than is proper, and I will endeavour 

 to show that the plant, or at least the common varieties of 

 it, can be grown in more kinds of soil than usually supposed, 

 so that there are probably many places where it might be 

 planted with adviintage, if tight means were taken at first to 

 insure success. Unfortunately, this is not always done, and 

 the consequence is a failure, when it might have buen avoided, 

 and the cultivation of th? plant is abandoned. Perhaps a little 

 consideration of the conditions under which the plant was 

 growing prior to its being tried on such a spot, may tend to 

 explain the reason of iailure, and point out a course more 

 likely to bo successful. 



Tiiis plant seems to flourish best in the dry upland peaty 

 soils which are met with in many districts; there its cul- 

 tivation is desirable, and although for special purposes we 

 often see large quantities of suitable soil removed to a coii- 

 Biderable distance to mnke a bed, this cannot be done in all 

 cases where the Khododendron is to be grown. On the other 

 band, it must be admitted that there are many soils and 

 Bitualions where this plant will refuse to grow, but then these 

 are much fewer than is generally supposed, and a due regard 

 to some other points of the plant's culture will show that the 

 number of intermediate files or soils is very large, and that 

 there are not many ne-ghbourhoods which do not possess a 

 suitable soil. Few plants more readily adapt themselves to 

 removal than the Rhododendron, provided the operation be 

 performed at the right time, and in. the right manner. The 

 subject is so important, and the cases where failure occurs so 

 numerous, that some remarks on these, and the mode to 

 obviate them, seem desirable ; I shall, therefore, under different 

 heads make the remarks which may seem applicable. 



Soil. — Although much as has been written on thi^, I believe 

 there are few who havo planted the Bhododendrcn extensively 

 on different soils who will not aiknowledge they have been 

 several times deceived in the results. Either the plants have 

 not succeeded well when they were expected to do so, or they 

 prospered where they were scarcely expected to grow at all ; in 

 fact, the soil requisite to support the healthy growth of this 

 plant is far from being generally understood, and often a just 

 knowledge of the matter is only attained by a trial. A number 

 of plants are tried on some soil that appears to be suitable, and 

 the result watched with interest ; if successful, all is well, but 

 if otherwise, the ingenuity of the planter is set to work to 

 ascertain the cause, aud a trial elsewhere is, perhaps, deter- 

 mined upon. I will now direct attention to the soils and 

 situations in which this plant is found to thrive with more 

 than ordinary luxuriance, and I will endeavour to point out 

 how far they can be imitated elsewhere. 



In taking a casual survey of certain districts, it will often be 

 found, that although a certain class of soil generally prevails, 

 now aud then patches of quite another kind are met with, 

 entirely surrounded by soil of the prevailing character, and 

 varying in size from less than an acre to the extent of several 

 parishes, and it not unf.-equontly happens that, suitable sites 

 for the Rhododendron occur in such isolated plots. For in- 

 stance, some places in the neighbourhood of Dorking are well 

 adapted for the growth of the plant in consequence of the 

 favourable soil cropping out, while the district generally is 

 chalk, with a thin crust of ovorljing soil almost as white as the 

 chalk itself ; yet here and there patches of peat, or a close re- 

 semblance to it, meet the eye, while farther westward in the 

 same county peat appears to f jrm the staple soil of the district, 

 extending from almost the centre of Surrey a considerable 

 way into Hampshire, with occasional breaks aud irregularities. 

 This neighbourhood, bo fuiourable to the growth of the Rho- 

 dodendron, has been taken full advantage of, and some of the 

 largest nurseries for the rearing of plants have been formed 

 there. 



Other districts also furnish similar sites. A peaty soil well 

 adapted for the purpose exists in large breadths throughout 

 many of the midland and western counties, Cornwall uffurding 

 as many varieties of soil, with as large a proportion favourable 

 to the growth of this plant, as any county. Speaking, too, with- 

 out a thorough knowledge of the matter, I believe most of the 

 eastern counties possess a much less extensive range of dry 

 opland peat, althongh that of a marshy kind may be plentiful 



enough. Large tracts, however, exist in Derbyshire and Stafford- 

 shire, but the wet mosses of Lancashire have to endure a coarse 

 of draining and cultivation before they become fitting abodes 

 for this highly urnamcutal phnt. Farther north peat is plenti- 

 ful, and it is questionable whether any spot in the northern 

 part of the kiugdom can be foimd which is ten miles from 

 a peaty moor, or some place of a like kind. Indeed, I am cei- 

 tain that there are not many places in any part of the kingdom 

 half that distance from some spot where the Rbododendron 

 will flourish, for a black peat is not the only soil that it will 

 thrive upon, as it often exhibits every appearance of vigorous 

 health on soils that to an ordinary observer look the very 

 opposite of peat, and these, too, so different from each other, 

 that I am convinced the numerous places suitable for the 

 growth of the plant, havo not yet had a fair trial. The blaek 

 sandy peats of Surrey and elsewhere, with scarcely a stone in 

 them as large as a boy's marble, bear no resemblance to some 

 upland gravels, where stones varying in size from that of a 

 cricket ball to a bean, form at least three-fourths of the staple 

 material the plants have to grow in, and yet fine healthy plants 

 are met with blooming abutidantly. 



Colour of soil is no criterion, for a light grey, bright yellow, 

 and now and then a dark red, as well as all intermediate colours, 

 seem to answer almost as well as the black peal, while occa- 

 sionally the latter is rejected. Most low-lying peaty morasses 

 are unsuitable, especially those from which pent is dug for fuel. 

 A period of cultivation may bring them into a suitable condi- 

 tion, but such peat is not so in its crude state ; indeed, I 

 hardly know what crops are most suitable for low, flat, peaty 

 mosses, scarcely raised above the ordinary water level. I would 

 caution the incxpcrieucad against using this buggy peat in the 

 formation of Rliododendrou bads, as I have seen evil results 

 more than once arise from its being employed. I cannot 

 clearly say why it is so, but it would appear that the long period 

 during which the moss has been soaked with water, has ren- 

 dered it unlit, for a time at least, to support vegetation of any 

 kind, except the few species which occupy it in its natural 

 condition, and the Rhododendron is not one of them. 1 have 

 seen several fruitless attempts to obtain a healthy growth of 

 this plant in situations of the kind referred to. 



A soil which of itself contains all that is wanted for the well- 

 being of the Rhododendron, is infinitely superior to any mix- 

 ture of ingrodionts that the most skilful or scientific operator 

 can make. Although many plants seem to relish the composts 

 made for them, it is but seldom the Rhododendron does so, 

 while very often the worst results foUow. Therefore, when the 

 natural soil of the place appears to be favourable to the growth 

 of the Rhododendron, it is best to let it alone. Adding other 

 materials is often injarious instead of beneficial. 



When the natural soil presents the features which are 

 favourable to Rhododendrons, try to grow these. The in- 

 dications are weeds and other natural growths, and after much 

 experience I have found no reason to depart from an opinion I 

 gave many years ago, that one of the best tokens of a soil 

 j suitable to Rhododendrons is the common Foxglove, which if 

 I seen growing extensively in a wild state, I regard as denoting 

 suitable soil — as much os the Heath, and certainly much more 

 so than the common Brake Fern, although both the latter are 

 generally associated with the Rhododendron when it is left to 

 [ Nature. Some allowance must, of course, be made for the forma 

 under which each is found ; usually the Brake (Pteris aquilina), 

 I disappears in tilled ground, but this is not the case with the 

 Foxglove, the latter flourishing in dry ground ; while the wilJ 

 I Heath is often found in positions where there is scarcely the 

 depth of soil necessary for Rhododendrons. Amongst trees, 

 ] the presence of Birch and Scotch Fir often indicates a suitable 

 soil ; that of Beech the contrary. Furze i.s ofien found along 

 with Heath, but it is not so safe a guide as the Foxglove. 

 Perhaps, however, the Bilben-y or Whortleberry may be taken 

 as the criterion of a first-class Rhododendron soil ; but this 

 plant is not so widely disseminated as the preceding, and Rho- 

 dodendrons will thrive well where this higbland fruit is rarely 

 met with, often in places far removed from it and similar moor- 

 land productions. • 



As compared with the greater proportion of the land adapted 

 for agricultural purposes, that suited to the Rhododendron 

 would be regarded as poor and nnprofitable, producing very 

 indifferent grass crops, and not the best of corn. When the 

 depth is sufficient. Potatoes may be grown, as on the extensive 

 levels of western Lancashire ; but in tbe latter case the bene- 

 fits of the soil are more than neutralised by the natural dis- 

 advantages of the strong sea breeze. Besides, generally the 



