EVERGREENS. 107 



ornamental plants, published in the spring of 1850. 

 That catalogue being now out of print, and the demand 

 for the treatise still being great, we are induced to 

 reproduce it in the present work. 



From what we then stated, as to the practicability 

 of inducing the Rhododendron and its allies to nourish 

 in situations hitherto considered altogether inappro- 

 priate to them, we have nothing to detract. On the 

 contrary, our increased experience and observation in 

 various parts of the country enable us to state with 

 confidence, that scarcely a locality exists, which pre- 

 sents sufficient obstacles to prevent the successful 

 introduction of these most desirable and universally 

 admired plants. The following practical directions 

 will, we trust, enable any person to succeed who may 

 be desirous of doing so. 



The beauty of the Rhododendron, which, in a garden 

 sense, may be considered as the type of all the plants 

 which this treatise is intended to illustrate the cul- 

 ture of, is well known ; we will not, therefore, occupy 

 the reader with allusions to its many points of excel- 

 lence. The numerous race of hardy hybrids, which 

 skilful cross-breeding between the Indian and American 

 species has produced, is unrivalled as ornamental 

 shrubs ; for we have now successfully combined rich- 

 ness of colour and beauty of form with hardiness of 

 constitution ; and have combatted their tendency to 

 bloom at so early a period in the spring, when frost 

 almost invariably destroys the flowers in a half- 

 opened state, a tendency which all the first crosses 

 with It. arloreum evince in a great degree, and 



