1 62 Ornamental Shrubs. 



Still, as a matter of fact, the rhododendrons may be 

 successfully and easily grown over a large section of the 

 country. It is true they may require somewhat especial 

 conditions and intelligent consideration, but even with 

 that they are worth all they cost. To begin with, care 

 must be taken in the selection of species and varieties. 

 This is a clear case where the right plant must be in 

 the right place. The pedigree of each specimen must 

 be thoroughly studied and understood before it can be 

 determined whether it is likely to possess the constitu- 

 tional qualities required for the purposes to which it is to 

 be put. It may not be necessary for each planter to ex- 

 tend his personal investigations so as to cover all the 

 details in this direction, but the least he can do is to make 

 sure that the nurseryman of whom he makes his purchase 

 is sufficiently intelligent and sufficiently honest to be able 

 to present a clean bill of health at every point and ex- 

 tending to every particular. 



Very few of the rhododendrons in ordinary cultivation 

 in this country are to be found growing wild in any part of 

 the world. They are crosses, hybrids, or varieties largely 

 fashioned by the hand of man, and the experts who have 

 toiled long and with intelligent purpose have brought out 

 a race of these beautiful plants such as the world knew 

 little or nothing of before. A brief account of how this 

 has been done may not only be of interest to the general 

 reader, but prove also of practical value to such as wish to 

 grow them on their lawns or in their gardens. Let us, 

 then, first look to the sources from which our common 

 sorts have mostly sprung, and take a glimpse of the proc- 



