164 Ornamental Shrubs. 



and moisture, forbid its introduction, together with most 

 of its varieties, for our ordinary garden use. Just here 

 comes in one of the secrets of the failure of rhododendron 

 planting in America, so far as it is a failure among the 

 common people. To make sure of the splendid colors of 

 the two species, nearly all the experiments in hybridizing 

 and crossing have been with these comparatively tender 

 plants for the foundation. As the ponticum proves hardy 

 on the continent, it was very natural that the nurserymen 

 of France, Belgium, and Holland, the great feeders of the 

 civilized world in the line of nursery stock, should cling to 

 the notion that, being found hardy at home, it must be 

 strong and vigorous enough for other countries lying 

 within the same range of latitude and supposedly subject 

 to similar climatic conditions. And so they have continued 

 sending us their wares, and too many of our nurserymen 

 have continued the purchase and distribution of the French 

 and Dutch plants, budded on ponticum roots, by the hun- 

 dred thousand a year. It is not too much to say that no 

 rhododendrons on such roots should be accepted as 

 thoroughly reliable in our northern American climate. 

 They may appear to be all right for a few years, starting 

 out well, but with rare exceptions they are certain to fail 

 of the highest perfection unless especially protected and 

 pampered. The rhododendron is naturally a long-lived 

 plant, specimens having been found in its native habitat 

 more than a hundred and fifty years old, and still vigorous. 

 R. catawbiense is an American species, and grows freely 

 on many of our hillsides and mountains without the slight- 

 est protection or care from the hand of man. It is far 



