RHODODENDRON. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. RHODODENDRON. 761 



is important to get plants from layers 

 where possible, and not grafted plants, 

 as these are apt to perish and their 

 places be taken by the common stock, of 

 which we have already far too much. 

 Hitherto it has been very difficult to get 

 layered plants ; but some of our best 

 nurserymen see the change suggested 

 here is a good one and are providing for 

 it. It makes great difference in the end 

 whether the kind has its own roots and 



limeless soil, the difficulty is to prevent 

 their growing so quickly as to smother 

 each other. They are often too closely 

 planted, and after a few years of rapid 

 growth such plantations cannot show 

 their beauty. It would be much better to 

 plant all the choice kinds rather thinly. 

 Where from previous thick planting the 

 bushes are too close together, thin them 

 promptly and severely, leaving the choicer 

 kinds and the finest-formed bushes. In 



Rhododendron Falconeri. 



is spread about into many plants, or is on 

 some wretched stock on which it perishes. 

 Rhododendrons are of free growth in 

 almost any soils except those with lime 

 in them. On many loamy soils free 

 from lime the plants do perfectly well, 

 although perhaps never so much at 

 home as on a sandy peat. Over a 

 large area of Ireland where the lime- 

 stone prevails it is, I think, not worth try- 

 ing to cultivate Rhododendrons and it is 

 always better to grow things that do best 

 on one's own soil. Given a peaty or 



this way we get light and shade among 

 the plants instead of allowing them to 

 form one flat level mass. The excellent 

 plan of placing lilies and the other fine 

 handsome hardy flowers among Rhodo- 

 dendrons and like shrubs tends to keep 

 them more open and delightful in every 

 way, their forms as well as flowers being- 

 better shown. 



The plants, forming generally close balls 

 of earth, are more easily transplanted than 

 most shrubs. This is often done in late 

 spring and summer, as for the London 



