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Many of the Rhododendrons are unnamed seedlings 

 raised by the late Mr. Noble, of Bagshot, who raised R. 

 Nobleanum, of which several plants may be found here. This 

 is the earliest flowering kind we have ; it often commences in 

 December; R. altaclarense comes in flower early in March, R. 

 praecox is also a valuable kind for that date, and R. Early 

 Gem is very similar to R. Praecox but dwarfer and has 

 smaller flowers. All of these early flowering kinds should be 

 planted in sheltered nooks where they will get some protection 

 from overhanging trees, otherwise one night's frost will destroy 

 all their beauty ; R. caucasicum pictum and R. Cunningham's 

 White come into flower at the end of March or early in 

 April according to the earliness of the season or otherwise ; 

 these are quickly followed by an endless variety which enter- 

 prising hybridists have raised from seeds. R. concessum, R. 

 Blandyanum, R. fastuosum plenum, R. Everstianum, R. Lady 

 Eleanor Cathcart, and R. The Queen, are some of the best of 

 the hybrids here ; outside in the wood southward are some 

 very fine specimens of R. campanulatum, which flowers early 

 and is a charming plant, the blossoms vary from white to 

 pale pink ; they are very large and sweet scented, the plant is 

 also interesting through the winter months owing to the 

 golden brown pubescence on the underside of the leaves. 

 This is a native of the Himalayan mountains : R. 

 Thomsonii grows in the centre of the garden on the rockery ; 

 it has rounded glaucous leaves and very beautiful dark crimson 

 flowers, which a lady once took to be Lapageria blooms, they 

 are certainly similar in size and form ; the smaller species R. 

 hirsutum and R. ferrugineum and the hybrid R. Wilsonianum 



