RHODODENDRON 



treated ,i- i I 1 i i I i «u iii \\>\\ 



prepared s,,il win le w.itei and sh kIl .tie easily fur 

 nished. ?.ee Lai/ e ring. See, also, G F 6.63 (1893) for 

 an interesting account of lajering large plants by bury 

 mg them to the top 



Grafting IS the < '.111111.111 111. til. id d | i..im_ iti n in.l 



M. Pontic urn is tin ii u il t I , ti _i «. i m.! 

 readily obtained ti mil s, 1-, \iti iii| is h iv 1 . . n m hU 



the tenderness of 7f Fo/i/hhwj, but no gieat piogiiss 

 has been made It is asserted that the rate ot gionth is 

 somewhat slower than that of the hjbrids this seems 

 hardly possible, and it is to be hoped that further ex- 

 periments will be made. if. Ponticum should be estab 

 lished in pots in spring and grafted under glass in 

 autumn and early winter, using the veneer-graft (see 

 Graftage, p. 664, Vol. 11). Graft as near the root as 

 possible and plant the worked parts below the surface 

 when planting in the nursery or permanently. With these 

 precautions, and an extra covering of leaves until the 

 plant is established on its own roots, the defect of ten- 

 derness in this stock can be overcome. Nurse carefully 

 the young grafted plants in frames until of sufficient 

 size to be planted in the nursery rows. Pigs. 2107 and 

 2108 illustrate two common methods of grafting Rho- 

 dodendrons and other woody plants. The details of the 

 unions are shown in Fi,, 2107 and the completed work 

 in Fig 2108 



Statements are nude thit cuttings of half ripened 

 wood will tnk lilt It 1 IK t hk h that this will ever 

 pr \ I I I 11 1 1 1 1 I 1 I 1 lilting B maximum 

 111 til ' ht be worth while to 



e\i mil ti I „lass particularlj 



Call, I ,1 -111 I nil u| 11 «hi"h the successful 

 American groweis ot Khod .deudiims nov\ insist is th it 

 the water sujiph shall be sufficient See H H Hun 

 newell m ( F i 201 (ISHO) To effect this (1) make 

 the soil deep and fini nsin., ni iterials like peat leaf 

 mold well rotted 111 iiiiii ml \ 11 w loam all of which 



RHODODENDRON iOiy 



natural water supply, nor so near buildings that the 

 border is sheltered from rain or overdrained by cellar 

 walls; (5) mulch with leaves summer and winter, pro- 

 tect from wind and sun with evergreen boughs in win- 



the 



2106. A common hybrid form of Garden Rhododendron. 



are retentive of moisture; (2) plant in masses, at any 

 rate while young, so thsit they may protect each other 

 and prevent evaporation; (3) sive the bed a northern 

 exposure or a situation where the force of the midday 

 sun is broken; (4) do not plant under or near trees 

 like elm, oak or maple which make undue inroads on the 



9G 



2107. Grafting of Rhododendron. 

 Saddle-graft at A; veneer-graft at I 



ter and In summer give heavy watering v 

 weather is excessively hot or dry. 



*'oi7.-Tlie lifd sliiiuld be prepared by excavating to 

 the desired dinieiisiuiis and at least three feet deep. 

 The poor material should be di.scarded, but the good 

 soil can be replaced, adding enough peat, etc. (see 

 above) to make good that which was rejected: all 

 should be thoroughly and carefully mixed. Peat, al- 

 though excellent, is not necessary. Yellow loam or 

 hazel loam, if not too sandy, is et|ually good and is im- 

 proved by additions of humus. To nearly pure peat an 

 admi.x'ture of sand is beneficial; the essential point is 

 thit all soils for these plants must be fine. The beds 

 should be prepared in autumn and left to settle all win- 

 ter due allowance being made for shrinking. In spring 

 le\el off to the grade of the adjacent hand and do not 

 leive "rounded up." A bed liiirher at the center than at 

 ttie sides perhaps makes a better display of the plants, 

 but it is more likely to dry up and does not catch all 

 the water possible from occasional showers. It is gen- 

 erally conceded that lime soils and manures containing 

 lime, e.g., wood ashes and bone meal, are injurious to 

 Rhoilo.liiidnins; in limestone regions it is undoubtedly 

 ad^is;^lilt■ to ^iib^titiite, for the natural soil, others 

 whieli an- fn-i- fnnii this objectionable element. 



'/. — Plant in spring when the weather is set- 

 he March winds have passed. If the ball of 

 roots is dry, soak well before setting. Plant 

 closely, so that the tops are only 10-12 in. 

 apart and pay particular attention to "facing" 

 them, i. e.. see that the best side is facing 

 the most important point of view and that all 

 are faced alike. Grafted plants should, if pos- 

 sible, have the worked portion below the -sur- 

 face. Do not plant in autumn. Plants grown 

 ^ on the premises may be transplanted in favor- 



able weather in summer if great care is taken 

 to prevent the roots suffering from dryness. In plan- 

 ning the original border it is well to leave room for 

 extension: when planted, as described above, the beds 

 can be enlarged at intervals of four or five years, or 

 new beds made from the old stock. Place the beds so 

 that the glare of the midday sun is screened both sum- 

 and winter, and avoid situations where there is 

 any interference, owing to trees or buildings, with a 

 naturally good condition of the soil in respect to mois- 

 ture. If permanent protection is desired, use conifers, 

 iilarly the hemlock, in preference to deciduous 

 Good positions fur linls may lie found along the 

 edges of ponds and streams, and in n-elaimed meadows, 

 witii their cool moist soil, l,iit k.rp aloof from any 



ground where the wati-i II. -.-ts in summer or winter. 



Beds, or even single plants, if sizable, may be intro- 

 duced into open spaces in woodlands if the precautions 

 noted above are observed and plenty of air and light are 

 obtainable. It is .somewhat difficult to combine Bhodo- 



nartic 



