12 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 



dendrons of Borneo offers the best, and a very curious, 

 analogy. His words are very striking : ' According to my 

 personal observations it appears that almost every moun- 

 tain top in Borneo has its own special forms, which do 

 not seem to spread themselves, at least on the adjoining 

 mountains/ " 



In the following pages, whilst the species are printed in 

 italics, the hybrids are in Roman type, whether they are 

 known by latinised names or not. 



ECONOMIC PROPERTIES 



The economic uses of Rhododendron are not important. 

 According to Professor Sargent, they possess bitter,, astrin- 

 gent, and narcotic properties. A decoction of R. chrysan- 

 thum is employed in Siberia in the treatment of rheumatism 

 and other affections of the joints and muscles, and is now 

 used in some European countries for the same purpose. The 

 buds of R. ferrugineum are used in Northern Italy in the 

 preparation of an anti-rheumatic liniment, and in the United 

 States a decoction of the leaves of R. maximum is occasion- 

 ally used for the same purpose. Honey obtained from the 

 flowers is believed to be poisonous, yet the flowers of the 

 Indian R. arboreum are eaten fresh or made into a conserve, 

 although the buds and young leaves are said to be poison- 

 ous to cattle. Goats and sheep have been poisoned by the 

 leaves of R. cinnabarinum and R. afghanicum. The dried 

 leaves of R. campanulatum are used in India as snuff, and 

 the leaves of R. lepidotum and R. anthopogon as stimulants. 

 The Chinese use the leaves of various species to adulterate 

 tea. In this country Rhododendrons are not usually eaten 

 by animals, not even by rabbits and hares, but when they 

 have been eaten by accident their effect has been noxious. 



