NORTH AMERICAN 19 



No one can judge of the extent of the Rhododendron 

 fields on this mountain, for the extent is so vast that the 

 eye cannot estimate areas ; certainly there are spots on 

 the summit from which thousands of acres covered with 

 Rhododendrons and Alders can be seen at once. The 

 thickets are impassable except where bears and cattle have 

 forced tortuous trails among the bushes which ten days 

 ago were covered with flowers. These are nearly all of 

 one colour, deep rosy pink, although an occasional plant 

 with darker flowers can be found. The soil where these 

 plants grow is rich black vegetable mould, varying from 

 1 8 inches to 2 feet in depth. Although saturated with 

 moisture, as small springs are common, the surface soil is 

 perfectly drained, being underlain by coarse gravel mixed 

 with large stones. Abundant atmospheric moisture, for 

 rarely a day passes without clouds settling over the summits 

 of the Roan, increases the vigour of the plants. On the 

 open slopes they rarely grow more than 4 or 5 feet high, 

 but when protected by the Balsams (Abies Fraseri), specimens 

 10 to 12 feet high are not uncommon. These natural 

 conditions seem to indicate that Rhododendrons of the 

 catawbiense blood require rich, moist, well-drained soil, 

 constant atmospheric moisture and protection from high 

 winds, and that, under such conditions, they can support 

 excessive winter cold, as the temperature on the summit 

 of the Roan has been known to fall in winter to 30 below 

 zero, while ice probably forms during every month of the 

 year, except in July and August." 



As to the hardiness of those garden sorts of which 

 R. catawbiense is one of the parents, it is necessary to bear 

 in mind the nature of the other parents, and as some of 

 these are Himalayan and therefore more tender, the cold- 



