"HARDY" RHODODENDRONS 273 



of to-day came from this Himalayan element and 

 especially from R. arboreum. Again, our position 

 here is more fortunate than that of English pioneers 

 since the fruit of their labor is at our disposal. To 

 give color to our new race we can employ the red- 

 flowered Atrosanguineum, Charles Dickens, and H. 

 W. Sargent which are among the hardiest of all 

 hybrids. 



Furthermore, the great wealth of material from 

 western China is likely to be of much service, for 

 though it cannot withstand New England winters it 

 is much hardier than the Himalayan element and 

 there are species like -R. calophytum, R. oreodoxa, R. 

 Fargesii, R. orbiculare, and R. strigillosum with flowers 

 of rich and beautiful colors. These and very many 

 others are thriving and flowering in England where 

 hybrids between them are being raised, and by the 

 time our hardy home-bred race is ready, ample new 

 material to assist its development will be available. 



Gardens are destined to become in this country 

 just as popular and as necessary a part of the home 

 as they are on the other side of the Atlantic and who- 

 soever works for their advancement and embellish- 

 ment will not labor in vain. On the lines here briefly 

 sketched there is every reasonable possibility of 

 breeding a race of broad-leaved evergreen Rhododen- 



