868 



Gardening for Amateurs 



Layering is the best method to adopt for 

 people who are not expert propagators. It 

 consists of cutting tongues or slits in the 

 branches and pegging them down into 

 loose soil. Although slits are usually made, 

 they are not absolutely essential. Such 

 branches should remain for two years before 

 being cut away from the parent plant. All 

 the larger-growing kinds which cannot be 

 raised from cuttings may be increased in this 

 way. Layering has an advantage over 



away some of the dirt. Although many of 

 the kinds thrive in full sun, a little shade in 

 summer is an advantage. 



Rhododendrons. It depends largely in 

 which part of the country a garden is situated 

 as to the kinds of Rhododendron that may 

 be grown, for in the south and south-west 

 counties of England, in South Wales, Ireland, 

 and some parts of western Scotland the 

 Rhododendrons chiefly cultivated are very 

 different from those found in gardens in 



A border of Azaleas and other flowering shrubs. 



grafting, for there is no fear of wild shoots 

 appearing from the stock, and these, if 

 overlooked, result in serious injury to the 

 plant. 



Moist climatic conditions are preferable to 

 a dry atmosphere, and that is why Rhodo- 

 dendrons thrive so well in the south-west and 

 western counties. They do moderately well 

 in towns, but the evergreen kinds soon become 

 enfeebled where the atmosphere is impure. 

 In places where smoke and dirty fogs are 

 prevalent in winter, it is a good plan to 

 hose the plants occasionally in order to wash 



other parts of the country. Where the 

 climate is mild and equable the semi-tender 

 kinds from the Himalayas thrive, but where 

 less favourable conditions prevail an alto- 

 gether hardier race is represented. Then 

 there are certain kinds of dwarf stature which 

 are quite at home on the rockery, whereas 

 others attain almost the dignity of trees. 

 As a rule the most suitable situation for 

 Rhododendrons is on the sides and in the 

 bottom of a valley, if with scattered trees so 

 much the better. 



In mild districts the following kinds 



