GOOD TREES AND SHRUBS 251 



the large-leaved sorts are not easy to raise from cuttings. Layering is 

 another means of increasing the stock. Select nice well-ripened shoots 

 and peg them into the soil, which should be kept moist. Grafting is 

 resorted to principally in the case of hybrids. 



Attention is first directed to a few of the best of the deciduous kinds : 

 R. arborescens, an American species, flowers rather later than most of 

 its congeners. Its sweet-scented flowers are borne freely. R. viscosum 

 (Clammy Honeysuckle) merits attention on account of the freedom with 

 which its white scented flowers are borne. R. occidentale, the Western 

 Azalea, produces a wealth of white sweet-scented flowers, the base of the 

 upper segments being blotched with yellow. It flowers late in the season, 

 and its autumn-tinted foliage is very bright. R. Schlippenbachii, an 

 uncommon species from China, has large delicate pink flowers spotted 

 with crimson. It is quite hardy, of excellent growth, and grand for mass- 

 ing. R. calendulacea grows about six feet high when suitably placed. It 

 flowers freely, and is orange-red in colour. R. rhombicum, from Japan, 

 is a valuable shrub, and quite hardy. Its rosy-purple flowers appear in 

 April, and are welcome because few other species are in flower at the same 

 time. R. Vaseyi is another free-flowering kind from America. Its 

 delicate white and pink flowers are carried in loose clusters. R. dauricum 

 belongs to the very early-flowering section. It is of rather straggling 

 habit, three feet high, and bears purplish-coloured flowers in abundance. 

 R. flavum, better known as R. pontica, is a showy plant in spring. Its 

 large flowers are borne in clusters, and the colour is yellow or orange, and 

 R. sinense is another attractive kind. The gorgeous coloured hardy 

 hybrids and varieties have originated principally through the crossing 

 and intercrossing of such species as R. calendulacea, nudiflorum, occidentale, 

 viscosum, flavum, sinense, &c., the progeny, of course, being worked again 

 in the same way. 



The hardy Azaleas or Rhododendrons, as they are called, should be 

 planted in all gardens of sufficient size. In spring the tier-like growth is 

 smothered with flowers of spicy fragrance, and in autumn the leaves 

 turn to resplendent colours. The bush spreads out, and in time covers 

 much ground. Owing to their early flowering give shelter from east 

 and north-east winds ; they are not tender in themselves, but late frosts 

 hurt the flowers. Mr. Anthony Waterer, of Knaphill, Woking, has 

 raised a glorious series, the colours of wonderful richness and variety 

 white, crimson, scarlet, orange, yellow, pink, buff and this new race is 

 in every way an advance upon the older forms. It is important to 

 group Rhododendrons carefully so as to avoid unpleasant colour contrasts. 

 It is very easy to go wrong, as, for instance, a flower that among shades 

 of rosy amaranth may look a pure pink, if removed from their neighbour- 

 hood and put beside a pure pink, that is seen among white or scarlet rose, 

 will be found to be quite out of harmony. This width of colour-range 

 will also enable the buyer to choose the combination that best pleases 

 his eye whether of clear pink with white and rosy scarlet, of the few 

 shades that incline to salmon-rose, of the strong and very numerous 

 amaranths, or the cool purples which go best with the clear whites and 



