071 the Cultivation of American Plants. 359 



Art. IV. On the Cultivation of American Plants, — the 

 Rhododendron, Azalea, c^'c. By Messrs. Standish &> 

 Noble, Bagshot, near London. From the Gardeners^ 

 Chronicle. With Remarks by the Editor. 



. Owing to the magnificent exhibitions of American plants, 

 — so called, par excellence, — whiclx have been held in the 

 Regent's Park, in connection with the Royal Botanic Soci- 

 ety, the last two or three years, great attention has been 

 directed to this class of ornamental shrubs. The rhododen- 

 drons, azaleas, kalmias, &c., displayed in all the varied hues 

 and tints which art has given them, through the process of 

 hybridization, have attracted renewed attention, and are 

 coming more than ever into favor as the most beautiful 

 objects of the pleasure ground or garden. 



The principal exhibitors at the displays which have been 

 made, were the Messrs. H. Waterer, of Knap Hill, and J. 

 Waterer, of Bagshot, both extensive cultivators, whose 

 grounds we have already given a full account of in our 

 foreign tour, (Vol. XII, p. 13.) We can well imagine the 

 magnificence of some of the standard specimens which we 

 saw in their grounds, when in full bloom and beauty. Some- 

 thing of their splendor we have had in our own grounds the 

 past June. On plants which we selected in 1844, out of 

 Mr. Waterer's collection, we had upwards of one hundred and 

 fifty heads of flowers, forming a bush four feet high and twelve 

 in circumference, densely clothed with bloom. So, too, with 

 the azaleas, some of them seeming like masses of flame, 

 so sparkling and brilliant were their colors. Nothing in the 

 whole range of hardy garden shrubs or plants can compare 

 with them in splendor. 



We stated in our volume above referred to, (XII, p. 7), 

 that we should neglect no opportunity to impress upon the 

 lovers of beautiful plants, the importance of greater atten- 

 tion to the culture of the rhododendron, azalea, &c, and we 

 believe we have made good our promise. Not only have 

 we dune so through our pages, but in our own grounds we 



