2 ADDISONIA 
the lobes, by the upper lobe, which is either unspotted or much 
less spotted, and by the more compact habit of growth. This 
habit and the corolla, usually broader in proportion to its length 
than in the other, make this the more desirable evergreen. In 
Rhododendron minus the tube of the corolla is cylindric at the base, 
broadening gradually above, while in this it is much shorter and 
broadens from very near the base. 
This is a charming rhododendron, one of our most desirable 
evergreens with attractive flowers. It should be planted in masses 
to secure the best effect, and a plantation of this kind, established 
in 1910, may be found in the New York Botanical Garden on the 
south bank of the upper lake, just to the west of the bridge drive- 
way. ‘There are all too few broad-leaved evergreens which are 
hardy and have showy flowers, and every encouragement should be 
given to the cultivation of those we have. This one is a delight in 
its charming flowers, and there is an added pleasure in their early 
appearance, for they come late in May or early in June, two or 
three weeks in advance of those of Rhododendron catawhtense, 
another species from the mountains of our southeastern states. 
Then come, toward the end of June or early in July, the flowers of 
Rhododendron maximum, a species more extended in its distribu- 
tion, found from Nova Scotia and Ontario to Ohio, Georgia, and 
Alabama. 
It must always be remembered that rhododendrons, as well as 
most other members of the heath family, are intolerant of alkaline 
soils, and this prevents their use, of course, in limestone regions. 
Their intolerance of fresh manure is equally strong and for the 
same reason, the presence of alkali, and on this account it must 
be used neither in the initial preparation of the soil nor as a mulch 
later. Old and well-rotted manure, preferably cow manure, may 
be employed. But a slightly acid soil is their delight, so the 
best material is leaf-mold, not too old, produced by the rotting of 
the leaves of deciduous trees, especially those of the oak. An 
annual mulch of four to six inches of freshly fallen leaves of this 
kind, applied in the fall, is excellent, as such a mulch, slowly dis- 
integrating, produces the kind of humus in which rhododendrons 
thrive. Most rhododendrons require a northern exposure and 
partial shade for their best development. 
GEoRGE V. NASH. 
EXPLANATION OF Puats. Fig. 1—Flowering branch. Fig. 2,—Fruiting 
