RHODODENDRON 



RHODODENDRON 



1517 



not contain lintestone or lu-uv>- cl:i\" and has a moist and 

 fresli subsoil will prove -iatisfartury. Where limestone 

 _ or heavy clay prevail^. Weds niiivt l.e specially prepared 

 ' and tilled with suiralde sidl. They sh.mld iie at least 

 2 to 3 ft. deep, or deeper where the suliMiil is not porous, 

 and in this case the bottom should be lilled iu about 

 1-- ft. hiirh with i;ravel or broken stones f.o- drainage. 

 A mixture of leaf-mold .,r peat and sandy leain will 

 make a suitable s.iil. In dry spells duriiiL;- tie,- suuimer, 

 "waleriuLt is necessary if the subsoil is not very moist : 

 it is most essential that the sell ne\'er become really 

 dry. In the fall the grotiud should be covered witii 

 leaves, piue needles, hay or other material to protect 

 from frost. This mulcli should be allowed to remain 

 during the summer, especially where the plants are m.t 

 large enough to shade the ground. An occasional to]i- 

 dressiug of well-decayed stable cir cow numure will 

 prove of nutch advantage. The ground should never be 

 disturl)ed. as the roofs are very near the surface. Aftm- 

 flowering, the young seed-vessels should be removeil. 

 The Rhododendrons are easily transplanted either in 

 spring or in fail, especially if they grow in peat or ttirfy 

 leant, and a good ball of earth can be preserved in tmiv- 

 iug. They should I)e planted firmly, especially iu 

 porotis, peaty soil, and thorotighly watered after piant- 

 ing. If they are careftil!\' hantlled they an^ nid nundi 

 alfecfed by transplauting. atnl ten<ler kinds may be dug 

 in fall, heeled-in in a frv>st-proof pit. and fdauTed 'Utt 

 again in spring. Potted and well-luulded plants trans- 

 ferred in January into a tentfHn'atttre in.)t exceeding dO^ 

 will develop iu abotit six to eight weeks into very attrac- 

 tive and showy specitnens for decoration. 



H'trdy T'ar;'c//c.s'. — The following varieties have proved 

 hardy in the vicinity of Bi.istou and may be recommenileil 

 for planting in similar climates and for experimental 

 trial farther north. They are mostly hybrids of i?. Ca- 

 fa ichiens' with 7?. itiaxhnum, PonticK in . C''tur'i.-i/rfnh 

 and with some infusion of if*, afhoyeuin and perhaps a 

 few other species. As in most of them the parentage of 

 _R. Cafaii'bU'nse is the most predominant, they are all 

 usually called "Catawbiense Hybrids." Choice kinds 

 are: Alhtnn eh'{/a>is, blush, changing to white; Album 

 gran(Uflofif>n , blush, changing to white : fis. larger, less 

 spotted: J.?^.(v/jo/*r Pit)i'< r. bright rose, paler in center: 

 Atrosaiiiii(iii>:ini' , rich Idtiod-red: Aii'j'r.^t Wnt Geert, 

 bright carmine, spotted dark ptirp'le: B'frJn'.^. crimson, 

 large fls. : Bicolor, purplish pink, s] fitted; Jllinnliioniiii , 

 rijsy crimson; Caracfiicns, deep crimson: CJi^n-h.'; Bari- 

 h>i, cherry-red ; Charh;-.-i Birl-i^us, dark red, spotted 

 Virown, one of the most striking red ones; Ct_prule.'<cens, 

 pale lilac; Coriaceimt , white, spotted yellow, dwarf and 

 free-blooming; Crotrn Prince, carmine spotted greenish 

 yellow; Dflfci-itissimiim. blush, edged pink, changing 

 to almost white, late; Bverestia nil m , rosy lilac with 

 crisped edges, excellent habit and very free-flowering; 

 F. L. Ames, white center, edged pink: GigaiiieiDii , 

 bright rose, large clusters; Grati'litlnnoii . clear rose: 

 Sannibitl, rosy carmine: ffeinii IT. Sargent, crimson, 

 large clu.sters ; S. H. Hunnen-eU. rich crimson; Jolin 

 Wnferer. dark crimson; J. D. Godman, carmine, dis- 

 tinctlv spotted ; Ketlledrnm. rich crimson ; King of 

 Purp'jes. purple, spotted dark brown; Lnfly Armstrong, 

 rose-red, paler in center, distinctly spotted: Larhj Gray 

 jEgerfon, delicate lilac, spotted greenish brown; Mrs. 

 C. S. Sargent, similar to Everestianum, but pink; Mrs. 

 Mitner, rich crimson; Old Port, plum-color: Purpureum 

 crispnin. lilac -purple, spotted greenish; Purpureum 

 grandiflorum, purple, large clusters; Bo.<ienm elegans, 

 rosy lilac, dwarf; Sefton, deep maroon, large clusters; 

 \retlesianum, blush, changing to white. 



Greenliouse Culture.— The most successful way, espe- 

 cially with the taller-growing species, like B. arboreum, 

 Grif'fithiiinum. hurhutum and Folcoiieri, is to plant 

 them out in a porous peaty soil provided with good 

 drainage. If grown in pots a sandy compost of leaf-soil 

 and peat, with an addition of some fibrous loam, will 

 suit thera. The pots, which should never be too large, 

 must be well drained and the plants freely watered dur- 

 ing the summer, while during the winter water must 

 be^arefully applied. The Himalayan species and their 

 hybrids will do well in a cool greenhouse, where the 

 temperature is kept a few degrees above freezing point 

 during the winter. The .Javanese species and hybrids, 



however, on account of their continual growing and 

 blooming, rec^uire a warmer greenhouse and nnist have 

 a minimum temperature of .oU^ dtiring the winter. They 

 like a moist atmosphere and should be freely syringed 

 iu warm weather. In i)otting them, their eidph}tal haldt 

 must be borne in mind, and the stul should ciuisist nnunly 

 of good hbrnus peat brtd^eu inbi ]deces. with a liberal 

 adintinn of sand aud bn.ken cdjarcoal. The soil slmuld 

 ne\er be alhoveil t.i become dry. They arc readily 

 liropag;Lted by cuttings with bottom heat in tlie warm 

 lo-opagating bouse. The Javanese Rleidodendrons are 

 esfiecially valuable for their continual iilocjining during 

 the winter and the brilliant color of their flowers. A 

 large mirnber of beautiful hybrids have been raiseil; the 

 following are a small selection of them: Botxaniina-- 

 llnruni. with dcitible white, yellow or pink fls. (Jt. 37, 

 p. 2i;.5. U.C. 11. 18:2:!0; 111. 12:709: Brilliant, brilliant 

 scarlet; C/vs, tawny yellow. (-In. 41:84.5; lUndeni, 

 orange-scarlet ; Durhess of (_',inno nglit , vermilion-red ; 

 Dnehe.-is of BJinburgli. scarlet with orange-crimson. F. 

 31.1874:11.5; i"'os, scarlet-carmine. 0.0. III. lii::'.27: £x- 

 qnislte, large light fawn-yellow fls. (In. oi>:12.;2: Ba- 

 rnrite, satiny rose; ,Ja.^in inifloru ni carminat}' in . deepj 

 carnjine. On. 41:8.52: Little Beoiitij, fls. small, but 

 bright carmine-scarlet, (in. 06:1241 ; Lord Wolsiley 

 bright orange-yellow, tinted with rose at the margins 

 Maiden's Blu.ih. blush with yellowish eye. On. 1(5:204 

 Princes.i Alexandria, white, faintly blushed: Princess 

 Brederica, yellow, faintly edged rose; Priio'ess Boyal, 

 pink; ifo.ii/' J/oni, lirigh't pink. f+n. 42:871: Taylori, 

 bright pink with white tube. F.M. Ls, 7:242: Triuin- 

 plians, crimson-scarlet. 



Bropagafion.— AW Rhododendrons are easily prop, by 

 seeds, which are very small and are sown in spring in 

 pans or boxes well drained and filled with sandy peat. 

 Pots should be well watered previous to sowing. The 

 seeds should be covered only a very little with fine sand 

 or finelv cut sphagnum, or merely pressed iu and not 

 rr.vered' at all. To prevent drying a glass plate may be 

 ]Jaced C'ver the pan or some moss spread over the sur- 

 face; this, however, must be taken off as soon as the 

 seeds begin to germinate. The seeds also germinate 

 very readily if sown in fresh sphagnum, but in this 

 case they niust be pricked off as soon as they can be 

 handled." In any case, it is of advantage to prick off the 

 yeaing seedlings as soon as possible, but if they are not 

 sown too thicklv thev may remain in the seeil-boxes 



2104. A good plant of Garden Rhododendron in bloom. 



until the following spring. The seedlings of hardy Rho- 

 dodendrons should be placed in coolframes and grad- 

 ually hardened off ; those of greenhouse species re- 

 main under glass. 



Rhododendrons are also sometimes increased tinder 

 glass bv cuttings of half -ripe wood taken with a heel, 



