40 THE RHODODENDRON. 



killed or badly injured above tbe snow-line, but 

 bright and in good condition below. 



Heavy falls of snow, however, sometimes do great 

 damage by breaking the plants : we have had fine 

 plants ruined by a thaw succeeding a heavy snow- 

 storm, the snow settling and breaking all the 

 branches, leaving only a tall stem with a few 

 branches at the top. The covering of cedar-boughs 

 is often a great protection against breaking by 

 snow. 



Of the hardiness of species we can speak with 

 greater certainty. 



All the Rhododendrons from Eastern and Central 

 Asia, and the numerous " Sikkim " species, are ten- 

 der. Some of the Himalaya kinds are precariously 

 hardy in the south of England, and therefore might 

 succeed south of Pennsylvania ; but we do not sup- 

 pose the experiment has been tried. A cold snap, 

 such as that which has recently (December, 1870) 

 visited the Southern States, would destroy them. 



Rhododendron ponticum, and most of its varieties, 

 are tender in New England : in the Middle States 

 they would probably succeed. " Cunningham's 

 Dwarf White," of which there are several varieties, 

 (although a variety of R. ponticuni), is hardy with 

 us, some fifty plants having stood the last three 

 winters uninjured, both in foliage and flower-bud. 



This variety is said to be the only Rhododendron 

 which will endure the winters of northern Europe. 



Rhododendron hirsutum, punctatum, and ferrvr 

 gineum, are hardy. R. californicmn is not hardy 

 in New England. 



