FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 19 



The flowers are useful for cutting, the buds expanding 

 well in water. The double flowered form does not 

 appears to be so early. The whin suffered severely in 

 the great frost of 1894-95, many of the plants being 

 killed to the ground. Of the 



Early Flowering Rhododendrons 



the deep crimson flowers of R. Nobleanum, a hybrid 

 between R. arhoreum and R. caucasicum, are often with 

 us in January. From the first named it inherits its 

 brilliancy. In habit and foliage this hybrid resembles 

 the common Pontic so plentiful in gardens, and could not 

 some of these be cut out and their place taken by those, 

 quite equal in foliage, bearing valuable flowers at a 

 time when little else has stirred from rest ? A most 

 charming shrub is R.praecox, a hybrid between R, cUiatum 

 and i?. dauricum. It practically takes the place of its 

 two early flowering parents, useful though they are in 

 large collections, and has dainty rose flowers, small leaves, 

 and an irreproachable dwarf habit, and flowers during 

 February and early March. For beds, plant 2 feet apart. 

 As early flowering rhododendrons are hurt not only by 

 frost, but by wind-hurled rains, a sheltered position 

 should be chosen. They dislike a lime or chalky soil, 

 also a heavy clay one, and do best in peat or leaf mould. 

 On the first mentioned soils, pits 3 feet across and 

 i\ feet deep should be filled in with peat, or peat and 

 loam, or leaf mould and loam. The small rosy-purple 

 flowered R, parvifolium and R, mucronulatum are charm- 

 ing in January, etc., and but little later is the evergreen 

 i?. dauricum atrovirens. 



The Laurustinus 



or Viburnum Tinus, is a favourite shrub with bay-like 

 foliage, and was first grown in English gardens in 1596. 



