HIMALAYAN RHODODENDRONS AND THEIR HYBRIDS. 31 



Mr. Waterer's exhibition of Hardy Hybrid Rhododendrons at the 

 Botanic Society's garden in Regent's Park is always worth seeing. The 

 plants are set up with great taste and judgment, and are admirably 

 calculated to excite public admiration by the artistic combination of 

 arranged colours, while the flowers themselves maintain the high standard 

 associated with Mr. John Waterer's name. 



You will probably expect me to say something about the propagation 

 of the plants. This is done in three ways. Probably the commonest 

 way in the trade is grafting ; but multiplication by seed or by layering 

 is more satisfactory. 



The seedling plants of most species take a long time, perhaps twelve 

 to fifteen years, before they attain blooming size, but ciliatum is a notable 

 exception, and will give bloom in three years. 



By layering you get the true plant on its own roots, and it is a good 

 and natural mode of increase. 



Some propagators train a graft on to one stem with an umbrella-like 

 crown, and these are admired by some people, though they can scarcely 

 be called natural, and the story is told of an indignant botanist who 

 stated the plant looked like a "mop on fire." 



I had such a plant from Mr. Van Houtte many years ago, and finding 

 the flower was a fine campamdatum hybrid, distinct from but after the 

 way of his ' Fleur de Roi,' I replanted it on its side, layered the branches, 

 and now have a strong plant with what were grafts now growing on their 

 own roots. 



Whenever a plant can be induced to layer down its lower boughs so 

 that they may form rootlets, a double advantage is obtained, as, in addition 

 to the opportunity for removing rooted pieces, a better shade is afforded 

 to keep the soil cool round the stem of the parent. 



The cloudy character of the West of England gives us a cooler 

 climate, and probably affords us better facilities, than others have where 

 the sun is powerful. Let me conclude by hoping that as years roll on 

 we may see fresh crosses and fresh breaks brought to our notice by the 

 fostering care of fresh generations of hybridists, who will, I think, be wise 

 if they employ the agency not only of Himalayan species, but of hybrids 

 from these, and especially of the finer forms of the red arboreum. 



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