290 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Ruellia macrantha. By Sir J. D. Hooker (Bot. Mag. tab. 7872).— 

 Nat. Old. Acantkacea, tribe Bucllicce. Native of Brazil. This is a branch- 

 ing soft- wooded shrub, 4-6 ft. high, with very large solitary flowers, and 

 a bright rose-purple corolla, the trumpet-shaped mouth is 3 ins. across. 



G. H. 



Rhododendrons, Hardy. By Rudolph Seidel (Gartenflora, p. 72, 

 8 figs. : 1 2 OH). — The author's father travelled in England in 1859, and 

 stayed a year with John Standish at Bagshot, where many crosses of 

 Rhododendrons were made. 



For seed production crossings were made with Bh. catawbiense^ 

 Sniinwiri, and Mcttcruic/iii. These are all hardy but do not give white or 

 rich red colours. To obtain red vars. catawbiense was crossed with 

 arborcum, for white vars. catawbiense was crossed with caucasienm. In 

 this manner the red 1 Jay Gould ' and ' Mrs. Milner ' and white ' Boule de 

 Neige 1 and 1 Viola ' were produced. 



In raising seedlings the following practice is adopted. In May of 

 the year following the crossing, the seeds are sown on a bed of peat 

 under trees with not too much shade. The seeds are mixed with sand 

 Btrewn broadcast on the bed, which is afterwards strongly pressed or rolled. 

 Then a thin layer of fine earth is sifted over the seed-bed, pressed slightly 

 again, and watered. After four weeks the seedlings are pricked out in a 

 bed in the open. Here they remain for two years, being protected during 

 winter with a layer of pine needles or peat. 



In the third spring the seedlings are cut to one stem and planted out 

 four inches apart. After flowering they are cut off just above the first 

 leaf-whorl. Three to five shoots are then formed. 



Bh. everestianum gave 20 per cent, rose, 5 per cent, white, and 35 per 

 cent, lilac (like catawbiense) seedlings. Everestianum appears to be a 

 hybrid between catawbiense and ponticum. 



Rh.ponticum is apparently recessive ; 95 per cent, of the seedlings were 

 cataicbiejise in colour, and only a few plants like ponticum. 



Only in crossings of Bh. caucasienm did three yellow seedlings appear ; 

 these are the first hardy yellow Rhododendron hybrids. — J. P. 



Riviera, A Visit to the Gardens of the. By Prof. G. Roster 

 (Bull. B. Soc. Tosc. Ort. 3, 4, p. 67 ; March-April 1903).— A list of the 

 plants grown in the open at the most remarkable of the gardens from 

 San Remo to Cannes is given, with descriptions of the gardens and 

 plants concerned. — IK. 0. W. 



Rodgersia pinnata. By Sir J. 1). Hooker (Bot. Mag. tab. 7892).— 



Old. Saxifragacea, tribe Saxifragece. Native of China. A tall herb 

 with digitately pinnate leaves. Flowers in a large panicle. Calyx exter- 

 nally red ; petals none, and stamens with purple anthers. — G. H. 



Rose 'Conrad Ferd. Meyer.' By J. Winkler (Die Gart. p. 283, 

 March 14, 1903). — How many new Roses are offered every year, all of 

 them said to surpass the good old varieties ! and in a short space of time 

 these startling novelties are again forgotten, in fact many are quite 

 w-rthl.-s. In |' ()S e 4 Conrad Ferd. Meyer' wo have, however, a very 



