[Plate 17.] 



RHODODENDRON, SEEDLING VARIETY. 



(a. b. mitford.) 



A Hardy Evergreen Shrub, of Garden origin. 

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THIS is one of the latest and best of the many fine Rhododendrons that have been raised 

 by Mr. Anthony Waterer at the Knap Hill Nursery. And whether we look at the 

 head of bloom, taking it collectively, or the individual flowers of which it is composed, 

 it would be difficult to imagine what further improvement was possible. In size, substance, 

 and breadth of petals, the flowers are all that could be desired, whilst the ground colour is a 

 deep glowing crimson, the upper petals, from their base over a good portion of their surface, 

 are heavily spotted with black ; added to which, the habit of the plant is excellent, the 

 foliage ample, and as hardy as the common 11. ponticum. This last is a matter of the 

 greatest importance in a Rhododendron, as when the leaves are at all subject to injury by 

 frost the variety may be set down as useless, however fine the flowers may be, for bloom in 

 these plants without the accompaniment of good foliage is of little account. We more par- 

 ticularly urge this as many fine-flowered kinds are so deficient in healthy leaves after a 

 severe winter that the defect seriously militates against the effect of their bloom. The 

 inability of a good many otherwise fine varieties of Rhododendron to resist the effects of frost 

 in their foliage is clearly traceable to their parentage. Most of the high-tinted forms owe 

 their origin to the Indian species, which have been crossed with the Gibraltar species 

 ponticum, the North American catawbiense, and others ; but of all that have been in this 

 way used, none seem to impart such a hardy constitution to the offspring as R. catawbiense. 

 The seedlings descended from this sort are as hardy in their leaves as the native British ivy. 

 Another matter of equal importance in a hardy Rhododendron is that its time of flowering is 

 sufficiently late in the spring to be after all danger from frost is over ; in this many of the 

 first-raised seedlings were deficient, as, for instance, those resulting from R. caucasicum. 



So much have Rhododendrons, of a character such as the subject of our plate, of late 

 years come into general use for decorative planting in gardens, that they are fast taking the 

 place of laurels and similar evergreen plants ; and deservedly so, for when out of bloom their 



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