34 
FLORA AND SYLVA 
health, and at Tremough, where the 
gardens contain what is perhaps the 
finest collection of Himalayan Rhodo- 
dendrons and their hybrids in the Brit- 
ish Isles, the gravelly subsoil is eagerly 
laid hold of by the tiny rootlets. 
In starting a collection of Himalayan 
Rhododendrons special care should be 
exercised in the provision of suitable 
soil and selection of favourable sites. 
The soil should be dug out to a depth 
of 2 feet or 3 feet and peat substituted 
for it, so that the young plants may, in 
the first instance, find a soil they are 
partial to, in which to grow and gather 
health and vigour , before their roots enter 
the natural soil below, which may or 
may not prove agreeable to them. As 
regards sites, there is no doubt that 
protection, especially from the north 
and east, is indispensable, for cold gales 
are most harmful to tender Rhododen- 
drons, indeed strong winds from any 
quarter are best guarded against. A 
sunny glade, sheltered on all sides, 
particularly on the north and east, by 
evergreens such as Ilex or Holly, would 
afford all the conditions necessary to the 
growing of Himalayan Rhododendrons 
to the best advantage, but, though the 
protection of trees is most valuable, their 
branches should never be allowed to 
directly overhang the plants. 
In sheltered spots near the south 
coast of Cornwall and Devon, these 
splendid fi:owering shrubs may be met 
with in the best of health ; and further 
east, in the Earl of Ilchester's noted 
gardens at Abbotsbury Castle, Dorset- 
shire, many fine specimens maybe seen, 
which, probably, owe their well-being 
to the shelter-belts of Ilex that screen 
the gardens. It being proved that these 
Rhododendrons may be grown success- 
fully in each of the counties named, it 
follows that their culture might be con- 
siderably extended in the same district, 
provided sufficient care was taken to 
ensure that the sites selected were well- 
fitted to their requirements. 
Lovers of Rhododendrons, who are 
anxious to study all the species and 
varieties in flower, would need to arrange 
for an eight months' stay in southern 
Cornwall, or to pay the county a series 
of visits extending over the same period, 
for the first to flower, R. nobleanum 
venustum^ often commences to flower 
at Killiow in October, while R. Dal- 
housice and R. Nuttalli rarely blossom 
in the open before the first week of 
June. R. grande flowers from Febru- 
ary to March, the R. arboreum section 
is at its best in April, while R. Griffith- 
ia7ium and R. Falconeri bloom in May. 
Among the species I have more particu- 
larly noticed are : — 
Rhododendron arboreum. — This species is 
variable both in its foHage and in the colour 
of its flowers. In one form the leaves are silvery 
on the under sides, while in another they are 
covered with a brownish-red down. The blos- 
soms, which are bell-shaped and carried in 
dense trusses, vary from deep crimson to pure 
white. At Tremough R. arboreum roseum is 
26 feet in height and over 30 feet through. 
The trunk of this monster divides into three 
a little above the ground, the largest of these 
stems being over 3 feet round. Close by stands 
R. arboreum cinnamomeum, about 20 feet in 
height. Bushes of R. arboreum album at 
Tremough are 1 6 feet in height. At Carclew 
there is an enormous specimen of R. arboreum 
fully 35 feet in height and over 4 feet in 
girth of trunk. Of R. arboreum there are 
hybrids almost without number, many being 
