130 
RHODODENDRON ARBOREUM. 
hot sun and the night. In June, or at the beginning of July, they may be trans- 
planted into larger pots, and placed in a south-west aspect. They will now require 
frequent watering, and the tops should be pinched off to make them bushy. In Sep- 
tember they should be again shifted into large pots, not less than a foot both in 
diameter and depth, and should be tilled with the same soil as recommended above ; 
or at this season they may be planted out in the borders. 
When they show flower-buds, which they generally do in the month of October, 
the smaller ones should be carefully thinned out, as this greatly promotes the 
growth of those which are left, and is indeed the only way of procuring an extra- 
ordinary bloom. Until November they should be liberally supplied with water, 
but during that month the soil and air are generally humid enough for rendering 
artificial watering quite superfluous. Treated in this manner, if the weather is 
open, and the precaution is taken of suspending a light covering over them during 
severe nights, these plants will continue in flower till January, and communicate 
to the otherwise wintry borders no small degree of the freshness and beauty of 
summer. 
RHODODENDRON ARBOREUM. 
There is now in the conservatory at Chatsworth a fine plant of the above 
species, which has upwards of two hundred bunches of flowers upon it. It is almost 
impossible to convey an accurate idea of an object so magnificent as that plant, 
which is about eighteen feet high, covered with rich scarlet blossoms. The proper 
management of this species has long been an object of the cultivator's care ; it is 
often found well grown, but rarely, if ever, seen in any thing like the perfection of 
the present object. Most cultivators under-pot it, which is a mistaken notion : indeed 
it is quite natural to suppose that a plant which attains to the size of an ordinary 
forest tree should require plenty of pot room before flowers can be produced of a 
natural and luxuriant size. 
The soil should be varied according to the size of the plants. Seedling plants 
grow best if potted in very sandy peat ; as the plant progresses a little loam should 
from time to time be added, until the plant is about five or six feet high, more loam 
should be used at each shifting ; when the plant attains a large size, equal parts of 
loam and peat may be used ; by strict attention to the above directions, and sup- 
plying the plant plentifully with water during the growing season, fine healthy 
blooming plants will be the result. It is much to be regretted that so fine an 
object should not be hardy enough to grow in the open air, but from repeated trials, 
which have failed in various parts of the country, we are fearful this desirable ob- 
ject will never be attained. 
Numberless beautiful varieties have been raised, some almost as handsome as 
the parent itself ; most of the crosses have been between this species and Rhodo- 
dendron Ponticum ; these varieties are quite hardy, but they blossom rather early to 
be seen in high perfection in the open air. Mr. Burn, gardener to Lord Aylesbury, 
