MODERN FLOWER- GARDENING. 
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long, clothed beneath with an ochraceous- 
brown pulverulent substance. The flowers 
grow from four to eight in a loose head ; they 
are campanulate, with a slightly spreading 
limb of five rounded lobes, ending in an acute 
point ; the colour is brownish red, the lobes 
of the limb just tipped with bluish green ; in 
its unexpanded state the corolla is iridescent 
with blue ; the tube of the corolla is striated 
within. Native of Sikkim-Himalaya, on the 
mountains of the interior. Flowers in April 
and May. 
Rhododendron einnabarinum, Hooker fil. 
(cinnabar-leaved Rhododendron). — A small 
shrub with slender tortuous branches, bearing 
leaves from two to three inches long, of an 
acutely ovate-lanceolate form, green and gla- 
brous above, and beneath often reddish and 
dotted with little scales. The flowers are 
small, funnel-shaped, with five spreading 
rounded acute lobes ; they grow in small 
compact heads, and are of a cinnabar colour. 
Native of the " Sub-Himalaya mountains, in- 
terior of Sikkim." Flowers in April and May. 
Rhododendron elaeagnoides, Hooker fil. 
(oleaster-leaved Rhododendron). — A small 
much-branched shrub, with small obovate- 
trapezoid leaves, covered with minute silvery 
leprous scales ; these leaves are a quarter of 
an inch long, plane, leathery. No examples 
of this curious little species were found in 
flower. It is a little alpine, growing in the 
vicinity of the snow ; and is " apparently 
single flowered, and calyculate." Native of 
the mountains of Sikkim-Himalaya, at an 
elevation of from 14,000 to 15,000 feet. 
Rhododendron argenteum, Hooker fil. 
(silvery Rhododendron). — A fine tree growing 
thirty feet high, with spreading branched 
trunks. The leaves are very beautii'ul in the 
^young state, enveloped at first in pinkish- 
brown scales, which are so large and closely 
imbricated as to resemble the cones of some 
species of pine ; at first the leaves are erect 
and silky ; when mature they are very large, 
six inches to a foot long, obovate-oblong, 
leathery, green above and silvery-white be- 
neath. The flowers grow in large terminal 
heads ; they are broadly campanulate, two to 
three inches long, with a limb of five short 
bilobed segments, spreading, two to two aud 
a half inches in diameter ; they are always 
white, unspotted, very handsome, and only 
second in size to R. Dalhousice. Native of 
Sikkim-Himalaya : summit of Sinchul, Sir- 
radah, and Tonglo, at an elevation of from 
8,000 to 10,000 feet. " On Sinchul, the 
higher parts of the mountain, at from 8,000 
to 9,000 feet of elevation, are more or 
less clothed with it : on Tonglo, as it ap- 
proaches 10,000 it is suddenly replaced by 
jR. Falconeri.". 
50 
Rhododendron Falconeri, Hooker fil. (Dr. 
Falconer's Rhododendron.) — A fine tree grow - 
ing thirty feet in height, the trunks often two 
feet in diameter, the branches few and spread- 
ing. The young leaves are clothed with 
velvety down, and when in the bud are con- 
cealed by downy glutinous scales. When 
perfect, they are from eight inches to a foot 
in length, obovate-elliptic and obtuse, very 
coriaceous, glossy green above, and beneath, 
except on the thickly-netted veins, clothed 
with a dense pale-ferruginous down. The 
flowers grow in heads of moderate size, but 
composed of numerous rather small but densely 
placed flowers, which are white, bell-shaped, 
with a limb of ten rounded lobes. One of 
the most striking and distinct of the genus. 
Native of Sikkim-Himalaya; summit of Tonglo, 
at an elevation of i 0,000 feet. Flowers ? 
Beyond what we have already said in com- 
mendation of this beautiful portfolio of draw- 
ings, we can only add that such of our readers 
as may take any interest in the particular 
subject, or who can admire perfect represen- 
tations of splendid vegetable forms, would be 
delighted to possess it. 
MODERN FLOWER-GARDENING. 
MANAGEMENT OF BEDDED-OUT PLANTS. 
Much of the effect of modern flower-gar- 
dens — by which is intended, those which are 
managed on the grouping system — depends on 
the arrangement of the plants. The best 
materials untastefully arranged will fail to 
produce the effect which they are capable of 
producing under a better mode of disposition. 
In this style of gardening, the effect is brought 
out by colour, that is to say, by conspicuous 
masses of colour, such as single plants seldom 
afford. This being so, it will be obvious that 
the general effect of a " grouped " flower-gar- 
den will depend on a selection of plants exhi- 
biting in their blossoms certain tints and 
hues, and on the harmonious blending of 
these colours with the general design. 
This style of flower gardening has been con- 
demned in a contemporary publication ;* but 
we think, that although in some instances 
great want of taste is exhibited in the distri- 
bution of the plants, a good reason has not 
been made out for returning, in all cases, to the 
practice of our forefathers, and adopting, as 
there suggested, the purely miscellaneous, 
instead of the grouping system of planting. 
It is urged that the favourite flowers " of 
our grandfathers are abandoned for a new and 
a gayer race. Dahlias, pelargonium?, pansies, 
* The Gardeners' Chronicle. 
