VARIOUS KINDS OF SOIL 55 
Although peat of a certain quality is the ideal soil for 
Rhododendrons, other kinds of soil suit them to a greater 
or less degree. The soil in South-West Cornwall, where 
Rhododendrons grow so well, is decomposed granite rich 
in humus. It contains no lime, and it retains moisture 
without ever becoming stagnant. At Kew the natural soil 
is a light, sandy loam, containing scarcely any lime ; conse- 
quently Rhododendrons, provided they are not allowed to 
suffer from drought — which they certainly would do in the 
summer unless they were frequently watered — root and 
flourish very well there. Once upon a time it was believed 
that they would not grow at Kew unless they were planted 
in peat, which was procured from Ringwood or Bagshot. 
The Himalayan House, when it was first made, contained 
borders of Ringwood peat for the Rhododendrons, but they 
did not flourish in it, and experience having meanwhile 
demonstrated that the natural soil of Kew agreed with these 
plants outside, the borders in the house were remade with 
this soil, the result being a considerable improvement in 
the health of the Rhododendrons. The moral of this is — 
first be certain that the home soil is unsuitable before going 
to the expense of purchasing special soil for the plants. 
Rhododendrons, therefore, will grow in any soil that does 
not contain lime, is porous without being dry, and is fairly 
rich in humus. Even absolute sand, if enriched by adding 
leaf-soil or well-rotted manure, is suitable, and some loams 
which appear to be heavy have been known to suit them. 
After all, the proof of the pudding is in the eating ! It is 
easy to be deceived as to the fertility of a soil. A great deal 
of nonsense is to be found in books as to what is, and what 
is not, suitable for certain plants. Chemical analysis is, as 
a rule, misleading ; what has been termed a mechanical 
