56 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 
analysis, with information derived from men experienced in 
the cultivation of the soil, is a far safer guide. A soil may 
be made to meet the requirements of Rhododendrons by 
draining it or by adding humus in some form ; but it must 
be non-calcareous. Soils on which the Spanish Chestnut, 
Birch, Conifers, particularly Pinus pinasteVy thrive, are not 
unlikely to suit Rhododendrons. The important points to 
be remembered are that Rhododendrons are moisture-loving 
plants, which dislike stagnation at the roots, and are quite 
happy in any soil that does not contain lime. Annual 
mulchings of dead leaves or well-rotted manure serve the 
double purpose of providing nourishment to the roots and 
preventing the escape of moisture from the soil. When 
they are cultivated in tubs or pots, there is no difficulty in 
providing a suitable compost. A mixture of leaf-mould, 
peat, light loam, and sand suits all the stronger-growing 
kinds, but the loam should be omitted for Indian Azaleas 
and the smaller-growing sorts. 
Where the soil of a garden or park is not suitable for 
Rhododendrons, beds formed of fresh soil must be made. 
The right way to do this is, not to make a hole and 
fill it with the prepared soil, but to form a mound large 
enough to accommodate the plants and to retain moisture. 
Much money has been spent in excavating beds and fill- 
ing them with a peaty mixture. The Rhododendrons will 
thrive in this until the lime from the surrounding soil im- 
pregnates the bed, and then the plants are bound to suffer. 
When the soil for the Rhododendrons is placed above the 
level of the rest, there is little danger of the lime affect- 
ing it. 
