NORTH AMERICAN 19 
No one can judge of the extent of the Rhododendron 
fields on this mountain, for the extent is so vast that the 
eye cannot estimate areas ; certainly there are spots on 
the summit from which thousands of acres covered with 
Rhododendrons and Alders can be seen at once. The 
thickets are impassable except where bears and cattle have 
forced tortuous trails among the bushes which ten days 
ago were covered with flowers. These are nearly all of 
one colour, deep rosy pink, although an occasional plant 
with darker flowers can be found. The soil where these 
plants grow is rich black vegetable mould, varying from 
18 inches to 2 feet in depth. Although saturated with 
moisture, as small springs are common, the surface soil is 
perfectly drained, being underlain by coarse gravel mixed 
with large stones. Abundant atmospheric moisture, for 
rarely a day passes without clouds settling over the summits 
of the Roan, increases the vigour of the plants. On the 
open slopes they rarely grow more than 4 or 5 feet high, 
but when protected by the Balsams {Abies Fraseri), specimens 
10 to 12 feet high are not uncommon. These natural 
conditions seem to indicate that Rhododendrons of the 
catawhiense blood require rich, moist, well-drained soil, 
constant atmospheric moisture and protection from high 
winds, and that, under such conditions, they can support 
excessive winter cold, as the temperature on the summit 
of the Roan has been known to fall in winter to 30° below 
zero, while ice probably forms during every month of the 
year, except in July and August.’' 
As to the hardiness of those garden sorts of which 
R, catawhiense is one of the parents, it is necessary to bear 
in mind the nature of the other parents, and as some of 
these are Himalayan and therefore more tender, the cold- 
