64 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 
breeders select the seedlings that look most promising and 
graft them on a forcing stock, which has the effect of bring- 
ing out in the succeeding flowers their best qualities. 
Messrs. Seidel, of Dresden, raise a large number of 
Rhododendrons every year from seeds. The seedlings, when 
quite young, are planted in the open, to be tested as to their 
hardiness before they are grown to flowering size. The 
object of this treatment is to take full advantage of variation 
in the direction of hardiness, and, as the situation of the 
nursery where the young plants are tried is exposed and 
subject to frequent frosts, it is assumed that any seedling 
which survives this treatment may be considered to be 
quite hardy. 
LAYERS 
Layering is sometimes resorted to for Rhododendrons 
which it is desired to grow on their own roots. In the 
United States the garden Rhododendrons when grafted on 
R, ponticum do not thrive as well as the same varieties do 
when they are from layers. Nurserymen in this country 
who grow for the American markets, knowing this, layer 
certain kinds to meet the requirements of American cus- 
tomers. Probably many of the garden Rhododendrons 
would grow and last longer in this country if, instead of 
being grafted on R, ponticum^ they were raised from layers 
or cuttings. 
It is not unusual for Rhododendrons that have been 
grafted to lose their health after a time, as many other 
grafted plants do, in consequence, no doubt, of some defect 
in the stock. There does not appear to be any good reason 
why a garden Rhododendron should not live to as great an 
age and keep its health as R, ponticum, R. caucasicum, and 
other species do. When they fail, it is probably because 
