EVERGREEN ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS. 
537 
thousand, and in same proportion for smaller quanti- 
ties. It is perfectly hardy — a most rapid grower — has 
a very attractive, yellow flower early in spring, succeed- 
ed by fine purplish berries in autumn, which, in Eng- 
land, are used for preserves by the agricultural classes, 
very much, as in Hew England, the common Berberry 
is used for same purpose. It is evergreen, or if not 
entirely so, it has what is even better, a most superb 
rich, brown tone, mingled wflth the most gorgeous scarlet 
and crimson, like our highest autumnal coloring, and 
the leaves covered with a brilliant lustre-like varnish. 
We believe it does not grow over five or six feet high, 
and we find the plant is much improved by keeping it 
back by occasional clipping, as it sometimes has a ten- 
dency to straggle. It should be always planted in beds 
or masses, by itself. 
The Rhododendron is too well known to require des- 
cription. Although the R. Ponticum and many of the 
hardy hybrids like Hero, Atrosanguineum, Ferrugin- 
eum, and a few others are quite satisfactory in the pro- 
tection of a wood, yet the only truly reliable ones 
in exposed situations, are the English varieties of the 
Catawbiensis, of which Messrs. Waterer & Godfrey 
(and we presume they can also be procured now at our 
nurseries) offer thirty varieties in color, all hardy here, 
one and a half to two feet high, mostly with flower 
buds, at fifty shillings sterling, per hundred, for 
plants not named, and ten pounds per hundred (about 
fifty cents each) for named varieties. 
It is perhaps well to say here that Rhododendrons, 
Azaleas, and most of these evergreen shrubs, do well 
enough in ordinary garden soil, but are much improved 
in color and habit, by a soil prepared equally of peat, 
leaf soil, and sand or sandy loam. There is no more 
superb plant cultivated than the Rhododendron, and we 
earnestly recommend the adoption in pots (to be kept 
in the green-house during winter) of the varieties below 
