234 
THE FLORIST. 
speculations. We are not 'quite sure but that he was the very first 
who raised a hybrid scarlet, having obtained pollen from the first 
Rhododendron arboreum, which bloomed in England at the Grange, 
with which he crossed some blooms of Rhododendron catawbiense, and 
from which have sprung the originators of the splendid collections of 
hybrid scarlets, which in May, June, and July are so distinguishing a 
feature in the grounds at Tottenham Park,—a notice of which place 
will be found in our vol. for 1854. Mr. Standish, too, is well known 
as one of the most successful hybridists of the Rhododendron of the 
present day, as every one who has witnessed his seedlings at the 
exhibitions for the last few years can verify. 
At page 8, the author gives us his opinion as to further results, which 
may follow the crossing of our present garden varieties, with the 
distinct species lately introduced from Sikkim and Bhotan, which will 
prove useful to amateur hybridists :—“ As some of our readers may 
probably be disposed to engage in this fascinating branch of cultivation, 
we shall pursue this inquiry yet a little further. Of the many direc¬ 
tions in which we fancy the skill of the operator may be successfully 
employed, none seems more inviting than that of hybridizing these 
newly-acquired Sikkim and Bhotan kinds with the finest seed-bearing 
hybrids of R. catawbiense and R. maximum. The two latter are 
hardy, and flower late. By crossing we may hope to combine in 
some of the hybrids, or cross-breeds, the splendid flowers of the 
Sikkim kinds with the hardy and late vegetating properties of the 
Americans. But more, we shall expect new colours ; and, most of all, 
fragrance. Further time may be agreeably profitably employed in 
pursuing the track already marked out by modern cultivators—in 
crossing the finest and most recent hybrids the one with the other. By 
this means, improved forms, new and more varied colours, increased 
substance, and races better constituted for an English climate, may 
doubtless be yet obtained.” 
In reference to soil and planting, the author has some judicious 
remarks, from which we make the following quotation :— t£ But while 
we prefer natural peat where attainable, if there is no peat at hand we 
manufacture some. In many places the component parts of peat 
exist in a separate state. Sand, decayed leaves, turf, old tan, and 
any thoroughly decayed vegetable substances, may be so combined as 
to produce a soil in which American plants thrive perfectly. If the leaves 
can be obtained from the ditches and hedge-rows already decomposed, 
it saves the trouble of collecting and fermenting them, and they may 
be mixed at once with equal portions of chopped turf and sand. Or 
they may be raked together in autumn, and laid in heaps for twelve 
months, until thoroughly decayed, adding to the heap, from time to 
time, any garden refuse that will rapidly decompose. But while the 
surface-soil is of the first importance in the culture of American plants, 
the nature of the sub-soil is not altogether a matter of indifference. 
We have seen all that is really valuable for ornamental purposes flour¬ 
ishing in a light sandy loam not more than eighteen inches deep, 
resting on a bed of clay, while in a similar soil, resting on gravel, their 
progress was anything but satisfactory. The reason is obvious. In 
