THE FLOEIST AND POMOLOGIST, 
[ July, 
1 00 
plants, from the masses of colour they pi'esent, 
but they are as nothing compared with a new 
race of hybrids, which have here been worked 
up in this nursery to a very high pitch of 
merit, and of which we shall hear more by- 
and-by. 
In the meantime, there are now available 
varieties of remarkable brilliancy or delicacy of 
colouring, and whose only fault is that they 
bloom before the leaves appear—a defect which 
it has been sought with much success to re¬ 
move in the newer varieties alluded to. In beds 
and borders, and sheltered bays, spread over 
acres of ground, and perfuming the air with 
their fragrance, the yellows, and pinks, and 
scarlets, and intermediate tints of the Azaleas, 
and the wdiites, pinks, and purples, or deep 
rose magenta or carmine hues of the Rhododen¬ 
dron, seem almost endless. The picture is, 
indeed, a richly-coloured one, which, once seen, 
is not easily forgotten. 
The past winter, as happens in the case of 
all those which are severe, has sternly tried the 
hardiness of the different varieties, and many 
well-known sorts cut but a sorry figure, from 
the buds being more or less frost-bitten, and 
the flowers killed in the incipient state, so that 
few of the blossoms in the truss come to per¬ 
fection. Those who intend to plant should look 
to this, and see that they obtain onlj^ such sorts 
as bear the stamp of hardiness, both in foliage 
and flowers. There is as much difference in 
the leafage as in the inflorescence of the 
Rhododendron, viewed in reference to the effect 
of the plant as a hardy evergreen bush. Some 
have bold enduring foliage, while in others the 
leaves fall readily, and leave but a beggarly 
account of scraggy bi'anches. And in respect 
to the flowers, some throw bold and perfect 
trusses even after the severest winters, while 
others develope only the miserable remnants of 
trusses which have only just escaped utter de¬ 
struction by frost. 
In our peregrinations we noted down the 
names of a few of those varieties which are 
free from the defects at wdiich we have hinted, 
and those who plant these sorts under fair con¬ 
ditions will not be disappointed. The first we 
note is called Lad;/ Armstronf/, one of the most 
fascinating of Rhododendrons, bearing im¬ 
mense compact conical trusses of large flowers, 
the colour of which is a sparkling light but bril¬ 
liant rose, with the centre paler than the other 
parts of the flower. Kettledrum is another 
of the hardiest amongst the hardy — a 
rich deep purplish-tinted rose, which stands 
out everywhere striking and effective. Archi¬ 
medes^ a light rose with paler centre, is un¬ 
damaged b}^ the frost. Scipio is remarkable 
for its dense leafage and its abundant, large, 
compact flower-trusses of a rosy-pink, marked 
on the upper segment by a rich black blotch. 
Caractacus^ a magenta-rose, with blotch of black 
dots, is a striking sort. Meteor is a brilliant 
crimson-red, very rich and glowing in colour, 
d/rs. Milner and II. W. Sargent are noble 
flowers, of a splendid crimson-rose, bold in truss 
and in foliage, and amongst the most telling. 
Old Port., a rich plum-purple, is indispensable, 
both for its merit as a flower, its hardiness as a 
shrub, and its distinctness of character. Aga¬ 
memnon is a fine claret-red, with a white centre. 
While the old Everestianimi, with its charm¬ 
ingly fringed lilac flowers, is still a telling and 
distinct-looking sort, as is the old Fastuosum 
flore-pleno, with its double-purple blossoms. 
Minnie and Mrs. John Clutton are conspicuous 
amongst the whites. 
Of newer sorts, Sappho is a very grand and 
striking variety, large and bold in the flower 
and truss, the coldur a clear white, with a 
large blotch on the upper segment, so dark as 
to appear black by contrast; nothing can be 
more strikingly effective than this. J. 
Marshall Brooks is another grand flower, of 
a rich and lovely crimson, wdth a large blotch 
of bronzy or yellowish green spots on the back 
segment, which renders the clusters very telling, 
and gives a distinctness of character which is 
most desirable. A third very fine and distinct 
variety, having all the virtues, is Mrs. Skuitle- 
worth —hardy, forming a good bush and an 
equally good standard, and bearing compact 
trusses of finely-shaped flowers, which are of 
a rich crimson, with a white blotch on the 
upper segment, the blotch being almost 
covered l^y black spots—the effect of this dash 
of white in lighting up the centre of the flower 
is marvellous. Charles Fisher is a rich crimson- 
rose, well spotted, and a fine trusser, every way 
first-class. Ladg Greg Fgerton is remarkable 
for its immense compact trusses of blush- 
coloured flowers, which are of the largest size. 
In Sigismnnd Rucker we have perhaps the 
