RHA 
RHO 
where its dense manner of growing, and 
dark green persistent foliage, render it 
desirable for filling screens, or facing up 
the larger shrubs; this species is not 
unfrequently confounded with Thillyrea, 
the distinction between them, however, is 
manifest in the position of the leaves ; in 
alaternus they are alternate, and in Phil- 
lyrea arranged in opposite pairs. As in 
the case with most plants cultivated for 
any length of time, there are several 
varieties of this species, not the least 
beautiful of which are those with varie¬ 
gated foliage: the white and yellow 
marginal kinds and gold-blotched leaved, 
are very striking among other darker 
coloured plants; the variety angustifolia, 
or R. Clusii, as it was called, is also re¬ 
markable for its linear, rigid leaves, and 
balearica is equally deserving adoption. 
Among the deciduous kinds there are 
several deserving culture, both for their 
appearance and usefulness. R. cathar- 
tica is much grown in Trance for its 
berries, the juice of these, expressed in 
an unripe state, is used for staining a 
saffron colour; gathered as soon as ripe, 
and prepared with alum, they afford a 
sap-green, but if left longer on the trees 
the juice is purple; they are the Trench 
berries of the shops. A fine yellow dye 
is extracted from the bark. A similar 
colour is obtained from the berries of 
R. saxatilis, which is employed in stain¬ 
ing Morocco leather. The fruit of 
R. frangida is next in value to that of 
R. cathartica, both medicinally and in 
the arts; in an unripe state they dye 
green and yellow, and when further 
advanced, yield gray and blue. The bark 
alone imparts a yellow tint, and treated 
with iron, produces a tolerable black. 
The flowers of this and of alaternus are 
mellifluous, and are much frequented by 
bees. R. Theezans is employed by the 
Chinese in the adulteration of teas, and 
the poorer classes drink a decoction of 
the leaves as a substitute for the latter. 
R. lycioides has a peculiarly hard wood 
of an orange-red colour, and is in much 
request among the Mongols for carving 
images : these last two species are some¬ 
what tender in our climate, but succeed 
when trained against a south wall. Most 
of the species grow with vigour in strong 
garden soil, preferring that of a loamy 
texture, and such as produce berries are 
readily increased by them, if sown in well- 
prepared soil on a warm position; the re¬ 
mainder are propagated by layers, wliicli 
should be put down in autumn with a 
tongue, and will be fit for removal at the 
same period of the next year. 
RHODODENDRON (Lixn.) Nat. 
Order, Rliodoracece. This genus, by the 
attention of modern culturists, has been 
rendered truly splendid, and is now in¬ 
dispensable to every well-furnished gar¬ 
den. Trom the introduction of the noble 
Nepal species, arborea, may be dated the 
improvement of the family; the brilliant 
colours of that kind were all that could 
be desired to blend with the more robust 
sorts already known in our gardens, and 
with the lapse of a few years, seminal 
productions began to appear, each dis¬ 
tinguished by a greater brilliancy than 
its predecessor; the number of such 
varieties of every possible lineage is now 
beyond calculation, and it is perhaps only 
difficult to obtain plants of the more 
showy species which may be considered 
quite pure of cross-breed inclinations. 
It happened, unfortunately for the earlier 
attempts at improvement, that the new 
forms partook largely of the precocious 
habit of flowering which distinguishes 
their male parent; this rendered them 
less valuable in the flower-garden, not 
that the plants themselves were made 
more tender, but the inclination to bloom 
at a very early period of the spring, 
which is only with difficulty suppressed 
in any, even of the older sorts, was here 
so increased as to make the escape of 
the bursting flower-buds from frosts a 
very rare occurrence. The experience 
of repeated efforts, however, went to 
prove that, in the second remove from the 
Nepal species, the produce returned to 
their normal character, in so far as the 
blooming is concerned, and with some 
additional care in selecting the parentage, 
it was also found that the deep rich tints 
so desirable might be retained, and hence 
has arisen the magnificent races which 
grace our hardy collections at the present 
day. An extraordinary discovery of 
