Rhododendron Edinense. 
THE RHODODENDRON. 
AVe had intended giving our readers a full history of 
this interesting genus, but must defer it for the present, 
and give only in this number the history of the subject 
of our illustration, which we take from the Journal of 
Horticulture: 
This very magnificent hybrid, Rhododendron edinense, 
was raised several years ago by my friend Mr. Anderson- 
Henry, of Hay Lodge, than whom there has been no 
more enthusiastic admirer and cultivator of the genus 
Rhododendron. It has the size and grandeur of R. Nut- 
tallii, with a much better habit and more graceful foli¬ 
age. Mr. Anderson-Henry was one of the first to hybri¬ 
dise with the splendid Rhododendron species discovered 
some thirty years ago in Sikhim and Bliotan. Between 
R. Dcdhousice and Forinosum he produced R. Henryanum, 
.figured in the Botanical Magazine, and much admired. 
Using then the pollen of R. Nuttallii on his hybrid, he 
carried the mixture of species further, and produced the 
subject of the present figure, which is much below life 
size. At the first evening meeting of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society this year, I showed several fine trusses. 
The great, white Lily-like and scented flowers, well set 
off by the luxuriant foliage, attracted universal admira¬ 
tion, and the editor of the Journal of Hortimlture asked 
for a truss to figure, which I willingly gave, explaining 
that, although I had grown the plant for some years, 
my friend had raised and named it. 
Of large, white, scented Rhododendrons there are un¬ 
doubtedly already very many in cultivation, including 
true species and hybrids. Of the former, R. Maddeni in 
various forms, R. Edgeworthii, R. Veitchianum, and, 
largest of all, R. Nuttallii may be specially mentioned. 
R. Dalhousice is generally more successful in a hybrid 
form than as a true species. Of hybrids, again, there 
are R. Fosterianum, most beautiful and delicate, and 
many others. Still, there is room for our present hybrid 
which, in some respects, surpasses and differs from them 
all. . 
It furnishes, moreover, a curious example of breeding 
with a pure species (other than one of the parents) on a 
hybrid—an experiment very seldom successful among 
Rhododendrons. The pure species may, in this case, 
have been prepotent, but it has by no means entirely 
superseded the influence of the hybrid mother. Nor is 
the compound offspring apparently altogether sterile. 
I have induced it to ripen capsules and produce germi¬ 
nating seed under the influence of the pollen of a fourth 
species. / 
