Gbe national nurseryman. 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK 
The National Nurseryman Publishing Co., Incorporated 
Vol. XXIII. ROCHESTER, N. Y., APRIL, 1915. No. 4. 
BROAD-LEAVED EVERGREENS. 
T HIS group of plants is so difficult to propagate and 
of such slow growth that it takes a long time to 
work up a stock of plants of saleable size, that 
comparatively few nurserymen attempt it to any very 
great extent and what they do carry are mostly imported. 
The one reason why larger stocks of this class of plants 
are not carried, that is imported young and grown along 
in our nurseries is, they do not adapt themselves to our 
methods of cultivation, hand labor being essential to their 
welfare. The horse cultivator and plow are not con¬ 
ducive to profitable results. Time and so much hand la¬ 
bor in growing them naturally makes them high priced 
plants in comparison with shrubs, trees, etc., that can be 
grown in nursery rows and cultivated with machinery. 
However much we may admire the commoner garden 
favorites, we have to admit “the class” that distinguishes 
the Rhododendrons, Mountain Laurel, Heaths, Andro- 
medas, Azaleas, Box, Holly, etc., for certain positions 
around the house and on particular portions of the 
grounds, all others are a poor substitute. In localities 
where they will not thrive, the real landscape artist feels 
their loss. 
The fame of the English gardens is due very largely to 
the broad-leaved evergreens. There the Portugal and 
English Laurel, Holly and Rhododendrons luxuriate in 
the moist, equable climate, and give that dark, rich green 
cheer to the gardens in the winter. 
While, perhaps, our bright American sun makes it 
somewhat difficult to grow them, a knowledge of the con¬ 
ditions under which they will best thrive will do much 
to insure success. 
In speaking of a whole group of plants, the recom¬ 
mendations must necessarily be very general. Some 
kinds will stand more sun and drouth than others, so it 
is up to the nurseryman to give them what they need or 
he had better leave their culture alone. As a rule, the 
essentials are: 
Constant moisture, right to the surface of the ground, 
with good drainage; shelter from dry, frosty winds in 
winter, or dry, arid winds in summer; 
Absence of lime or alkali in soil and water; and, 
Plenty of decaying organic matter for them to feed on. 
such as leaf mold, peat, or rotted sod. 
Drying winds, either in summer or winter, do more 
damage than low temperature, as, under proper condi¬ 
tions, zero weather will hurt very few of them. 
The Rhododendrons are the most important, and should 
be considered first, along with the plants that are usually 
associated with them. 
They are a very large family, containing many beauti¬ 
ful kinds, such as those from North India that will not 
stand the American climate, and, so, are only suitable for 
greenhouse culture in this country. So, we shall con¬ 
fine ourselves to the consideration of those suitable to 
American conditions. 
The hybrid Rhododendrons sold in this country in their 
various colors, ranging from white through shades of 
purple, pink, red and crimson, are nearly all imported 
from Europe. Many kinds are very tender, and only fit 
for greenhouse culture. They are forced in great quan¬ 
tities for Easter decoration; other kinds are very hardy 
and, given the right conditions, grow splendidly. 
As a rule, the white, pink and purple kinds are the 
freest growers, the red and crimson not being quite so 
robust. 
The following list of Rhododendrons has proved the 
best for outdoor planting: 
Album elegans. White, tinged pink in the bud. Strong 
vigorous grower. 
Album grandiflorum. Very fine white, tinted blue. 
Atrosanguineum. Rich blood-red. 
Blandyanum. Rosy crimson flowers, rich foliage. 
B. W. Elliott. Deep rose, with dark spots. 
Caractacus. Truss large, rich crimson. Late. 
Chas. Bagley. Cherry-red flowers. 
Chas. Dickens. Rich scarlet-crimson, fine foliage. 
Delicatissimum. Blush white, tinted pink. 
Everestianum. Rosy-lilac flowers, and foliage su¬ 
perior to all. 
Gloriosum. White, with a tint of violet. 
John Walter. Rich crimson, of a beautiful form. 
Lady Clermont. A rosy-scarlet with deep dots. Distinct. 
Lady Gray Egerton. Silvery-white, tinted blush. 
Michael Waterer. Scarlet, intensely bright. 
Mrs. J. Glutton. A good white, prettily spotted yellow. 
Mrs. Milner. Rich crimson, fine foliage. 
Purpureum elegans. A grand, rich purple. Good 
foliage. 
Roseum elegans. An attractive light rose. Compact. 
These are important for foliage and natural effects, in¬ 
dependent of flowering qualities. 
Rhododendron Catawbiense grows abundantly in the 
mountains of North Carolina. It has loose, rose-colored 
flowers, and blooms early—in April and May—both im- 
