tZTfje ^fjoliolienlJron ^ocietj> ^otesi, 
Gardeners’ Chronicle, June \ Uh , 1881. 
Each time I visit the Edinburgh Botanic Garden I admire them more and 
more, although on the first occasion Professor Balfour kindly did the honours, 
and showed me all the treasures, including magnificent views over the modern 
Athens. But I must confine myself to Rhododendrons, as I saw them early 
in April. 
In the shrubberies there was blooming R. dauricum, which often gives, and 
gave me this year, a gleam of brilliant colour across the snow. This species 
and Rhodora canadensis should be oftener seen than they are. I did not 
observe very many signs of havoc among the hardy Rhododendrons. Indeed, 
I have learnt to envy, in some respects, the climate of North Britain for these 
plants. The foliage of many, however, and the buds of some, told the tale of 
the cruel winter through which we have passed, but from which we are emerging, 
if the truth be told, better than we expected. 
In the houses I found that Rhododendrons were not neglected, R. niveum 
and several of the arboreum and caucasicum type were in bloom, and there 
was good promise of bloom from R. Nuttallii and Dalhousi.e. I have since 
received stamens of both these species, but containing little or no pollen, strikingly 
different in this respect from those received from South Britain. 
I observed last year the same imperfect development of the stamens of 
R. Nuttallii, received from Edinburgh. Is it attributable to the climate, in 
which I am told Kalmia latifolia has ceased to bloom ? 
A large plant of R. “Walkeri” (so-called) came, I believe, from the 
famous collection of Miss Walker, which was broken up and sold at her death. 
In a house in the garden of the Lawson Company the beautiful primrose bells Nurseries at 
of R. CAMPYLOCARPUM were opening. Sir J. Hooker says of this that “ when Edinburgh, 
loaded with its inflorescence of surpassing delicacy and grace it claims precedence 
over its more gaudy congeners, and it has always been regarded by me as the 
most charming of the Sikkim Rhododendrons.” 
Messrs. Dickson & Co. take a lively interest in the culture of greenhouse 
Rhododendrons. A very fine plant of R. Thomsonii was in bloom, and there 
were large specimens of R. longifolium* and R. Hodgsonii, which last is 
a rare and beautiful species. R. longifolium is perhaps the shyest among all 
the shy bloomers of Sikkim Rhododendrons, and I do not recommend it to 
elderly amateurs, to whom, however, the grand foliage, silver beneath, offers 
no slight compensation. 
Grafting may doubtless mend this habit, but I have painful recollection of 
the many years Mr. Binder, of the Temperate-house at Kew, and I, have watched 
for bloom on our respective seedling plants of the species. Messrs. Dickson 
* R. LONGIFOLIUM was One of Booth’s plants, see Article from The Garden, 
April 8th, 1882, below.— I.B.B. Figured in Box. Mag. 6948. 
Rhododendrons at 
Edinburgh 
Botanic 
Garden. 
87 
