®t)e l^fjobobentiron ^ocietp ^otcS. 
Distinctive 
characteristics of 
the hardy species 
used. 
feasts awhile on the general effect of this gleaming sea of rosy colour, astonished 
that any combination so beautiful could be devised and accomphshed by the 
art of man ; for it is the art of man which has reared and tinted every one of 
these gorgeous plants in their profuse variety, which has rendered them' all hardy 
in our vexing climate, and has finally brought them—some bending under the 
weight of thirty or forty winters—from afar, and now bids them bloom their 
best before us. 
After thus enjoying the general effect, we proceed to examine particular 
plants, and presently we find ourselves confronted by the whole Waterer family 
disguised as Rlrododendrons. The venerable “ John Waterer,” whose exact 
pedigree* I have often sought but never found, and his venerable spouse, 
“ Mrs. John,” are there, glowing as usual in crimson health. Their descendants 
are all around : “ Fred Waterer ” and “ Michael,” chips of the old block, but 
ruddier and stouter, as becomes their youth ; “ K.4TE Waterer,” with her hazel 
eye ; and “ Helen ” and “ Bai Waterer,” the loveliest of the flock, who, 
with their brother “ Jack ” and “ Bertram Currie,” have fairly outdone and 
vanquished that notable flower, "alarm.” Beyond the family circle, “Lord 
Eversley,” " Mrs. John Penn,” “ John Walter ” and others, caught my eye. 
I was much struck by the excellence of some of the whites, particularly on my 
last visit early in July. " The Queen ” is very good, although " Madame 
Carvalho ” is my favourite. 
So much from the point of view of an ordinary observer, who admires beautiful 
flowers, or the would-be purchaser ; but the true fancier 'will go a little deeper, 
and curiously notice the traces of affinity obvious in aU these plants, dividing, 
however, into two or three currents of race. 
There is, for instance, the old " concessum ” type of flower (this variety was 
raised in Belgium), depending for its beauty on the white eye, and obliterating 
as much as possible the spotting of the coroUa, as it is obliterated in some examples 
of the ARBOREUM species, and in the ponticum of the South of Spain, j In close 
relationship stand such flowers as " Princess Mary of Cambridge,” and others ; 
and collaterally, "alarm ” at the head of a host of improvements, alluded to above, 
with much the same colouring of the corolla, but very different in foliage and 
habit. Another class of flower is conspicuous for the very distinct marking on 
some or all of the segments of the corolla, perhaps a modification of the orange 
eye of the Pontic ponticum, or the black markings of some forms of arboreum, 
or the greenish of caucasicum or maximum. A third class.is of the "self” 
type, and depends for effect on the distinctness and beauty of one colour, without 
much contrast or relief except that of its ovm foliage. These last are naturally 
most effective in large masses, and at a distance. Among them the brilliant 
crimsons are very numerous, and have arrived at great excellence. 
As it is with the blossom so it is with the foliage, nay, one might add with the 
capsule and the calyx, and the arrangement of the flowers in the truss, the}'^ all 
speak more or less of the five or six species from which our hybrids spring. 
Ever since the memorable advent of R. " altaclarense ” J (the first of the 
* ARBOREUM and (probably) catawbiense. See p. 62. f b.eticum. 
t (catawbiense X ponticum) X ARBOREUM. BoT. Mag. 3423. 
94 
