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RHODODENDRONS AT RIVERHILL. SEVENOAKS. 
Contributed by Lieut.-Colonel J. M. Rogers. 
I fear I have not much to report, having seen no one else’s garden this year 
and very little of my own. 
The long-continued cold spring caused curious effects, which probably every¬ 
one experienced in common, but as members live in such various districts it may 
be worth while to exchange a few notes. 
Here winter continued up to 26th April, the lowest temperature in screen 
being 20° Fahr. on 5th and 7th February, A few days later summer came with 
a rush, screen maximum on 2nd May being 71° and 14 days in May exceeding 
70°. Everything burst out at once. R. dauricum had made an attempt 
earlier and got frozen, but even R. " Nobleanum ” and R. “ pr.$:cox ” 
had waited till now. My outdoor Aucklandii had 30 perfect flowers out on 
18th May. Plums, cherries and apples aU flowered together, a thing which I 
never saw before, and the orchards all over Kent were a wonderful sight. There 
was a plague of caterpillars, due largely to the great mortality among the Tits in 
the winter, and much damage was done to apples by a gale at end of August, 
but the cherry crop was good, apples and pears very fair, while plums and 
damsons beat all records. 
None of the Rhododendrons here minded the winter, and but for the simul¬ 
taneous flowering, it was an uneventful season for them. I had noticed during 
the last few years that the plants in a particular bed of deep peat had been going 
back and wondered why, this autumn they were moribund, and when removing 
them I discovered the cause, which perhaps is worth mentioning. Some years 
ago a bit of rock work was made near by and in excavating for it a pocket of 
Atherfield clay of the consistency of cream cheese, Wcis struck. The workmen 
to save themselves trouble had scattered some of this under the Rhododendrons 
to the depth of about three inches. It was not discovered at the time, and that 
it caused the death of the plants I have no doubt, as the only survivor, being at 
the back, escaped this top dressing. 
A feature of this year is that many plants have formed seed which do not 
usually do so. A large Magnolia which is I think a hybrid conspicua has 
matured quite a lot, one seed has developed on the side of almost every flower 
column and being bright-red has a curious grotesque effect. 
The experience of last winter makes me think there must be a great difference 
in hardiness between different individuals of the same species, and probably 
seedlings from these would reproduce the same character. 
J. M. ROGERS. 
22nd December, 1917. 
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