Book Review
by Rudolph Henny
The Rhododendron Year Book 1951-52 , 4 Full page color plates. 71 black and white illustrations. 194 pages. The Royal Horticultural Society, Spottiswoode, Ballantyne and Co. Ltd., London and Colchester.
The usual high standard attained by previous editions of "The Rhododendron Year Book" has been surpassed by this, the latest volume of the Rhododendron Group.
Articles of especial interest to American gardeners have been submitted by B. Y. Morrison on The Glen Dale Azaleas, and John C. Wister makes mention of A New Race of Hardy Rhododendrons. Mr. Morrison's notes on the Glen Dale azaleas are descriptive, and since the introduction of the plants a great interest has been manifest especially on the East coast, where hardiness is of first importance. Though not as widespread as the azaleas, the hardy rhododendrons existing in a few gardens on the East Coast will be appraised and distributed as long overdue improvements of the existing varieties. Mr. Wister presents the possibilities of the new group.
Mrs. Stevenson, widow of the late J. B. Stevenson, describes the forms of
R. repens
at Tower Court, and her astute observations imply the continuation of rhododendron culture at those gardens. A marvelous color plate of
R. repens
(K. W. 6832) that accompanies the article is indeed worthy of praise.
It is rarely ever that one has the opportunity to read about the finding of rhododendrons in New Guinea. C. R. Stoner relates his experiences in a paper, Rhododendrons in New Guinea. The accompanying illustrations show a wide variation of form if compared to the species from China.
A very important work by Dr. J. Macqueen Cowan and H. H. Davidian on the Thomsonii series will be appreciated by the more serious student of the genus. Many notes on members of the series and subseries of the species are presented in order to clarify the confusion that exists in the overlapping of certain members.
Articles by The Duchess of Montrose and J. P. T. Boscawen, Francis Hanger, G. Donald Waterer, Thomas Upcher, Lord Aberconway, J. P. C. Russell, A. F. H. Baillie and W. F. Jepson Frederick Street, N. K. Gould and R. A. J. Holder are well presented and most interesting.