JUNE. 163 



healthy ; use plenty of drainage, and the compost above recom- 

 mended, taking care to keep the rougher materials at the bottom of 

 the pot, and finishing with the finer portions. While the plants 

 continue small, a close pit or deep frame is the best place to grow 

 them, placing them near the glass. Keep the atmosphere damp 

 about them, and svrino:e them over-head in the afternoon of bright 

 days. The plants will soon commence growing, when more air 

 may be given, closing the pit, however, early, for they will stand a 

 high temperature at this stage. Water in larger quantities should 

 be given as the temperature of the season advances. If all has 

 gone on well, by June the pots will be full of roots, and the tops 

 will have made good progress. If not prevented, the plants 

 would now stop growing, and begin the formation of bloom buds ; 

 but as the object for the present (as noticed above) is to get good 

 sized plants before allowing them to flower, each shoot must be 

 pinched back ; this will induce a second crop of young wood ; 

 and as soon as they again show their new growth will be the time 

 to give them a second shift. As we prefer often shifting to a one- 

 shift course, the increased size of the pot must not be great — from 

 half an inch to an inch clear space round the old ball wdll be 

 ample. After repotting keep them close for a few days, and when 

 the young shoots begin to lengthen, allow air in larger quantities, 

 closing early, as before, damping the plants over-head at the same 

 time. By JSeptember they will have grown into nice plants ; and 

 as training will have followed the treatment as a matter of course, 

 you may expect shapeable plants as well. Now w411 be the time 

 to take off" the sashes altogether each fine day, putting them on 

 by night, but tilting them up for the admission of air. The 

 plants will now gradually get into a state of rest, and may be 

 wintered in a common greenhouse, as before noticed. The supply 

 of water will be considerably less as growth ceases. 



The following season's treatment should be exactly the same 

 as that just described, if large plants are wanted, viz., a second 

 stopping in June, and a shift when the plant has started into 

 second growth. By the end of the second season very fine speci- 

 mens will be the result. 



Our readers will notice, that a close moist heat, plenty of light, 

 with a considerable rise of temperature above that of an ordinary 

 greenhouse, and a gradual exposure to more air as the season 

 advances, are requisites for getting up good healthy plants of 

 Azaleas. After the plants are got into good blooming specimens, 

 this double stopping must of course be dispensed with ; but 

 directly the blooming is over the plants should be placed in a 

 close house, and frequently syringed, to induce a free growth, 

 after which more air, &c , may be given, to ripen the w^ood ; but 

 to insure a uniform bloom great attention must be paid to 

 stopping, for in this lies the whole secret. When a few shoots 



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