372 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



serve tbe purposes of most cultivators. J^'or those who love collect- 

 ing there is abundant room for speculation and entertainment in this 

 magnificent family, the varieties of which are very numerous. The 

 following is a good selection of twelve old varieties : — Admiration, 

 Criterion, Etoile de Gand, Extrani, Gem, Gledstanesi, Sir H. 

 Havelock, Iveryana, Juliana, Perfection, Perryana, Yariegata. 

 Among varieties of more recent introduction, I would name as 

 desirable, Oracle (F. and A. Smith), paper white ; Beine des Fays 

 Bas, violet and crimson ; Grande Ducfiesse de Bade, red and choco- 

 late ; Fascination (B. S. Williams), pink and carmine; Stella 

 (Veitch), orange scarlet, the finest- formed azalea known ; Vesuvius 

 (Veitch), like Stella, and a very nice point to determine which is 

 the best of the two ; 8]}lendidissima (B. S. Williams), red and white, 

 striped like a carnation ; Dieudonnce spae, salmon and white ; Flag of 

 Truce, semi-double white. I could name a hundred more without 

 risking the introduction of a bad one, for they are all good. But I 

 have named those that are most distinct in colour, most free to grow 

 and bloom, and most perfect in the several properties required in 

 these flowers. 



But I must not forget a few varieties that are worth adding to 

 collections already formed. Most important, for the sake of its 

 splendid golden flowers, is Azalea sinensis, a deciduous kind, which 

 produces its flowers before the leaves. It is a grand conservatory 

 plant, and nearly hardy, therefore do not force it in a strong heat. 

 Boquet de Flore, is a splendid hardy hybrid, the flowers are red, 

 Avhite, and yellow. Fetunwjiora is a superb variety of the India 

 race, which makes a fine contrast to whites and yellows in the con- 

 servatory, the colour being rosy purple. Pkcvnicia jiorihunda is a 

 good purple, not quite a show flower, but invaluable for decoration. 

 Lastly, Azalea ohtusa is a little rosy-flowered gem for the cool con- 

 servatory or greenhouse, and a good subject for forcing ; and A. 

 anmna is like it, but much hardier, and answers to perfection for the 

 front of an American bed in sheltered places. 



Azaleas are subject to few diseases or insects when properly 

 treated ; but sometimes the best treatment will not prevent thrips. 

 To deal with this pest, proceed as follows : — Take five pounds of soft 

 soap and dissolve it in ten gallons of rain water ; then add one gal- 

 lon of strong tobacco water. Into this mixture dip the plants, and 

 lay them on their sides, to prevent any of the mixture reaching the 

 roots. In about half an hour (or less) after the dipping, wash them 

 in a tub of soft water, and they will be as clean as if never a thrip 

 had touched them. In the course of a fortnight repeat the process, 

 which will kill any young that may have been hatched from eggs 

 which the first dipping did not remove. The dipping does no harm 

 to the plants provided it is not allowed to dry on them ; hence it is I 

 say wash them in half an hour or less. If too large to dip, wet 

 them with the mixture by means of a syringe, and to prevent the 

 mixture reaching the roots, and also to save it from waste, lay them 

 on a "drenching board," the ingenious contrivance figured at page 

 121 of the Floeal Woeld for June 18G0. 



J, Walsh. 



