10 THE FLORIST. 



manhood? And wherein lies the difference between man and plant ? 

 Of the thousands of parents, how many are there who know the 

 anatomy of the human frame ? And without that knowledge, how 

 can the* necessary means be resorted to for preserving health ? So 

 it is with plants. Few, very few are acquainted with vegetable phy- 

 siology, and think it quite sufficient to know the name, and leave the 

 culture of the plant to chance, assisted by occasional waterings. 

 Florists' fl >wers of all descriptions need the most careful culture ; 

 and every sceptic will have conviction brought home to him, if he 

 will take the trouble to look over the collection of any celebrated 

 grower ; and surely, if these plants are worthy of a place in our gar- 

 dens, they should be grown well, which can easily be done by study- 

 ing the nature of the plant, and acting upon the result of that study. 



Observer. 



THE CHINESE AZALEA. 



As Azaleas always constitute the most important feature of our great 

 metropolitan exhibitions in May, as no collection of plants can be 

 considered perfect without them, and as I have been for many years 

 a very successful grower of them, I venture to lay before your readers 

 (at your solicitation) the plan on which 1 have proceeded, feeling no 

 hesitation in asserting, that if the few practical hints here thrown out 

 are strictly attended to, no person will fail in bringing these showy 

 plants to that state of perfection in which they are annually seen at 

 the different exhibitions. 



I will commence with cuttings; for these select young shoots 

 when they are in a free stage of growth, choosing such as are ripen- 

 ing (or what is commonly termed hard at the heel), as I have found 

 that, by taking the cuttings off too young and soft, they often damp 

 off and end in failure ; but by allowing the wood to get partially 

 ripe, there will be no difficulty in striking them freely ; select nice 

 young hosots, about two or three inches in length, dress them with 

 the knife by cutting the heel flat at bottom, and removing the lower 

 leaves for about an inch up the stem ; get ready some nice light 

 healthy peat soil, and add to it the same quantity of good clean 

 sand, mixing both well together; prepare 5 -inch pots to receive the 

 cuttings, by putting two inches of broken potsherds in the bottom, 

 for drainage ; upon this place the soil already mixed, press it down 

 moderately with your hand, and fill the pots to within half-an-inch 

 of the top ; on this put some nice clean sand, pressing down tight 

 with a piece of lath, and with the straight edge of it strike the pot 

 across the top ; this will leave you a nice level surface for the recep- 

 tion of the cuttings, which must be inserted first in the middle, using 

 the longest cuttings, and falling down on all sides, by working in 

 each size one after the other, and finishing with the shortest outside. 

 Place a bell-glass over the whole, rather smaller than the pot, so as 

 to conveniently fit the inner side of the rim, and rest upon the sand. 

 To prevent air from entering, press it down close upon the sand ; 

 when this is done, set them either in a frame, pit, or house, where 



