10 THE GARDENER. [Jan. 



bouquet - making and arranging in vases. They are also amongst 

 the hardiest of greenhouse plants, and if the wood is well ripened 

 they will bear without injury several degrees of frost. It is better, 

 however, not to expose them to frost if it is possible to avoid doing 

 so. And further. Azaleas are easily forced for a supply of flowers 

 in the winter ; but the process, to be successful, must be gradual. 

 If the plants are brought at once from the temperature of the green- 

 house to a structure where the temperature is say 70" or 75°, the 

 likelihood is that the wood -buds will burst into growth, and the 

 flower-buds will damp off or go "blind," and thereby defeat the end 

 in view. The proper way is to place the plants in a temperature of 

 from 50° to 55° at first, and keep them in this temperature until the 

 flower-buds are seen to be on the move, then a rise of 5° or 10° in the 

 temperature will cause the flowers to expand before the wood-buds 

 have made any great progress in growth. 



The last thing I will mention in favour of Azaleas is that they 

 are very "telling" plants at public exhibitions. A healthy well- 

 bloomed specimen is a " strong point " in favour of the collection in 

 which it is placed ; and no collection of flowering plants at a spring 

 show can be said to be complete that does not include a good 

 example of some variety of the Azalea. Every one who has seen 

 a Spring Show of the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society must 

 have noticed the magnificent specimen Azaleas exhibited by Mr 

 John Paterson of Millbank, and others. These plants illustrate, in 

 a striking manner, the profuse flowering qualities of different 

 varieties when under the care of skilful cultivators. The only 

 fault that, in my opinion, could be found with the examples in 

 question is, that there is scarcely "a bit of green" to be seen about 

 them ; they are masses of flowers from top to bottom. This is due, in 

 some measure, to the close way in which the shoots are trained ; and I 

 am of opinion that even in the case of plants intended for exhibition, 

 it is a mistake to train the shoots in so stiff and formal a manner; and 

 for home decoration Azaleas should have only as much training as will 

 prevent them from having a straggling look. Still, it would be inter- 

 esting to some, and useful to many readers of the ' Gardener,' if Mr 

 Paterson would state in its pages the mode of culture by which he 

 suceeds in laying on the colour so thick. 



To produce fairly good examples of the Azalea, however, is not a 

 difficult matter, and we will now say a few words on cultural points. 



Froimgation. — This is accomplished by seeds, cuttings, or grafting, — 

 the former method with the view of producing improved varieties, the 

 two latter with the view of perpetuating and increasing the varieties 

 already in existence. Under favourable conditions cuttings of most 

 varieties emit roots freely. Many varieties, however, do not grow so 

 fast on their own roots as they do when grafted on stronger-growing 

 kinds, and, as a consequence, grafted plants are to be preferred. Only 

 the strongest-growing varieties should therefore be propagated by cut- 



