164 



THE AZALEA. 



plied to each other, and the wood and bark 

 of the two portions be in perfect contact. 



2. Cuttings. — Before the growth has 

 completely ceased, that is near the end of 

 June, the young shoots of the Azaleas are 

 cut off about three inches in length, and 

 well furnished with leaves ; these make 

 the cuttings. Some pans with large gravel 

 at the bottom, and filled evenly with sandy 

 heath-earth finely sifted, are to be in readi- 

 ness for them. The end of each cutting is 

 divided just at the base of a leaf-bud, and 

 planted in quincunx, putting them in with 

 a planting stick about three-fourths of an 

 inch long, pressing the soil around them 

 firmly with the end of the finger. 



Thus planted, the pans are placed in a 

 moderate hot-bed in the green-house, or bet- 

 ter still, under a frame, and covering them 

 with a bell-glass. I have used with advan- 

 tage for my Azalea cuttings, small wooden 

 boxes about two feet long, one foot wide, 

 and five inches deep, (six including the bot- 

 tom board,) which is pierced with holes for 

 the drainage. I put at the bottom flint 

 stones three-quarters of an inch in depth 

 for drainage, and on these two inches of 

 well sifted heath-earth. I then plant my 

 cuttings, and cover the box v^dth a plate of 

 glass. This method, which I believe to 

 have originated in my establishment, seems 

 to me preferable to bell-glasses, because 

 the small drops of water, caused by the ex- 

 halations of the cuttings, fix themselves on 

 the glass, and fall back perpendicularly, 

 thus moistening the earth equally, without 

 running in furrows, as under bell-glasses, 

 which soon decomposes the soil into a kind 

 of mud. It will be sufficient to open the 

 glass once a day, to avoid an excess of 

 dampness, likely to be produced by these 

 drops of water. 



Potting them. off. — As soon as the cuttings 

 are well rooted, which you may know by 



their vegetation, prepare to pot them. Each 

 cutting is planted separately in a small pot, 

 in good heath-earth, simply sifted. They 

 are then placed in a spent hot-bed, under a 

 frame, which is better than bell-glasses, un- 

 til they become a little more developed ; 

 then commence giving them air little by 

 little, until they can bear it fully, repot 

 them in larger pots, give plenty of air for 

 six or eight months, after which treat them 

 as old plants. 



3. Ring and Commov. Layering. — I should 

 not omit these two modes of increase, which 

 are well known, but which are very little 

 practised in propagating Azaleas. As it 

 may be agreeable, however to the amateur 

 to employ them, the operations are thus 

 executed. 



The first method is by raising to the 

 height of the branches which are to be 

 layered, small pots with a slit in the side, 

 (to facilitate the introduction of the bran- 

 ches ;) the opening is then closed with a 

 small piece of glass cut to fit ; the pots 

 filled with heath-earth, and fixed securely, 

 attaching them to their supports with small 

 wire. Before this is done, however, a small 

 ring of bark is cut from the branches, a lit- 

 tle below the point where it enters the pot. 



This operation is performed either in the 

 open air or in the green-house, being care- 

 ful to keep the soil in the pots a little damp. 

 Three months will usually suffice to root 

 the layers. 



The second method requires the Azaleas 

 to be planted in the open ground or under 

 a shady frame, inclining the stem towards 

 the soil. Handle the branches carefully 

 and lightly so as not to break them, and 

 bend them down at an acute angle. The 

 part which is to be fixed in the soil is then 

 cut horizontally and vertically, which per- 

 mits its bending easily. It is then fixed in 

 the earth with a small forked stick, and the 



