THE AZALEA. 



165 



earth covered with a light layer of moss to 

 keep up a proper degree of moisture. This 

 method is much more expeditious than the 

 former. 



4. Increase by Seed. — At the commence- 

 ment of autumn the seeds of Azaleas are 

 fully ripe. They are then gathered, and 

 subsequently sown in January or February. 

 Fill some small pans, well drained, with 

 finely sifted heath-earth, and press it light- 

 ly on the surface. The fine seeds are then 

 sown evenly, without any other covering 

 than a light coat of fine sand. Thus fixed, 

 the pans are covered with glasses to keep 

 in a little constant humidity, and placed on 

 a hotbed under a frame, or in a cold or tem- 

 perate green-house, in the shade, and as 

 near the glass as possible. 



The seeds quickly vegetate. As soon as 

 the young plants have made one or two 

 leaves (besides the seed leaves,) they must 

 be transferred to other pans, leaving between 

 them sufficient space for their further de- 

 velopment. Give them a little heat to has- 

 ten and strengthen their shoots. Then as 

 soon as they are four or five inches high, 

 pot them singly in pots proportioned to their 

 size. Continue the same temperature, giv- 

 ing a little air occasionally, so that they 

 may become gradually accustomed to it, 

 and then treat them as old plants. 



Artificial Fecundation, or Hybridization. 

 — By budding, grafting, and the two last 

 methods of increase which I have just de- 

 scribed, you propagate purely and simply the 

 varieties or species which you possess. But 

 then this handsome species would remain 

 stationary, and soon its sameness would 

 tire the most zealous amateur, if two other 

 methods did not produce immense results, 

 by creating a new and pleasing taste, quite 

 natural for such elegant plants. 



These are, by the seed and artificial fe- 

 cundation, called also hybridization. I have 

 already described the first, and will say a 

 few words about the second. 



Artificial fecundation or hybridization 

 should only be practised between handsome 

 varieties or species opposed in colour and 

 form, to procure an intermediate progeny, 

 or sometimes diametrically opposite. It re- 

 quires sagacity, calculation and a sufficient 

 knowledge of the subject, so as not to fail, 

 or to create insignificant varieties, inferior 

 to their parents. Thus you willingly cross 

 the varieties with white flowers, with those 

 that are red, the variegated with the one 

 coloured, ice. 



It is well known that artificial fecunda- 

 tion consists in the application of the pol- 

 len of one variety to the pistil of another. 

 The precise moment is chosen of the open- 

 ing of the anthers ; cut away the whole 

 flower, or only the female anthers, and rub 

 them lightly on the top of the pistil (stigma) 

 of that which has been cut, in such a man- 

 ner that it may be perfectly daubed (bar- 

 bouillee) with antheral powder. Before this 

 operation another preparatory to it should 

 be accomplished. It consists in cutting oflT 

 the stamens at the moment the flowers ex- 

 pand, and before the opening of the anthers. 

 AVithout this precaution, the fecundation 

 would not succeed, or would not be perfect 

 because of the admixture of the pollen. 



It is in thus crossine: the Azaleas of India, 

 properly so called, with others, or with Rho- 

 dodendrons, that we obtain those elegant 

 varieties which have been so much admired, 

 and which constitute the principal decora- 

 tion of our green-houses in the spring of the 

 year. 



Wm. W. Valk, m. d. 



Flushing, L I., Aug. 1847. 



