198 



GARDE^'ERS' CHRONICLE 



K. visco-SL'.M. — '1 he white Swamp Honeysuckle is one of 

 the last of the decitluous Azaleas to flower. Commencing' 

 in late June, the bushes blossom throughout July, the 

 flowering: period even extending into August in late dis- 

 tricts. The flowers being among the smallest of the 

 Azalea family, the name of Swamp Honeysuckle is most 

 apiJropriate for this species. The color varies from white 

 to those with buds and blossoms daintily tinted with pink. 

 The delicious fragrance appeals particujarly to ladies, and 

 when th's species is planted in sufficient (juantity the scent 

 is powerful enough to pervade the air. 



R. viscosum was first introduced from Eastern Xorth 

 America in 1734. .\s a wikl bush it favors the moist 

 ground and swamjis of Maine and Kentucky, its distribu- 

 tion extending from Canada to the Southern Cnited 

 States, "^'onng plants commence flowering when one foot 

 high and blossom each year with unerring freedom until 

 the twiggy bushes are six feet to eight feet or even ten 

 feet in height. The viscid or clammy character of the flow- 

 ers is more pronounced in this species than in any other 

 species of the .'\merican group. 



The old florists are reputed to have used this species 

 freel\- in raising the hybrid Azaleas of the first half of the 

 nineteenth century, but in the desire for large flowers more 

 attention has been given to R. molle and R. sinense as 

 parents, with the unfortunate loss of much of the pleasing 

 fragrance. Some of the oldest bushes in the Azalea Gar- 

 den at Kew in the white, pink and rose tints of the flowers, 

 fragrance and viscid character suggest R. viscosum as one 

 of the parents. 



R. c.-\r.ENDri .\crcrM is the flame-colored .\zalea of East- 

 ern Xorth America. It is a widely distributed species, and 

 variable in the color of the flowers (red, orange and vel- 

 low) and the season of flowering. This is the species from 

 which the rich coloring in many of the Ghent Azaleas was 

 obtained. The early flowering of these hybrids suggests 

 that the R. calendulaceum used was the form flowering 

 in May or early June. Seedlings of more recent introduc- 

 tion are at their best about the middle of June, ^^'ith their 

 rich orange-colored flowers this form should he a valualik- 

 one to cross with RR. viscosum and occidentale. — Tin: 

 Garden (British ). 



GREENHOUSE AZALEAS 



'T'ilE greenhouse .Azalea is one of the mo.st popular 

 of indofjr ]>lants. With fair treatment and reason- 

 able attentif)n to their well being, the plants never 

 fail to do well, and to outlive the greater iX)rtion of other 

 hard-wooded kinds grown in pots. In fact. Azaleas are 

 amongst the longest lived of the various tribes of green- 

 house plants. In proof of this I may instance several 

 large collections that are in the hands of some of the 

 market growers near London, many of the specimens in 

 which are known to be fifty years old. Thev consist 

 mostly of the old white ( indica alba) and I'ielder's White, 

 which is only slightly different from the original sort. 

 The ]>lants in fjuestion are full of vigor, and make shoots 

 frf>m eight inches to fifteen inches in length annually, 

 only a small percentage of which fails to flower. 



The weakening efifects which turning out of doors has 

 on plants whilst making their growth may be seen in 

 hardy shnflis that have been flowered in pots under glass 

 Avhen treated in this way; the ]3artially-formed shoots 

 do not thicken, the immature leaves lof»k yellow and 

 sickly, and when the plants are again ]>lanted out and 

 fairly cared for it usually takes two years to bring them 

 round. It may be said that there is .some plea to justify 

 this way of treating -Xzaleas, inasmuch as most of what 

 has been written on their cultivation is to the efTcct that 

 the turning-out j>roccss is the right course to ffillow. 



Another source of weakness that .Xzalcas, fii ininmnn 



with most other hard-wooded plants, suft'er from is want 

 of sufficient nutriment. In the case of pot plants of the 

 numerous kinds that bear partial shaking out and re- 

 potting annually, the old material which has become ex- 

 hausted is gotten rid of and is supplied by new. With 

 Azaleas and other things of like description, the nature 

 of which is such that they will not submit to be treated 

 in this way, the roots remain for years in the same soil, 

 and unless something is done to make up for what the 

 roots extract from it the whole becomes so ])oor that the 

 plants cannot do more than e.xist in it. This especially is 

 what takes place with old specimens that, after being 

 put into pots as large as it is convenient to give them, 

 shortly become dependent on what they receive in the 

 shape of manure in some form. That old Azaleas can 

 l)c kept for any length of time full of strength and vigor 

 1 have ]>roved with specimens that have remained un- 

 disturbed in the same soil for ten vears, and at the end 

 (if the time thev made as much wood as when they were 

 yiuuig. It may be well here to say that ];eat of even the 

 best quality is not rich enough to enable .\zaleas to make 

 the growth they should do. The assistance that is re- 

 (juired in this way to either get young Azaleas on quickly 

 or to keep up the vigor of old plants is much more than 

 seems to be generally supposecl. 



\\'hen ordinary manure-water is used for old speci- 

 mens it should be given once a week during the time that 

 the plants are making their growth, and up to the time 

 the wood is approaching a hard, mature condition and the 

 buds are prominent. After this stage has been reached 

 it is doubtful if manure in any shape does not do more 

 barm than good. 



Regarding the new varieties of Azaleas, many of which 

 have been sent from the Continent within the last score 

 of years, it is doubtful if, taking all riieir properties into 

 account, they are any improvement on the well-known 

 older sorts. Some of them are an advance in the color 

 and also in form of their flowers, if we acce])t the florists' 

 circular outline as the standard to aim at. There is a 

 lung list of kinds in cultivation, which any good nursery- 

 man's catalogue will sujiply. — Gardcnlu:^ Illustrated. 



IN THE GARDEN AND GREENHOUSE 



(Coiitiiiiied from pii,^e 194) 



desired. The closer they arc to the glass the better they 

 will grow. 



Crotons will take very little shade over them by the 

 middle of September. Do not let water lie on their foliage 

 for any length of time. To keep them free of insects, a 

 thorough syringing with some standard insecticide once 

 every ten da\s is sufficient. Mealy bug may be taken care 

 of by fumigation with hydrocyanic gas. Crotons that 

 lose their foliage during the hall and Winter have been 

 ke])t too wet overhea<l and at the roots. To grow them 

 well a small house should be devoted to them. 



Cattleya labiata is now finishing its growth, and by the 

 middle of September any shading that is over it should 

 gradually he removed. Cross bred orchids flower .it all 

 seasons, and are not like many of the species, which can 

 be ])otted at certain seasons. .\s soon as any of them 

 begin to show new roots, if they need a shift, they must 

 be attended to. It is better to keep them slightly closer 

 as regards atmosi)hcric conclitions, after ])otting. .Also be 

 more careful in watering until they are again establisbeil. 



( ira])es will now he ripe or fast api>roaching that state. 

 Ciive abundance of air and keep a dry atmosi)here until 

 they are all cut. Pot vines that were forced earl\- may 

 now be gradually dried ofl'. Just give enough water to 

 keep the wood plum]) ,ind firm. .\ few degrees of frost 

 is good fur tbcm as thev furcc the better after it. 



