March 23, 1876. I 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



225 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



AZALEA INDICA AND ITS CULTUBE. 



[The following notes were read by Mr. GUerhead before the 

 members of the 'Wimbledou Gardeners' Society.] 



• AEIETIES of Azalea indica were first intro- 

 (luced into this country from Cliina in tho 

 early part of this century. In refen-ing to 

 Johnson's "Gardener's Dictionary " we find 

 that Azalea indica was first introduced in 

 1808, A. purpurea-pleno in 1819, A. aurau- 

 tiaca in 1822, A. variegata and A. phoenicea 

 in 1824, and A. lateritia in 1833. I will not 

 guarantee the correctness of these dates, 

 but undoubtedly they are pretty nearly right, 

 and the varieties mentioned are about the oldest in 

 cultivation. 



For some years past nm-serymen and gardeners have 

 devoted much time and attention to the cross-breeding of 

 this valuable genus of plants with the view of improving 

 the quality and colour of the flowers, and it is very 

 gi-atifying to know that their labours have not been in 

 vain, as all the best varieties now in cultivation are 

 cross-breds. The numerous varieties of Azalea indica are 

 invaluable for furnishing the stages of conservatories at 

 a season when good flowers are scarce. If a number of 

 the early and late flowering varieties are at command 

 and properly managed they may be had in flower from 

 Christmas to May, but to accomplish this proper accom- 

 modation is required for the necessary forcing and retard- 

 ing of the early and late varieties. They are also of 

 equal value for exhibition purposes, for floral displays on 

 dinner-tables, in drawing-rooms, saloons, entrance halls, 

 and, last but not least, they are indispensable as cut 

 flowers for bouquets. In fact, I may say that their merits 

 are sufficiently known to make them popular plants with 

 everyone who has any real love for flowers. 



The propagation of the plants is effected by seeds for 

 new varieties, and by cuttings and grafting for multiply- 

 ing individual species or varieties. Seeds should be saved 

 from the best varieties, the flowers of which have been 

 fertilised with the pollen of another variety with tho view 

 of improving the colour and substance of the parent or 

 with the hope of securing a young progeny of stronger 

 constitution. The hybridiser always has some object in 

 view, and is guided by his own ideas in endeavouring to 

 secm-e such object. The flowers having been fertilised, 

 they should then be protected with a piece of thin gauze 

 to prevent further impregnation by insects, at the same 

 time placing the plants where they will enjoy plenty of 

 light and air and where they can be kept dry. After the 

 flowers have faded the thin gauze may be removed, as 

 there will then be no necessity for it to remain over the 

 flowers. 



The seed should be gathered as it ripens, and be sown 

 in pans in rough peat early in January, placing the pans 

 in a close warm house and cover with panes of glass, 

 never allowing the soil to become dry, or the seeds may 

 perish when they are germinating. As soon as the seed- 

 lings make their appearance remove the panes of glass 



No. 782.— Vol. XXX., New Semes, 



and keep the pans in a humid gentle warmth, with as 

 much light as possible, and as soon as the seedlings are 

 large enough to handle pot them into thimble-pots in a 

 compost of sandy peat, placing them in a similar situation 

 to that recommended for the seed pans until the plants 

 are established in the pots, when they may be treated as 

 will be advised for established plants. Shading from the 

 sun will be necessary for the seeds and plants until they 

 attain sufficient strength to endure it. 



In propagating from cuttings these should be taken 

 from the shoots of the current year, selecting those that 

 are moderately strong. 'When the wood becomes a Httle 

 hard, or what is known as being half ripe, the points 

 should be taken off about 2i inches long ; cut below the 

 lowest joint which they may have, removing one or two- 

 of the lowest leaves from the lower part of the cutting, 

 and then insert them in small pots filled with very sandy 

 peat, say six, ten, or twelve cuttings in each pot accord- 

 ing to their size ; plunge them in a bottom heat of about 

 80°, with a top heat of 70°, where, if carefully attended 

 to, 99 or 100 per cent, of the cuttings will grow, the 

 principal points to attend to being shade and moisture. 

 As soon as the cuttings have made roots they should be 

 gradually exposed to more light and air, be potted off, 

 and kept in a close atmosphere with a little shade until 

 they are estabhshed, when they may be treated as other 

 established plants. Although the propagation by cut- 

 tings is a speedy way of raising a stock of any desii'ablG 

 variety, still it is not a system that I would recommend, 

 because plants from cuttings never grow so compactly as 

 those obtained by grafting. Plants from cutlings are also 

 very liable to produce a quantity of gi'oss shoots or suckers 

 from their base, which is detrimental to the plants, and 

 although these are frequently removed, the plants will 

 have a tendency to throw up more. I have also noticed 

 that some varieties struck from cuttings are very liable to 

 die off even after they have attained a great size without 

 any apparent cause — a circumstance which I must say is 

 very grievous to the cultivator. 



If you wish to propagate Azalea indica by grafting you 

 must first obtain a supply of stocks, which might be raised 

 frona seed saved from the strong-growing varieties and 

 treated in the way as previously advised, selecting the 

 strongest-growing seedhng plants, and when these have 

 attained sufficient strength work on them the varieties 

 desu-able to propagate ; or stocks may be raised from 

 cuttings selected from such vigorous-growing kinds as 

 phcenicea alba, or Fielder's White, and when these have 

 attained sufficient strength they may be operated on in 

 the usual way. 



The best mode of grafting is that known as side-grafting. 

 The scions should be taken from the parent plant about 

 Ij inch long, then with a sharp knife make a long slant- 

 ing cut to the base of the scion. A similar slice must be 

 taken out of the side of the stock, so that the outer edges 

 of both stock and scion will meet together, which is a 

 matter of great importance to insure success ; they should 

 then be neatly bound together with a piece of worsted, 

 and be placed in a close frame in a propagating house or 



No, 1434.— Vol, LV., Old Seeies, 



