50 THE CULTURE OF POT-PLANTS 



as they wither, in order to divert the sap into the wood buds 

 and start them into growth as soon as possible. Unless this 

 is done it continues to pass into the seeds until they begin to 

 ripen, with the probable result that the young shoots do not 

 grow until so late in the season that they are not in a 

 condition to flower in the following spring. This is also the 

 most suitable time for repotting, before the new growth 

 commences. Azaleas should not be pruned. If they are 

 cut back to old hard wood, the new growth is so slow in 

 starting that it does not ripen sufficiently to bear flowers. 

 As previously stated, peat is not necessary ; turf, loam, sand, 

 and rich leaf-mould or decomposed manure will do instead. 

 The soil should be made quite firm by means of a wooden 

 rammer, and care should be taken that no vacant space is 

 left between the pot and the old ball of soil. It should be 

 kept moist at all seasons, but especially during growth. 

 Azaleas should never be sunk in the soil ; the base of each 

 stem should be about level with the surface — little, if at all, 

 below it. The surest way to kill them is to bury a consider- 

 able portion of the stem, and to keep the soil saturated with 

 water. They will ripen their growth better, and therefore 

 flower better, if during the summer they are stood out in the 

 open air. The injurious effects of lime on this class of plant 

 has been previously mentioned. Two pests are sometimes 

 troublesome — thrips, a small, narrow, dark-coloured insect 

 with four wings ; and red spider, a microscopic reddish-brown 

 insect, which increases rapidly in numbers on the lower side 

 of the leaves and causes them to turn yellow, and drop. Both 

 these pests are almost sure to appear if the plants are kept 

 too dry. Frequent spraying with water is the best method of 

 prevention. In the case of an attack, an insecticide should 

 be added to the water. It is not advisable to give an 

 artificial fertiliser to azaleas or other plants of the same class, 

 because most ready-made fertilisers contain some form of 

 lime. Leaf-mould will supply all the food that is necessary, 

 but no harm will be done by applying a little weak soot-water 

 occasionally when the buds are swelling. 



Camellia. — There are several different species, but the 



