AZALEA. 



eommoii soil with a dry bottom, and 

 are readily increased by seeds, or by 

 ! division of the root. 

 I Atama'sco Lilt. — See Zephyr- 

 i a'nthes. 



Atra'gexe. — Fanuncidacece. — 

 This genus is nearly allied to Cle- 

 matis. The species are half-shrubby 

 climbers, very suitable for training 

 against "walls or trellis-work, or for 

 covering bowers. They all grow 

 freely iu any common garden soil, 

 and they are readily increased by 

 layers, or by cuttings of the growing 

 Avood planted in sand under a hand- 

 glass. They also frequently ripen 

 seeds, which ought to be sown im- 

 mediately ; in which case they will 

 come up the following spring ; other- 

 wise, if kept some months before 

 sowing, they will probably lie in 

 the ground a year. Ail the species 

 are beautiful, but A. austriaca, 

 with blue flowers, and A. sihlrica, 

 with white flowers, are the most 

 ornamental. 



A'tropa. — SolanacecB. — A. Bel- 

 ladonna is the Deadly Nightshade. 

 AuBRiE^TiA. — CriicifercB. — A ge- 

 nus of pretty little plants, generally 

 with purple flowers, not above three 

 inches high, which flower in March, 

 and are admirably adapted for jDots, 

 or miniature rock-work. They grow 

 in any common soil, and are readily 

 propagated by division. A. delto- 

 idea, and A. purpurea, are the 

 most desirable species. 



Au'cuBA. — Loranthacece, or Cor- 



ndcece. — A hardy evergreen shrub, 



which, though a native of Japan, 



I endures the severest winters in the 



, climate of London. It is common 



j in every garden, and it is often 



i called the Japan, or spotted Laurel. 



The leaves are leathery and varie- 



j gated ; and the bark of the shoots 



j is of a pale green. It will grow in 



any soil, either in an open situation, 



I or under the drip of trees ; and it 



, forms a compact bush, which never 

 ' requires pruning. It is propagated 

 by cuttings or layers. The Aucuba 

 in British gardens is only the 

 female j^lant; as, though it has 

 been introduced above fifty years, 

 it has never ripened seeds, though 

 it flowers every spring ; and the 

 species, of which our variegated 

 plant is e\-idently only a variety, 

 has never been introduced. Its 

 fruit being unknown, botanists have 

 been much puzzled to know where 

 to class it ; thus, it was first placed 

 in Rhamnacete, with the Euck- 

 thorus, then in Loranthaceas, with 

 the Mistletoe ; and now in Corn^- 

 cere, with the Dogwoods. 



AuRi'cuLA.— See Pri'^iula. 



AusTRALiAiSr Shrubs have gene- 

 rally a strong tap-root, which sends 

 out v^ry fine fibres ; they require a 

 sandy loam, or peat, mixed with 

 decayed leaves ; and they should be 

 frequently watered, but the water 

 never suffered to remain in a stag- 

 nant state round their roots. They 

 are all easily killed by an excess of 

 either stagnant moisture, or drought; 

 as in the former case the slender 

 fibres of the roots rot, and in the 

 latter they wither, and are seldom, 

 if ever, renewed. The seeds of 

 nearly all of them are also very 

 long before they vegetate, unless 

 steeped for at least twenty-four 

 hours in water, Avhich should be 

 hot when poured on them. Some 

 of the Acacia seeds may even be 

 boiled two or three minutes without 

 injuring them. All the Australian 

 shrubs and trees are very tenacious 

 of life ; and when apparently killed, 

 they will generally, if cut down, 

 spring again from the root. 



AvEMS. — See Ge^um. 

 ' Aza'lea L. — Ericacea'. — Beau- 

 tiful flowering plants, natives of 

 North America, Turkey, and China. 

 The American kinds, and A. jjon- 



