THE AZALEA AND 



long time to grow them on to good size. Plants 

 with a compact, bushy head a foot across can 

 be bought for a dollar, well set with buds, 

 and such a plant will often bear as many as a 

 hundred flowers. Large plants, three feet 

 across will cost three dollars, very likely, but 

 they are well worth the price asked. Such a 

 plant will be literally covered with flowers for 

 weeks, if given proper treatment. On no 

 account should the Azalea go into the cellar 

 after blooming. It is not adapted to treatment 

 of that kind. 



The Amaryllis is another flower that ama- 

 teurs attempt to grow, generally with unsatis- 

 factory results. These failures are, as in the 

 case of the Azalea, brought about from wrong 

 treatment. The peculiarities of the plant are 

 not understood. In the majority of cases it is 

 given about the same treatment that the Calla 

 receives. The result is — leaves, but no flowers. 

 The two plants are not at all alike, and the 

 treatment that suits one would prove disas- 

 trous to the other. 



The Amaryllis bulb should be planted on 

 the surface of the soil rather than under it, as 

 is generally done. Its roots are put forth from 

 the base of the bulb, after the fashion of the 



212 



