HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S ESIIIBITIOX. 231 



in action, I then give tlie final shift. I grow them in a high tempera- 

 ture throughout the whole of the growing season, and never expose 

 tliem to the external atnios^phere. Some growers turn them out when 

 tliey fancy the wood is ripened ; but liow is tliis to be ascertained? By 

 examining it? No; nor yet by feeling at the points of the shoots for 

 buds. How tlien ? By seeing with your naked eye tiie flower-buds as large 

 as the top of your thumb ; then the wood is ripe. It is from ripe wood 

 we get bloom. I cannot ati'ord to wait the wiiole of the winter in 

 suspense expecting that my Azaleas may bloom. I must be satisfied 

 upon tliat point before they leave the vinery. I keep them there till 

 their flower-buds are full and almost breaking their floral envelope ; 

 then I consider them to be safe. No anxiety need be entertained that 

 they will not bloom wlien in this state. I now remove them to a cool 

 greenhouse. AH the care they require through winter is to keep them 

 secure from frost, and to give them a little water. Some of the 

 varieties, as Variegata, Gledstanesii, &c., do best in a moderately warm 

 greenhouse through the winter. They are sorts that are liable to go 

 off in their inactive state, \yorked or not worked ; but I believe this 

 difficulty may be obviated by growing the plants in heat, and well 

 ripening the points of the shoots. By this mode of treatment I have 

 succeeded in two seasons to obtain plants 3 feet liigh by 2 feet through, 

 and which are now a dense mass of bloom. Keep the following prin- 

 ciples in view in cultivating tlie Azalea, and I will guarantee success ; 

 — first, plenty of pot room; second, thorough drainage; third, light, 

 heat, air, water ; fourth, well ripened wood ; and lastly, never turn the 

 plants out of doors. 



HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S EXHIBITION. 



The last for tlie season was iield in the Gardens at Chiswick on Satur- 

 day, July 20th ; and superb as have been the past .July meetings, the 

 plants on this occasion exceeded every otiier. It appeared impossible 

 to excel the generality of specimens except in size. The fine healthy 

 plants in profuse vigorous bloom were all that could be desired, and 

 certainly display the most superior skill and industry of the cultivators, 

 and entitle tiiem to corresponding reward. The beautiful grounds of 

 Cliiswick House were opened to the visitors by direction of his Grace 

 tiie Duke of Devonshire, wiiich added to tlie otiier enjoyments of the 

 day ; about eiglit tliousand visitors were assembled on the occasion. Want 

 of space prevent our giving a list of the splendid plants exhibited, and as 

 we have particularized the generality of the collections in previous 

 numbers of our Magazine of this season, we omit tliem on this occasion. 

 Among other striking objects there were two leaves, each about 6 feet 

 across, and a ilower cf tlie magnificent Victoria Water Lily, sent from 

 Syon Gardens by Mr. Ivison the gardener. Tlierc were several 

 splendid specimens of the new Javanese Ixoras, viz., crocata and 

 javanica, and tlieir large heads of fine orange flowers produced a 

 diarming (lisj)lay. Messrs. Veitch sent a plant in bloom of tlie most 

 bcautiRil lUiudodendron javanicum. The flowers are of a rich orange 



