170 VILLA GARDEXIXG pakt ii 



use of stimulants, such as Standen's manure. Great care should 

 be taken with the drainage, which is often delegated to the 

 most inexperienced person in the establishment ; but in the case of 

 valuable plants this is not wise, for the health of the plants rests 

 mainly upon its being properly done. The soil must be rammed 

 in firmly. It is scarcely possible, if the soil be in a suitable con- 

 dition, to overdo it. The roots are so fine that, unless the soil is 

 packed in tightly, they cannot get a firm grasp of it ; and besides, 

 when plants (especially fine-rooted plants) are loosely potted, the 

 water runs through too quicklj', and drains away from the ball 

 without moistening the roots. It is a common practice to place 

 Azaleas in vineries or peach-houses at work to make their growth, 

 as at that time there is a nice genial temperature in such houses, 

 and the sjTinging encourages the growth of the Azaleas. In fact 

 the conditions which are suitable to a growing Vine or Peach tree 

 are right for the growing Azalea ; but care should be exercised 

 that the Azaleas are free from insects, especially thrips, which, if 

 introduced into forcing fruit-houses, may give trouble. Fumigation 

 with Tobacco is the best remedy for thrips. It should be given 

 two or three times on alternate evenings — damp still evenings are 

 best. 



Forcing Azaleas. — If the wood is made and ripened early, 

 Azaleas may be had in flower early in spring ; and if followed up 

 annually, some kinds may be had in blossom before Christmas, 

 beginning first with the old white and the small red variety, called 

 amoena, and following on with others in succession. In forcing, it 

 is best to begin slowly and not push too fast the first year, and 

 they -nill gradually work round imtil, if a sufficient stock is kept 

 up, they may be had in bloom at least half the year. 



Varieties of Azaleas. — Alba, Amoena, Admiration, Brilliant, 

 Distinction, Dr. Livingstone, Chelsoni, Coronata, Crispiflora, 

 Criterion, Due de Nassau, Eulalie Van Geert, Fielder's White 

 (the last named forces well), Flag of Truce, Gem, Iveryana 

 (improved), Le Lion des Flandres, Magnet, Mars, Marquis of 

 Lome, Model, Mrs. Tiu-ner, Neptune, Princess Marj' of Cam- 

 bridge, Queen Victoria, Sinen.sis, Sir C. Napier, Stella, The Bride, 

 Vesuvius, Vivid, Virginalis, Madame Ambrose Verschaft'elt, Borsig. 



Propagation op Azaleas. — There are three accepted modes 

 of doing this — viz. by seeds, cuttings, and gi-afting. The first- 

 named method is adopted for the raising of new varieties, and 

 stocks for grafting choice-uamed-kinds upon. The Azaleas strike 

 freely from cuttings of the half- ripened young wood under a 

 bell-glass, either with or without a gentle bottom-heat. I have 

 seen these and many other hard-wooded plants strack in a shady 



