ON THE CULTURE, TREATMENT, AND VARIETIES OF 

 THE CHINESE AZALEA. I. 



By Robert Buist, Philadelphia, Pa. 



The collection of Chinese azaleas here exceeds one hundred vari- 

 eties, and comprises many thousands of plants in all stages. We have 

 visitors, enthusiastic culturists of this plant, who pay us a periodical 

 visit, to see the new sorts and to add to their collections. A few weeks 

 ago we made a promise to a lady from New York to send to " Tilton " 

 notes on their culture, 'habits, and general treatment. This simple 

 introduction brings us to the point. 



The Chinese azalea proper is far from being a new j^lant. Plants 

 of it several feet high were shown before the London Horticultural 

 Society, in blooin, fifty years ago ; and, strange as it may appear, about 

 that time plants of Azalea indica^ A. indica alba^ and A. purpurea 

 plefto^ appeared about Philadelphia, and were slowly propagated by 

 layers in one of the then nurseries, all efforts at rooting by cuttings 

 having failed. Not so now ; their multiplication is yearly tens of 

 thousands. 



41 



(3*») 



