322 The Chinese Azalea. 



Treatment. — As soon as the plants are a few inches high, we put 

 them in the open air, about the middle or end of May, fully exposed 

 to the sun, and water twice a day all over, unless rain prevails. As 

 soon as a growth two inches long is made, it is pinched at the jDoint, to 

 make it branch ; unless we wish to train in a conical form, the leading 

 shoot is not stopped. We do not pinch after the first of July ; by that 

 time the flower buds begin to form. This pinching, or stopping, is 

 practised on all plants, whatever the size. If the pots are small, they 

 are plunged to half their depths in any light material, such as saw- 

 dust, old tan, sand, or ashes, to prevent the great evaporation that small 

 pots are subject to. When the pots are large, we ai^e not particular 

 about plunging, but freely expose every part of the plant to the sun, 

 which is the great secret of successful bloom. 



Soil. — For small plants we use sand and decayed leaves, the sand 

 predominating ; for large plants, our soil is one third white sand, one 

 third loam, and one third leaf mould ; these are about the proportions, 

 and can be obtained anywhere ; fine river sand will do as well as any 

 other. They are not by any means particular about soil ; they must 

 have good drainage, and regular supply of water, with very frequent 

 syringings ; every evening is our practice ; if you allow them to get 

 severely dry repeatedly, and then give severe waterings to bring them 

 up, you will be sure to have death. 



Dropping their buds. — Casual obsei-vers cannot discover this. 

 " Why do my plants not bloom ? " Merely because they have been 

 kept too much in the shade, or dropped their buds. When blooming 

 plants become severely dry a few times, you will observe in December 

 a little brown spot, pin-head size, in the centre of each shoot, or many 

 of the shoots, which are the remains of the flower buds, and have been 

 caused by want of water. A well tended, healthy plant never loses 

 its flower buds. 



Forcings or bringing forward in a high temperature, is readily prac- 

 tised upon all the varieties, but most easily upon white colors, or those 

 where white predominates ; next this, lilac colors. A temperature of 

 fifty to sixty degrees during night, with air and sunlight during the day, 

 not overlooking a free use of the syringe or water-pot over the foliage, 

 will insure a full and profuse flowering. 



