180 General Notices. 



of autumn and winter, forms, nowadays, no inconsiderable share of the 

 labors of the gardener. Among the plants which are adapted for this pur- 

 pose, the beautiful genus Azalea stands preeminent. The splendor and 

 beauty of the flowers, the variety and richness of the colors, the vast profu- 

 sion of the blossoms, the length of time the bloom remains in perfection on 

 the plants, and the little care and labor required in growing them, all com- 

 bine to entitle it justly to rank foremost amongst forcing plants for the draw- 

 ing-room, &.C. 



I allude, at present, principally to the many charming varieties of the 

 lovely A. indica. Among these, we have whites, purples, and scarlets of 

 all shades, thus affording the most pleasing variety. No plants are more 

 easily got into bloom early in autumn than the varieties of A. indica. They 

 only require to be set growing early in spring, so that they may set their 

 buds in the commencement of the summer ; by this means, the wood be- 

 comes thoroughly ripened, and the buds well matured. And this is a most 

 important point ; for, without well ripened wood and properly matured buds, 

 we cannot expect to have a fine bloom. If the wood is well ripened, and 

 the buds well set, the plants will be benefited by being set out in the open 

 air in the latter part of August and the beginning of September, and they 

 will then be in a fit state to force into bloom at any time they may be 

 wanted. Some kinds are better fitted for forcing than others. The old A. 

 indica alba is one of the best to commence with ; I have seen it beautifully 

 in bloom the first week in November. Next to A. indica alba, is the A. 

 indica phoenicea, and phcenicea grandiflora ; then Smith's coccinea, and, after 

 it, any of the other varieties. I have seen many of the finest sorts in flower 

 at Christmas. The lovely A. i. variegata is well suited for this purpose, 

 as is also the pretty A. i. exquisita; indeed, the whole of this beautiful 

 genus. As decorations for the drawing-room, they possess other advan- 

 tages, besides those already enumerated, over most hard-wooded plants. 

 In the dry atmosphere of a drawing-room, they remain, for the space of 

 six weeks or more, a perfect blaze of floral grandeur ; and the plants come 

 out, if they have been properly attended to in watering, in as good health 

 as when they were taken in. Many other hard-wooded plants drop their 

 flowers in the dry atmosphere of dwellings ; but not so with the azalea. 

 They appear quite at home there. Indeed, I have seen many of the del- 

 icate-flowered sorts more beautiful at Christmas in the drawing-room, than 

 I have seen the same sorts in May. It is well known that many of the 

 delicate flowered varieties suffer from the effects of the sun in May. Now, 

 these very kinds in winter have their corollas uninjured, and the colors in 

 perfect beauty. After the plants are once forced, they are ready to be set 

 growing in the spring ; they then have all the summer to ripen their wood 

 and set their buds, and, in the autumn, they will be well fitted for forcing, 

 when they will repay tenfold any little trouble bestowed on them. 



No group of plants deserves to be so extensively cultivated as this class 

 of azaleas. By introducing a plant or two at a time into heat, they can be 

 had in bloom from November to June, inclusive. — {Gard. Journ., 1847, 

 p. 324.) 



