On the Culture of Azaleas. 125 



when their growth is completed, which will cause them to 

 set flower buds. These will expand in spring ; that is, three 

 years from the time of sowing the seeds. 



Cuttings made from young wood, taken when about two 

 inches long, planted in sand and set in a shaded place in the 

 house, will form roots ; but as many of the finest varieties are 

 of slow growth and short lived when raised in this manner, it 

 is customary to engraft them upon more robust growing 

 kinds. A. Phoenicea is well adapted for this purpose ; being a 

 free grower, it will keep place with any of the others. Small 

 plants of these, in a healthy condition, should be procured. 

 May is a good month for performhig the operation. For 

 scions, take one year old wood a few inches in length, cut 

 the stock horizontally, near the surface of the pot, split the 

 head of the stock, and insert the scions, as in the common 

 mode of cleft grafting. After they are properly tied, wrap a 

 small bit of moss round the junction, and keep it moistened 

 with water ; this, by excluding dry air, will facilitate a union 

 which will take place in a few weeks, if kept in a moist tem- 

 perature. 



The best time for potting a general collection of Azaleas, 

 is during the months of February and March. If they are 

 shifted into fresh soil at a more advanced season, there is a 

 probability that they will make a late growth, and a conse- 

 quent imperfect set of flower buds. " Shift them after they 

 have done blooming," is very good advice, but with late 

 flowering sorts the objection just alluded to, is applicable. 

 They will show larger and brighter colored flowers, from the 

 stimulus received by the additional soil, and, from the same 

 cause, they will send out stronger shoots when they com- 

 mence growing. The only objection to this early potting, is 

 the liability of the roots being destroyed with too much 

 water ; but this objection (if such it can be called) is easily 

 guarded against, as all plants newly potted require less water 

 for some time, than they did before the operation ; the fresh 

 soil being unoccupied with roots, is not so rapidly drained of 

 its moisture. 



