458 The Azalea and its Varieties. 



separated ; still it is not so good a method as layering, be- 

 cause, whatever be the length of the branch, it can be pegged 

 down within a few inches of the top, and thns the most 

 handsome dwarf heads will be formed, and the rooted part 

 be close up to them. 



RAISING THE AZALEA FROM SEED. 



Select seed from the largest flowering kinds only, for the 

 others are not worth the trouble. Fill wide-mouthed pots 

 with the proper soil, shake it down solid by striking the 

 bottom of the pots on the table or potting-bench ; level the 

 surface, and on this sprinkle the seed thinly over, and sift 

 through a fine sieve enough of the soil to just cover the seed 

 well, and no more. Let this be done in March, and place 

 the pots in the greenhouse, or in a garden frame which can 

 be covered completely against frost ; because, in a very young 

 state, these seedlings, or even the seed itself, after it has 

 begun to swell, will be damaged by even a slight frost. The 

 soil must not be permitted at any time to get quite dry, be- 

 cause the seed is very small, and when once it begins to 

 swell, and to dry after it, the vital spark will have been 

 extinguished. Water by means of the fruit syringe, or a wet 

 brush, or, for want of anything better, let the pot stand in 

 water a few minutes, so as to moisten the main body ; but if 

 the soil is properly damp when the seed is sown, and an 

 occasional moisture be given in drops so fine as not to disturb 

 the dust-like seeds, they will in due course come up, when 

 they must be protected from the sun by a piece of white 

 paper, or thin cloth, as the direct rays would burn the plants 

 up. They must be occasionally moistened, and be suffered 

 to grow until they are large enough to handle with care, 

 when fresh pots may be prepared, and the young plants be 

 pricked out in them half an inch, or at most, an inch apart. 

 They may he replaced in the frame, and, except being pro- 

 tected from the mid-day sun, they will require but little 

 attention until they have made that season's growth, and 

 dropped their leaves. While in that state of rest, they may 

 be shifted to seed-pans, or flat boxes, at two inches distance 



