28 



THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



complaints of our customers that their 

 azalea has shriveled up or the flowers 

 are wilted is nothing but the insufficiency 

 of water. Especially is this tne case 

 with the plants when sold the winter fol 

 lowing their importation. When in a 

 temperature of over 50 degrees or when 

 any forcing is attempted, the plants 

 should be well syringed at least once, 

 or better, twice a day. 



Mealy bug often attacks azaleas. 

 Plenty of syringing will keep them down. 

 Thrips and red spider are also very 

 bothersome to them, but neither of these 

 would appear if syringing were faith 

 fully observed. They can be removed 

 by a syringing of the tobacco extract. 

 The nicoteen extracts diluted fifty to 

 one will do. It is a general belief that 

 tobacco smoke injures the foliage. It 

 may be so, and it is well to avoid it, but 

 I have seen little evidence that it in 

 jured tne azalea. 



During January, February and March 

 the plants imported the previous autumn 

 have a great inclination to make a 

 growth beiore they develop their flow- 



mer s growth. Place them in a light, 

 warm house, and syringe frequently. 

 When cutting back, see that the soil is 

 in good shape and the drainage in or 

 der. By the first of June they will have 

 made a good growth ; that growth is what 

 gives you the bloom the following win 

 ter. From the first to the middle of 

 June plunge them out of doors in the 

 broad sun. The pots should be plunged 

 in some material to the rim, but in a 

 place where water will not remain dur 

 ing heavy rains to unduly soak the roots. 

 Over the surface of the pots spread an 

 inch of rotted refuse hops or rotted sta 

 ble manure. In this position they will 

 do till the end of September, or till 

 there is danger of frost. They want 

 faithful attendance in watering, never to 

 be killing dry, and in hot weather a 

 daily syringing. 



We notice when Easter is very late, 

 as the spring of 1905, that many florists 

 lose the sale of their azaleas because 

 they are too early. This is bad man 

 agement. We know the date of Easter 

 and if very late the azaleas should be 



Azalea Indica. 



ers. If this growth is not rubbed off 

 the flower will be so weakened by the 

 strong young growth that it will amount 

 to nothing. 



Many growers would rather import 

 every year, and if they had plants left 

 over in the spring, throw inem away. To 

 the man who grows but a few dozen this 

 is likely to be the most proutable way 

 of doing business; but where there are 

 enough to warrant systematic care, it 

 should not be /done, for the second, third 

 or even tenth year they are more sat 

 isfactory plants to the purchasers than 

 those just imported. With good but not 

 necessarily costly care the azalea attains 

 a good size and flourishes for many 

 years. 



Plants of the previous autumn s im 

 portation that are unsold the next spring, 

 and are frequently in bad shape from 

 neglect in stores, should be cut back 

 quite severely, even to the previous sum- 



kept very cool and if possible away from 

 direct sunlight. It is much easier to 

 do your retarding in the dark winter 

 months than in March and April. 



If it is desired to grow on some plants 

 a number of years to make fine speci 

 mens, the above treatment in most re 

 spects will do, but there are a few ex 

 ceptions. Plants established in pots 

 will seldom need those early growths 

 rubbed off, for they have not the in 

 clination to make them; neither will they 

 want the hard cutting back every spring, 

 the growth they make after flowering be 

 ing sufficient for the next year, and 

 stopping strong growths to keep the plant 

 in good shape is all that is needed. 



Azaleas by training and tying easily 

 conform to almost any shape. They 

 are beautiful if left to grow quite nat 

 urally. They are easily kept by pinch 

 ing and stopping in what may be called 

 umbrella form, but are grand when 



trained in pyramidal form. Few cul 

 tivated plants can equal a well flow 

 ered azalea four or five feet in diameter 

 at base, tapering to two feet at top and 

 six or seven feet high. 



Contrary to what would be expected, 

 the plants you have grown during sum 

 mer are not the ones for Christmas 

 blooming. The newly imported plants 

 must be used for that purpose. Deutsche 

 Perle, white; Simon Mardner, deep rose 

 pink, and Vervaeneana, rose and white, 

 are fine varieties for this early bloom 

 ing. 



It would be useless to mention all de 

 sirable varieties. There are hundreds and 

 the Belgians grow in largest quantities 

 the most attractive and free flowering 

 kinds. 



HARDY DECIDUOUS AZALEAS. These are 

 the so-called Ghent azaleas and hybrids 

 of A. Mollis. The flowers appear in 

 great abundance before the leaves are de 

 veloped. They are now imported in large 

 quantities for Easter sales and are very 

 handsome plants. If forced early 

 enough for Easter the flowers are fairly 

 durable, but in the warm days of May 

 they drop quickly. The shades of color 

 are all beautiful and range from pure 

 white to red. Many of the pink and 

 orange varieties are grand in color and 

 when decorated with suitable ribbon are 

 most attractive in our stores and sell 

 well. 



The plants arrive with the Indian 

 azaleas and should receive a soaking at 

 the roots and then be potted or plunged 

 and stored away in a coldframe till 

 they are wanted to force. The time 

 needed to bring them into flower will de 

 pend upon how early the season is, and 

 more still on the temperature of your 

 house. In a house with a night tem 

 perature of 55 degrees allow about six 

 weeks. Any soil will do for them, as 

 it will not pay to carry them over the 

 season unsold. It will be much cheaper 

 to import fresh stock. Our nurserymen 

 recommend them strongly for planting 

 out, and where the rhododendron does 

 well the hardy azalea will also thrive, 

 but in many places they are an entire 

 disappointment and you should be care 

 ful about commending them to your 

 patrons. 



BALSAM. 



In Europe, or the more northern parts 

 of it, the balsams are often seen grown 

 in pots. With us they do so well out of 

 doors that they are not thought of enough 

 importance to cultivate except for the 

 borders and large beds. Twenty years 

 ago, when more flowers were used with 

 short stems, the white balsam was large 

 ly grown by all of us for use in designs. 

 They were then carefully kept free of 

 side shoots and bore on their main stem 

 fine double flowers. They are seldom 

 grown now for that purpose, but are stiJJ 

 favorites with many on account of their 

 freedom in flowering, strong growth and 

 gay appearance in the mixed border. In 

 large grounds where to fill up is the chief 

 object the balsam is most suitable. 



For cultivation of young plants see 

 Aster, but remember that the balsam is 

 a very tender plant and instead of the 



