AXE. 



33 



AZALEA. 



tion. At the lower end of the cutting part 

 is a hole, through which passes a strong 

 cord, ono end of which is fastened to the 

 pole, while the other runs over a pulley also 

 set in the pole as shown. When the bough 

 has been hooked the cord is pulled, and the 

 sharp edge of the movable part of the 

 averruncator is brought against the bough, 

 which it severs with a clean cut. The 

 form shown in B is a closer adaptation of 

 the ordinary shears used, as Loudon states, 

 by Dutch gardeners for cutting off young 

 shoots in the summer ; and c exhibits a 

 similar contrivance, with this difference, 

 that the jaws of the shears are held apart 

 when not in use, and forced apart, after the 

 cut is made and the tension of the cord 

 relaxed, by a spring. Averruncators cost 

 about 2 is. each. 



Axe. 



This is a powerful tool which is too well 

 known to need much description. It is 

 used chiefly in forestry, in felling trees and 

 in cutting through the large roots when the 

 portion underground below the collar is 

 under removal. It varies in size from the 

 ordinary small hatchet to the woodman's 

 axe, which consists of a broad, wedge- 

 shaped blade, set on the end of a handle 

 from 2^ feet to 4 feet long. It is useful 

 rather in landscape gardening than in 

 gardening proper, or horticulture. Hatchets 

 cost from 2s. to 2s. gd. each ; axes, about 

 double as much. 



Ayrshire Rose. See Rose, Ayrshire. 



Azalea (not. ord. Erica'ceae). 



Beautiful flowering plants, natives of 

 North America, Turkey, and China. The 

 azaleas common in our gardens are deci- 

 duous shrubs, varying in height from 2 ft. 

 to 6 ft. The loftiest of them is Azalea 

 arborescens, which will grow from 10 ft. to 

 15 ft. in height. With azaleas, as with 



rhododendrons, the best garden varierte* 

 are hybrids. 



Azaleas are distinguished as Ghents on 

 American azaleas and Indian or Chinese 

 azaleas. The former are more suitable 

 for open-air culture, but for conservatory 

 decoration the Chinese and Indian azaleas 

 are most important. The azaleas that 

 thrive out of doors are hybrids from 

 Azalea viscosa and A. Pontica ; they are 

 grown in sandy peat mixed with a- little 

 loam, a compost which is suitable for al) 

 varieties. For use in the conservatory 

 A. Indica alba and its hybrids are 

 grown. For flowering in December an 

 early habit must be induced, which may 

 be effected by merely placing them in the 

 conservatory in the autumn They require 

 a similar growing season, after flowering, 

 to the camellia ; and until the shoots are 

 sufficiently numerous, or the plants as large 

 as desired, they can be grown on through- 

 out the entire year, and stopped four or 

 five times during that period. This 

 pushing treatment will, however, sacrifice 

 the blossom ; but if the plants are started 

 early, they can be stopped twice, and yet 

 the terminal buds be sufficiently matured 

 in the autumn to develop flower-buds. 

 After the growth is made, the plants 

 should be gradually hardened off, and be 

 placed during September full in the sun's 

 rays out of doors, to thoroughly ripen their 

 wood. Two parts of peat, two of loam, 

 a sprinkling of sand, and one-sixth part of 

 charcoal that has been steeped in urine or 

 other manure-water suits them well. The 

 drainage should be carefully attended to, 

 the pots being filled to at least one-fourth 

 their depth with crocks. While growing, 

 they will also bear watering with clear 

 weak manure- water every time that they 

 become dry. Azaleas may be removed 

 from the house in June and transferred 

 to a cold frame, or be plunged in an open 

 border until October, when they should 



