350 THE PRINCIPLES OF FLORICULTURE 



or 65. Varieties best suited for Christmas are : Firefly, 

 Madame Petrick, Deutsche Perle, Simon Mardner, Apollo 

 and Vervseneana. 



By the middle of December, azaleas should be in bloom 

 sufficiently so that they may be again subjected to a tem- 

 perature of 50 to 55, to harden them off for Christmas 

 sales. They should be given good ventilation, but kept 

 from cold currents of air, or the flowers will wilt. They 

 require an abundance of water during their blooming 

 period, and when fully in bloom, they should be placed in 

 a cool, somewhat shaded spot. 



Plants designed for the Easter sale are given similar 

 treatment. They should be kept in a low temperature 

 until fully in flower, and hardened before sale, the same 

 as the Christmas varieties. During the growing season, 

 azaleas should be syringed frequently to avoid the red- 

 spider, and to keep the atmosphere moist. 



The best time for re-potting is after flowering, when the 

 new growth commences. Azaleas should not be neglected 

 at this period, for they are forming the wood, and especially 

 the bud tissue, for the next season's bloom. They should 

 be given plenty of water and good ventilation. When 

 they have become established in the pots, and the weather 

 is warm enough, the pots should be plunged in the soil in 

 some spot which is exposed to full sunlight, and where 

 they can be given water from time to time. They may be 

 planted directly in the soil, provided a bed has been pre- 

 pared for this purpose. The bed should contain a large 

 amount of leaf -mold. Azaleas are injured by the presence 

 of any decaying organic matter of a heating character in 

 the soil. 



