SOME HARD-WOODED PLANTS 83 



the courtesy of Mr. F. Sander, who spent some time in taking 

 me over the very interesting nursery belonging to the firm at 

 Bruges. The small standards when they have reached 

 sufficient maturity are planted out in prepared beds every 

 season, where they make sturdy growth and ripen their wood. 

 Those that are strong enough set buds on every branchlet 

 during the summer, and are lifted in September, with as little 

 disturbance of the balls of roots as possible, to be sent away 

 to other nurseries. The smaller plants are placed again under 

 glass close together upon stages and packed in with fresh soil. 

 Here they grow on slowly but steadily through the winter until 

 planting-out time returns once more. Why should we not 

 adopt some modification of the same system, even though we 

 may have but half a dozen plants of the kind to care for ? A 

 small space of prepared ground in suitable position is all that 

 is needed, and after planting, but little attention would be 

 required beyond watering in dry weather. I am convinced 

 that many small greenhouse shrubs would be much safer, and 

 the new roots would get more feeding and consequently, give 

 better results than if kept starving in pots all the year round. 

 At any rate all kinds of Azaleas A. indica, A. sinensis 

 ( = A. mollis) and the Ghent hybrids may be so treated 

 to their great advantage. Firm potting is essential, and not 

 over much pot-room, a point on which most novices make a 

 mistake. 



It may be a little doubtful whether the same treatment 

 would answer with Camellias, on account of a tiresome trick 

 of dropping their flower-buds, which usually happens just 

 after they are brought under glass from their summer 

 quarters. Camellias are, in reality, hardier than the common 

 Laurel, yet they are generally reckoned as greenhouse 

 plants, probably for the reason that their early flowers do 

 not stand either frost or wet. They succeed best, un- 

 doubtedly, where they can be planted out under glass, for 



