AZALEA CULTURE. 19 



During the day the house should be kept at a temper- 

 ature not over sixty to sixty -five degrees. 



I generally take Azalea cuttings from the first to the 

 middle of April. 



The young wood must be your guide, for instance, 

 Azalea plants which were placed in the forcing house during 

 November will flower and grow during the first part of 

 January, therefore this wood will be suitable for cuttings 

 during February. Those which have not had the extra heat 

 will probably flower and begin growing during the month 

 of March. 



Plants from which I take the cuttings, begin making 

 their young growth about the first of March. When this 

 young wood is from four to six weeks old it is suitable for 

 cuttings, and is what may be termed half hardened wood. 



Cuttings can be grown from the old wood in tho fall, 

 but not with the same success as those of the young wood 

 in the spring. 



In cutting the wood from the plants in the fall much of 

 the bloom is lost^as the shoots used for cuttings at this time 

 is the blooming wood. 



My plan and that which I practice is spring propagation, 

 and from the half hardened wood. 



The growth of the young wood on the parent plants, 

 when it is half hardened or suitable for cuttings, will be 

 generally about three and a half inches long. Take about 

 two and a half inches of this wood for the cuttings, and 

 only the top shoots, leaving about one inch of the young 

 growth on the parent plant, which will form new shoots and 

 produce flower buds for the coming season. 



