AZALEA CULTURE. 



23 



Fig. 2. 



sand box. You will notice that four or five of the lower 

 leaves have been removed from the lower 

 portion of the cutting. This portion is 

 inserted in the sand up to where the line is 

 drawn. 



The leaves which are left are cut off, as 

 shown in the engraving. Taking half the 

 leaf off is a great advantage to the cuttings, 

 Cuttin ready an( ^ should not be neglected. The cuttings 

 for sand box. are generally soft and young, and are very 

 apt to wilt or flag. If wilted so young it is with great 

 difficulty that they recover. 



In taking cuttings from the stock plants let the wood be 

 of the strongest and most robust kind. All sickly and weak 

 shoots reject. See that they are free from all insects. Do 

 not allow the cuttings to flag or wilt before they are placed 

 in the sand (great care is required here). I usually take 

 the cuttings, in whatever number I wish to grow, place 

 them in a damp cloth with each variety labelled, and after 

 having six or eight varieties so cut, take them to the propa- 

 gating house and insert them in the sand. The damp cloth 

 will keep the cuttings from flagging until they are placed 

 in the sand. 



