CHAPTER XII. 



FORCING AZALEAS. HOW TO TREAT THEM. 



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Forcing is what may be termed giving the plants extra 

 artificial heat to cause them to bloom early. 



I know of no plant which can stand more heat than the 

 Azalea, without becoming sickly. If you wish them to 

 flower early, they can be kept at a temperature of ninety 

 to one hundred degrees without any bad effect to the plant, 

 providing they are syringed often, never less than twice a 

 day, watering at the roots when they require it. 



Or this plant will thrive in a cool-house where the ther- 

 mometer does not get below forty degrees. 



Kept at this low temperature they will not bloom before 

 March or April. 



This interesting group of plants adorns the greenhouse, 

 hot-house, conservatory, or parlor, during the dull months. 

 They should be cultivated in such a way as to be made to 

 bloom from November to May, by having a succession of 

 plants. 



Those that you wish to bloom early should be brought 

 to the forcing house the first of September. 



The first season it will perhaps be difficult to bring the 

 plants into flower before the middle or last of December. 

 After this year there will not be any trouble in forcing 

 them to bloom the first part of November. The plants 

 which bloomed the past season in December will make their 

 growth and form their buds for the next season's flowering, 



