AZALEA CULTURE. 71 



boxes. The seed being very minute, judgment must be 

 used not to sow too deep, also be careful that the seed is 

 not floated away by heavy watering. 



Keep the pans or boxes in a house with moist heat. 

 Never allow the soil to become dry. Cover them with 

 panes of glass, which remove when you see the seedlings 

 making their appearance, or they will damp and mould 

 away. 



When the seedlings are large enough to handle, pick 

 them out of the pans, give them new pans and fresh 

 soil. After this they can be removed to pots, and treated 

 the same as cuttings of the same age. 



The third year most of the seedlings will bloom. 

 Among them may be found some new and valuable varie- 

 ties. 



I do not practice growing this plant from seed, nor do I 

 advise others to do so. I prefer giving this privilege to 

 European growers, purchasing the good kinds from them 

 after they are named, and the worthless kinds have been 

 picked out. 



The worthless kinds generally predominate in a lot of 

 seedlings. 



In raising seedlings, many suppose they will get all 

 good kinds, but such is not the case. You are apt to get a 

 great many inferior sorts. You are fortunate if you get 

 one good distinct kind from one hundred seedlings. If the 

 precautions are taken to fertilize one good kind with 

 another, many good varieties worth growing may be se- 

 cured, but a few only can be named, as they will be found to 

 be similar to .many varieties already established and 

 named. 



