70 AZALEA. CULTURE. 



those whose roots have extended to the sides of the pots, 

 and those which are in an unhealthy condition, or with soil 

 sour, reduce the ball of earth. Give fresh drainage, and 

 place back in a smaller pot or tub. Encourage them 

 to make new roots. Prune the tops well back. 



Use the knife freely. Cut old or young wood away, 

 and get the plants shapely. 



Old plants will not need re-potting more than once in 

 two or three years. See that the drainage is good, so the 

 water may pass off from the roots. 



Examine every plant when through flowering. It is not 

 necessary to take them all out of the pots or tubs. The 

 tops of the plants will usually tell what they need. 



When re-potting much twiggy and weak wood will be 

 found in the center of the plants. All such cut away ; it is 

 only robbing the good shoots of the nourishment they require. 



Syringe the plants twice a day during the months of 

 March and April. Remove them from the greenhouse to 

 the open air as early in May as is practicable. 



Do not place them under trees, as the drip therefrom is 

 very injurious, and will cause them to be covered with red 

 spider in the fall. Remove them from the house on a rainy 

 day, so there will be no danger of the sun burning the 

 foliage. 



Plunge the pots in s;md to keep the roots cool. 



Do not plunge the pots into the earth, and more 

 especially hard-wooded plants, or those which are only 

 re-potted once in a long time, as the earth soil becomes full 

 of worms, causing the soil to sour and the plants to lose 

 their roots; 



