50 THE TREE PROPAGATOR AND PLANTER. 



lings must be ripened shoots of the last season's growth, 

 taken off with a heel of the old wood. Cut imme- 

 diately below the base of the young wood — a clean 

 cut — and insert the cuttings in pots of sandy peat, and 

 set them on a gentle heat in a pit or propaga'ting-house, 

 and place over them a handlight or a bell-glass that 

 will cover say three pots. The seed must be sown in 

 the spring, and set on heat until up, then hardened off, 

 and finally potted for the tender sorts, and planted out 

 if of the hardy kinds, such as Syriacus. 



The Azalea. 



It is almost superfluous to offer any descriptive re- 

 marks about the Azalea beyond that the American 

 varieties are available for any of our gardens, and may 

 be easily grown in good rough maiden loam, leaf-mould, 

 and pit sand in equal parts, when peat cannot be ob- 

 tained. Many people dispense with these beautiful 

 lawn shrubs because they think they must have peat 

 to grow them in ; and peat cannot be had at all times. 

 But the above compost will be found a good substitute, 

 and it is generally obtainable on the spot. Gather all 

 the leaves in the autumn, and deposit them in a heap 

 somewhere where they may remain for twelve months 

 or two years, turning the heap once or twice to hasten 

 decay. At the end of the time it will have become 

 thoroughly decomposed and fit for the purpose. The 

 maiden loam may be fresh dug from a common or field, 

 turf and all, chopped up, and used when wanted. The 

 sand may be obtained from sand-pits. 



_ If the natural soil is not good, nor fit for the Azalea, 

 dig the bed out that is to receive the plants, 18 inches 

 deep, carry it away, and fill in with the above compost ; 

 plant therein, and success will follow in the way of 

 good bloom and healthy plants. 



The propagation of the Azalea is by seed, by layers, 

 and by cuttings. If by cuttings, select the last season's 

 young wood 2 or 3 inches long : abundance of this is 

 found on the plants as laterals. Take these off when 



