96 The Azalea. 



Azaleas may also be grafted by side-grafting, the stock being the more 

 common kinds. 



Seedlings are easily raised ; and very fine new varieties are yearly sent 

 out by nursery-men, until now they are numbered by hundreds. 



The following are good old varieties, — Decora, indica alba, lataritia. 

 Beauty of Europe, crispijiora, exquisita, Gledestanesi, optima elegans, Fielder's 

 White, Iveryana, narcissczflora, Vesta, Murrayana, magnificens, Duke of 

 Devonshire, Stanleyana, Toilette de Flora. 



Azalea amaena is a beautiful little species, with flowers of a reddish-pur- 

 ple, in what gardeners call " hose-in-hose " style : it is evergreen, and hardy 

 as far north as Massachusetts. In the greenhouse, it flowers from January 

 to April ; in the garden, in May. 



The hardy azaleas, also known as American or Ghent azaleas, are seed- 

 lings of A. pontica, calendulacea, nudiflora, and viscosa. They vary greatly in 

 size, color, and fragance of the flowers, and somewhat in hardiness. Most 

 of the varieties, of which there are scores, are hardy as far north as Massa- 

 chusetts ; and some will bear a Canadian winter uninjured. 



They require the same soils and treatment prescribed for rhododendrons 

 in the January number. 



They are propagated by layers, which require two years to become well 

 rooted. They may also be rooted from cuttings, as the tender species, but 

 not so readily. By a selection of varieties, plants may be had in bloom 

 from the last of May till July ; the varieties of A. viscosa blooming late, 

 those of nudijiora early. The great secret of success in the culture of 

 these plants is to protect the roots from the drying action of the summer 

 sun. It is a good plan to mulch the bed with moss or spent tan. 



Like most of the family to which they belong {Ericacece), they are impa- 

 tient of drought or wet. If planted in low ground, standing water should 

 be removed by draining ; if in a dry situation, the soil should be deep. 



The following are very fine varieties, — Adelaide, aurantiaca cuprea, ca- 

 lendulacea coccinea, do. crocca, do. eximea, do. fiammea, Coburghii, flameola 

 incarnata, exquisita, optima, pofitica i/iipcrialis, do. sulphurea, do. do. grandi- 

 flora, do. do. do. nova, prcenite?is, gloria triumphans, incarnata superba, 

 Marie Verschaffelt, viscosa floribunda. E. S. R., Jun. 



January, 1868. 



