78 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 



the flavum race. Mr. A. Waterer has also raised a new 

 race by crossing the late-flowering Swamp Honeysuckle, 

 R. occidentale, with the Ghent Azaleas, thereby prolonging 

 the season of flowering and adding foliage to the flowers, 

 these plants being in full leaf at the time of flowering. 



He also has a very fine strain of the Ghent Azaleas in 

 which the scarlet-flowered varieties are exceptionally good. 

 What are known as mollis-sinensis hybrids must be seedlings 

 of true sinense, if their name means anything ; it is, how- 

 ever, probable that, in the production of the seedlings of 

 which the beautiful Anthony Koster is a type, a North 

 American species has been used. M. van. Houtte did much 

 to improve and diversify R. sinense, which is also quite 

 hardy in the south of England, flowering profusely towards 

 the end of May. In addition to the grafting method, these 

 plants may be propagated from seeds, or, in the case of 

 named varieties, cuttings formed of half -ripened shoots 

 placed in a little warmth in July. 



A few words may appropriately be said here with respect 

 to the forcing of these plants as it is practised by market 

 growers. They are placed in successive batches, beginning 

 in January, in a hot-house, where they are kept in the dark 

 and syringed several times a day. This treatment causes 

 the buds to develop rapidly. When the flowers are fully 

 expanded, they are gummed, that is, a weak solution of 

 gum is placed in an oil can such as is used for oiling a 

 bicycle, and a little of the gum is allowed to run between 

 the calyx and corolla of each flower. Thus treated the 

 flowers keep fresh on the plants for weeks. Before using 

 them for decoration the plants require to be hardened by 

 exposure to light and a lower temperature. 



