Azalea 



(97) 



Babiana 



Enemies. Green fly is a source of trouble when 

 plants are making new growth, and may be kept 

 in check by fumigating. A far worse pest is 

 thrips, which causes the leaves to assume a sickly 

 appearance anil fall. Frequent syringings with 

 clear water form the best preventive, taking care 

 to wet the under as well as the upper side of the 

 leaves. Thrips may be checked under glass by 

 fumigating with a vaporising compound, and out- 

 door plants should be dipped in or syringed with 

 some, approved insecticide. A simple remedy is 

 1 oz. of shag tobacco and 2 oz. of soft soap, boiled 

 in 1 gallon of water, and strained and stirred before 

 being used, but Xicotiue Soap is excellent. 



Description of the Hardy Azaleas. These plants 

 complice a number <>f deciduous species, but the 

 chief interest lies in the beautiful Ghent Azaleas, 

 most of which are seedling varieties obtained from 

 the principal species. There are many beautiful 

 hybrids between mollis and sinensis. 



Propagation. By layers, seeds, cuttings, and by 

 grafting. Layers should be notched or twisted, 

 buried in the soil, and pegged down in March. 

 They should not be detached from the parent till 

 the second year's growth. Varieties are raised 

 from seeds sown in April in boxes filled with fine 

 peat and sand, and placed under a cold frame. 

 The following year prick off the seedlings ti" apart 

 in a lied of peaty soil. Cuttings are formed of 

 yung, half ripened shoots inserted in a frame in 

 August, and protected through the winter. To 

 increase varieties by grafting, pontica makes a good 

 stuck. 



Soil. Sandy peat is excellent, but hardy Azaleas 

 will thrive in fairly dry situations where the soil 

 contains a good proportion of sand and leaf mould. 

 In order to grow them where the rooting medium 

 is stiff and retentive, it is advisable to remove a 

 portion of the soil and make up beds of rough, 

 samly peat and leaf mould, or good loam free from 

 lime.' from 12" to 18" deep. 



Other Cultural Points. When established in 

 suitable- soil, hardy Azaleas will develop into fine 

 specimens, and no flowers are more effective in the 

 early summer. When grown in low situations the 

 young early shoots are sometimes destroyed by late 

 fro-ts. and to obviate this it is necessary to afford 

 some means of protection. To facilitate the growth 

 of young plants it is advisable to pick off the seed 

 pods as soon as the flowers have fallen. Mollis 

 and its varieties are much in demand for forcing, 

 and large numbers of plants are imported from the 

 Continent annually for this purpose. Forcing may 

 commence in October and be continued till March. 

 After flowering under glass the plants should be 

 Kepi indoors to finish their growth, and then be 

 gradually hardened and planted out. They may be 

 forced again in two or three years. 



A Selection of Ghent Azaleas : 

 Admiral de Ruyter, red. Madame Thiliaut. cream. 

 Comte de FJandrea, car. Marie Verschaffelt, pale 

 I)avi< ~ii, wh. ro. 



Grand Monarque, salmon Unique, yd. 



pk. 



A Selection of mollis Azaleas : 

 Alphonse LiiviilU'c, or. Madame C. L. D'Hauis, 



CoiiMil IVeln-r, pk. salmon pk. 



M. A. do Warelles, car. 



Beautiful Hybrids of mollis and sinensis : 

 Alma Tailcma. pk. (ilory of Boskoop, or. 



Anthony Koster, yel. Sevastopol, light red. 



Summary of Azalea Species : 



amiena. 1', crim., pur. By crossing this with 

 indica a fine series of hybrids has been raised. 



calendulacea, 2' to (!', yel., red, or. A handsome 

 shr. There are several varieties in cultivation. 



indica, 3' to 6', sc. A large number of grh. sorts 

 have been obtained from this. 



mollis, 3' to 4'. There are numerous varieties of 

 this well-known species. It is distinct from mollis 

 (Rhododendron molle) of Blume, which is synonym- 

 ous with sinensis. 



nudiflora, 3' to 4'. A large number of varieties 

 have been obtained by crossing this species with 

 calendulacea, pontica, viscosa, and others. 



pontica, 4' to 6', yel. There are many beautiful 

 varieties of this species. 



speciosa, 3' to 4', sc., or. The varieties vary in 

 colour, and shape of leaf. 



viscosa, 2' to 4', wh., sweet scented. The varie- 

 ties of this species are numerous. 



AZARA. 



Fine hardy or half-hardy shrubs (ord. Bixinese) 

 of evergreen habit, and bearing sweetly scented 

 flowers. They look well on walls, but show their 

 habit better when grown as bushes. They are in- 

 creased by cuttings struck in sandy soil under 

 glass with a little bottom heat, and succeed in 

 loam, leaf mould, and sand. In cold localities it 

 may be necessary to give the plants a little pro- 

 tection. Microphylla, however, appears to be hardy 

 almost everywhere. 



Principal Species : 



Gilliesii, 15', My., yel. A very handsome shr. 

 with pretty flowers and Holly-like leaves. 



microphylla, 12', spr , greenish. Prized for its 

 neat habit and its pretty or. coloured berries. 

 These are very ornamental in autumn. 



Other Species : 

 dentata, 12 , Je., yel. integrifolia, 18', Aug. , yel. 



AZOLLA. 



Small, floating aquatic plants (ord. Rhizocarpese), 

 of which the only one in cultivation is caroliniana, 

 an attractive Fern-like little plant which hardly 

 rises above the surface of the water and covers it 

 with a carpet of green, which changes in summer to 

 a bronze colour. It is perfectly hardy, and may 

 be grown in still water outside, or in a basin or 

 aquarium indoors. The Azolla makes a beautiful 

 microscopic object. It increases rapidly, and needs 

 no care beyond placing it on the surface of shallow 

 water at first, with the root fibres downward. It 

 requires no soil. 



BABIANA. 



Description. Highly ornamental bulbous plants 

 (<ird. Iridea;) which are very pleasing in the 

 garden, or in pots for conservatory or window 

 decoration. They resemble the Ixias, and grow 

 from I!" to !)" high, producing spikes of richly 

 coloured flowers and dark green, hairy leaves. 



Propagation. By offsets, taken off when the 

 plants are at rest, and afterwards grown on in 

 good soil until large enough to flower. Also by 

 seeds sown in pots and pans, and placed under 

 glass in a slight heat. They may be sown when 

 ripe, or later, and the seedlings grown on as in 

 the case of tbe small offsets. 



Soil. A light, sandy soil, enriched with decayed 

 manure, is best. 



Other Cultural Points. Pot culture is most 

 satisfactory; but Babianas may also be grown in 



