HEATH FAMILY 



Such a plant is the joy of the gardener, for its char- 

 acters are not fixed and he can easily mould them to 

 his purposes. 



Our American Azaleas, notably Azalea nudiflora, 

 Azalea lutea and Azalea arboresceus, were sent to the 

 Belgian horticulturists at Ghent early in the eighteenth 

 century. They were first crossed with the Azalea pon- 

 tica of southern Europe strains from India, from 

 China, from Japan, were introduced, and by a process 

 of hybridization and selection a wonderful group 

 known as the Ghent Azaleas was produced. 



What the gardeners of Ghent began the horticult- 

 ural world has continued ; and now, in the selection 

 of hardy Azaleas, one is embarrassed by the number 

 of varieties from which to choose. 



Azalea mollis, a rather recent introduction from 

 Japan, is a form which is winning its way to favor be- 

 cause of its hardiness, its low spreading growth and 

 its well-shaped, symmetrical head. The flowers of the 

 type are flame-colored, but seedlings and hybrids fur- 

 nish gorgeous blossoms of white, yellow, and orange. 

 The plant is an early bloomer and is a very desirable 

 species. 



The Azaleas, like the rhododendrons, are intolerant 

 of lime. It is futile to expect flourishing plants in a 

 calcareous soil, for however well a bed may be pre- 

 pared it is only a question of time when the surround- 

 ing lime leaches through. Nor is a stiff clay soil really 

 suitable for the plant ; although by digging wide and 

 deep and filling in with sand and loam and leaf humus, 

 suitable conditions can be created. 



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