XXVIII 



THE AZALEA AND THE 



AMARYLLIS 



T holiday and Easter-time 

 the Azalea is one of our 

 most popular flowers. 

 Thousands of plants are 

 on sale in our cities, for 

 presentation to flower-lov- 

 ing friends, and for house 

 and church decoration. The plants are gener- 

 ally two or three years old, and are so ex- 

 quisitely beautiful when in full bloom that 

 it is quite natural for their owners to wish to 

 utilize them another season. But little is 

 known among amateurs as to the care and 

 culture required by them, and under ordinary 

 management they are almost sure to disap- 

 point. They will live, it is true, but at such 

 a "poor, dying rate," that not one plant out 

 of a thousand, I feel quite safe in saying, 

 will produce a flower the second season. 

 This failure is the result of a lack of knowl- 



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