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,y^m THE ^v, 



CAN AMERICA GROW 



ITS OWN AZALEAS? 



Tliis subject is of special interest to all florists who have suffered loss 

 or inconvenience through the war's interference with the shipments of Bel- 

 gian azaleas. Experience, in the grim form of Mars, has shown how de- 

 pendent we are on Europe for many of our supplies. Is it necessary to 

 continue importing azaleas? 



HE florists of the world 

 have so long looked to the 

 justly celebrated azalea 

 growers of Ghent, Belgium, 

 as the exclusive source of 

 the world's supply of that 

 useful plant, that I hesi- 

 tate to tell what I have 

 learned of azalea culture 

 since I began my work at 

 this establi-shment in this most favorable 

 locality, fearing my opinions may not 

 meet with the most cordial reception 

 from many old handlers of the Belgian- 

 grown stock. 



First let me say that the climatic con- 

 ditions at Eureka are the same as at 

 Ghent, so far as atmospheric moisture 

 is concerned. The abundant rainfall 

 occurs from December to July, and dur- 

 ing the summer months heavy fogs sweep 

 in nightly from the mild Japan current, 

 only a mile distant from our azalea 

 houses, bathing the foliage with cooling 

 dews, conducive to vigorous growth of 

 all evergreens, coniferous or broad- 

 leaved. 



is this difference, that in 

 climate dangerous frosts 

 A recent 

 of 22 de- 



But there 

 the Eureka 

 seldom occur 

 temperature 

 grees, the lowest known 

 in many years, endured 

 only long enough to 

 freeze the ground an 

 inch and a few hours 

 after sunrise this had 

 entirely thawed out. 



At Eden Nursery. 



I find the culture of 

 the Indian azalea at 

 Eureka, and the great 

 possibilities of its fu- 

 ture commercial devel- 

 opment, especially in- 

 teresting to one -who 

 has had to do with aza- 

 lea culture in all its 

 phases for about twen- 

 ty years, both at Ghent 

 and at Robert Craig's 

 establishment in Phila- 

 delphia, where I spent 

 SIX years forcing Bel- 

 gian-grown azaleas. To 

 those who may doubt 

 my statements it may 

 be well to say: Azalea 

 culture is now fully es- 

 tablished on a commer- 

 cial scale at Eureka; 

 that may as well be ac- 

 cepted as a fact, estab- 

 lished beyond question. 



By GUSTAVE VANDEN ABEELE 

 Cottage Gardens Nurseries, Eureka, Cal. 



Not less than 180,000 plants, many im- 

 ported, but the greater percentage prop- 

 agated on the place, are now growing 

 in the Eden Nursery. 



The decidedly moist atmosphere, 

 which persists continuously; the plenti- 

 ful supply of pure rain water; the inex- 

 haustible quantities of cheap leaf-mold 

 and peat; the cheap and easily obtained 

 supplies of cow manure and pure, sharp 

 sand, all combine to render possible the 

 successful production of azaleas in a 

 wholesale way at a cost that will not be 

 considered a moment by the American 

 azalea forcer, once he l)ecomes familiar 

 with the quality of the Eureka-grown 

 stock, and the ease and certainty of its 

 early forcing. 



Advantage of Early Budding. 



In the first place, the Eureka climate 

 is conducive to early budding and early 

 bud maturity. Under ordinary condi- 

 tions in Belgium, azaleas commence bud- 



THE EQUIPMENT FOR QROWINQ AZALEAS AT EUREKA 

 IN THIS ILLUSTRATION, CONSISTS OF LARGE AREAS 

 FRAMES AND MANY QREAT SLAT HOUSES. 



ding about August 15; in Eureka the 

 budding commences about July 1, or 

 nearly six weeks earlier. This insures a 

 long season for budding, and thor- 

 ough, full development and maturity 

 of the buds before shipment. In con- 

 sequence of this early bud maturity, 

 many late-flowering kinds, such as Chi- 

 cago, De Scliryveriana and others, are 

 as easily forced for early Christmas 

 blooming as Mme. Petrick, Simon Mard- 

 ner or Vervseneana. 



These facts ate exceedingly valuable 

 from a commercial standpoint, and will 

 certainly cause a strong preference for 

 Eureka-grown stock for early forcing. 

 While the Belgian shipping season 

 starts about September 15, the Eureka 

 season will start not later than Septem- 

 ber 1 and all stock will be in the hands 

 of the forcers by October 1, at the most 

 distant point from Eureka. As all azalea 

 shipments across the continent will be 

 made in refrigerator cars, hobling the 

 j)lants absolutely in a cool, even tem- 

 perature, the uncertainty as to receiving 

 the stock in proper condition will be en- 

 tirely removed. 



Owing to the full maturity and ad- 

 vanced condition of 

 the Eureka-grown buds, 

 little heat is required 

 to bring the plants 

 into full bloom for 

 Christmas. They can 

 be brought along 

 slowly at a temperature 

 of 55 to 60 degrees, 

 maximum, which means 

 larger blooms, of great 

 substance and endur- 

 ance, and brighter 

 colors. 



A Successful Test, 



Our present season's 

 test consisted of put- 

 ting 100 plants in 55 

 degrees of heat, Novem- 

 ber 1. By December 1 

 Mme. Romaine de Smet, 

 Mme. Eckhaute, Mme. 

 Petrick, Simon Mard- 

 ner and the other, ear- 

 lier sorts were in full 

 bloom. Two weeks later 

 Chicago, De Schryveri- 

 ana and the later kinds 

 were fully developed. 

 This means a welcome 

 increase in the list of 

 varieties for Christmas 

 forcing. 



The acres of glass 

 now under construction 



CAL.. SHOWN 

 OF LATTICED 



