42 



AZALEA. 



native of China and Turkey, as well as North 

 America, and by cross fertilization and again cross- 

 ing the hybrids with each other, florists have pro- 

 duced an immense number of greenhouse varieties, 

 comprising all shades and combinations of color in 

 white, yellow, orange, copper, rose, crimson, brick- 

 red and purple. Beautiful specimens of Rhododen- 

 dron are also sometimes cultivated as Azalea, the 

 dividing line between the two genera being a 

 puzzle to the best botanists ; Azaleas have a com- 

 pact shrubby growth, dark oblong ever-green leaves, 

 and flowers growing in clusters of two or more at 

 the ends of the branches, each flower of rare etherial 

 beauty. Those of some varieties are fragrant. 



Azaleas are becoming very popular. Elegant 

 specimens may now be seen at florists, and in win- 

 dow gardens, tree-shaped, two or more feet in 

 diameter, covered with hundreds of brilliant flowers, 

 Twenty-five dollars are often asked by florists for 

 these plants when in bloom. Mr. Sargent, in 

 Brookline, Mass., recently had an Azalea Indica 

 decora about five feet high and sixteen feet in cir- 

 cumference, nearly thirty years old, bearing more 

 than 3000 blossoms. He was offered $1000 for his 

 collection of about 200 Azaleas. 



SOIL, WATERING AND PROPAGATION. 



Azaleas should have a soil of equal parts of rich 

 sandy loam and leaf-mold, well mixed though not 

 sifted. 



