ON THE CULTURE OF THE CHINESE AND INDIAN AZALEA. 
61 
me during the growing season, and consists in merely cutting the branches of two 
lants so that they match, and then tying them neatly, but securely, together, and 
Dvering the wound with a little damp moss to exclude the air. Place the plant in 
shaded and rather moist place ; syringe occasionally with tepid water, and in a few 
'eeks the inarched branch may be severed from the parent stem. It is advisable, 
owever, not to reduce the foliage of the inarched plant too much at one time ; but 
Lther, after all the inarched branches are firmly established, remove a few twigs or 
ranches weekly, until every vestige of the old plant except the stem or stool has 
isappeared. In this manner a large plant of an inferior kind may be quickly 
lothed with a more modern variety, or a number of varieties of the same habit of 
rowth, but producing various coloured flowers, may be worked on one plant ; and in 
bis way a novel and really very interesting object may be produced. 
The same desirable end above noticed, may be achieved by independent grafting ; 
ut in that case more skill is required, inasmuch as the graft requires to be kept 
live until adhesion between it and the stock takes place, and hence the grafted 
ilant must be kept in a close and moist atmosphere where evaporation from 
he leaves will be prevented. Grafting is the best performed either early in 
Edarch or towards the end of August. If performed in the spring, take the 
filants or stocks, as they are generally called, into a house at the temperature of from 
>0 to 55 degrees ; and as soon as they show symptoms of the sap rising, they are in 
, fit state to graft. Procure your grafts from plants in a dormant state, and, hewing 
ut a slice of the stock, take a corresponding slice of the graft; fit the latter and the 
tock neatly together, taking care that the inner bark of the two correspond, and tie 
hem neatly with some woollen thread or yarn. The plants must then be placed 
n a moderately moist heat in a house, pit, or frame of from 45° to 50° be 
covered with a hand-glass and shaded during bright sunshine. In a month or six 
veeks the grafts will be securely taken, and then the ligature must be loosened, 
merely keeping it tight enough to prevent the graft being rubbed off. When the 
grafts are firmly established, begin gradually to remove the head of the stock as 
)efore directed. Grafting in the autumn is performed in precisely the same manner, 
>nly at that time the wood of the graft should be about three parts ripe ; and as the 
season is warmer, of course the grafts may be kept considerably warmer. Beware, 
lowever, of over-excitement, and recollect that great haste is not always great speed. 
We will now suppose that the propagating processes have been successful, and 
hat you have on the first of April nice bushy plants, established in large sixty-sized 
pots. Now, presuming that these plants are well rooted, the next operation will be 
:o shift or repot them. For this purpose procure some nice clean twenty- four or 
sixteen-sized pots, and drain them well with oyster shells and some lumps of 
harcoal, and then prepare the following compost : — four parts by measure of rich 
,urfy peat, one part of perfectly decayed cow-dung three years old, one part of silver 
sand, and one of charcoal ; and if the peat is not very rich, a measure of half- 
decomposed leaf- mould may be added without injury. Mix and blend all these 
