228 
Garden Work 
be moved into 4-inch pots, this time using 6 parts of peat 
to 1 of sand, or, if the peat is sandy, 8 parts to 1 of sand, 
again placing in a warm positijon and watering carefully. 
They may also be slightly syringed occasionally, to keep 
them growing and healthy. As growth proceeds, and the 
desired height is reached, the top may be taken out to 
induce side growths to form, which in turn may be stopped, 
forming a nice head or plant for flowering. They may 
also be potted into 6-in. pots, using the same compost. 
Always, when potting, remember to drain the pots 
thoroughly, as Azaleas will not grow satisfactorily in 
stagnant soil. They should have the soil slightly raised 
round the neck of the plant to prevent any possibility of 
moisture being retained there. 
For the better varieties, however, it is generally advis- 
able to graft the plants. Seedlings of common kinds may 
be raised, then good varieties grafted on them. The 
best method of doing this is to take shoots of half-ripened 
wood of the variety to be grafted. The seedlings also 
should be in a half-ripened state. Cut a part of the side 
of the seedling, or stock, about a third of the way into the 
shoot, then cut the scion to fit as nearly as possible on to 
the cut surface of the stock. The cambium of both stock 
and scion should join at least on one side (see particulars 
of grafting on page 260). The plant should then be tied 
with bast, &c., when in a short time a union will be 
effected. The plants should be kept in a moist, warm 
atmosphere, but the air must not be excluded, or they 
may “damp off”. 
In a small greenhouse (unless for a hobby) one would 
not think of raising a few plants either from seed or from 
