78 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 
the flavum race. Mr. A. Waterer has also raised a new 
race by crossing the late-flowering Swamp Honeysuckle, 
R. occidentale, with the Ghent Azaleas, thereby prolonging 
the season of flowering and adding foliage to the flowers, 
these plants being in full leaf at the time of flowering. 
He also has a very fine strain of the Ghent Azaleas in 
which the scarlet-flowered varieties are exceptionally good. 
What are known as mollis-sinensis hybrids must be seedlings 
of true sinense, if their name means anything ; it is, how- 
ever, probable that, in the production of the seedlings of 
which the beautiful Anthony Koster is a type, a North 
American species has been used. M. van. Houtte did much 
to improve and diversify R, sinense, which is also quite 
hardy in the south of England, flowering profusely towards 
the end of May. In addition to the grafting method, these 
plants may be propagated from seeds, or, in the case of 
named varieties, cuttings formed of half-ripened shoots 
placed in a little warmth in July. 
A few words may appropriately be said here with respect 
to the forcing of these plants as it is practised by market 
growers. They are placed in successive batches, beginning 
in January, in a hot-house, where they are kept in the dark 
and syringed several times a day. This treatment causes 
the buds to develop rapidly. When the flowers are fully 
expanded, they are gummed, that is, a weak solution of 
gum is placed in an oil can such as is used for oiling a 
bicycle, and a little of the gum is allowed to run between 
the calyx and corolla of each flower. Thus treated the 
flowers keep fresh on the plants for weeks. Before using 
them for decoration the plants require to be hardened by 
exposure to light and a lower temperature. 
