INDIAN AZALEAS IN GHENT 8i 
names of the varieties sent out recently ; such as Uncle 
Tom, How Lovely, My Darling, Daisy Bells, and New York 
Pearl. 
INDIAN AZALEAS IN GHENT 
Ghent is famed for Azalea cultivation. There are over 
500 nurseries in the town and suburbs, and in most of 
them the principal product is this Azalea. Many small 
gardens also are devoted to its cultivation, the large growers 
having a greater demand for plants than they could meet 
were it not for the assistance of the small growers. The 
annual output of Indian Azaleas from Ghent alone must run 
into a million. These are sent to the most distant parts 
of the world. New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and 
Canada each taking their share. The principal buyers, 
however, are English, French, German, and American. 
The Ghent methods of propagation and cultivation are 
the outcome of long experience. The climatic conditions 
there are peculiarly favourable to the growth of Azaleas. 
Most of the plants are grafted, the stocks used being 
Phoenicia and concinna, the former being preferred by 
the best growers. They are raised from cuttings formed 
of the young sucker-shoots which develop on the stocks of 
young grafted plants ; these are removed in December and 
January and set in flat boxes or pans of sandy soil, which 
are placed on cinder beds in close cases or propagating 
frames, the temperature in which is maintained at about 
70°. The glass of the frame rests within an inch of the 
cuttings, which are sprinkled often enough to keep them 
perpetually moist and are shaded from bright sunshine. In 
about four weeks the cuttings have formed roots, when the 
