110 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February 7, 1895. 
men who are rather prone to be somewhat behindhand in their 
operations, and to let the early worm very much alone. The 
majority, however, are animated with admirable zeal, and display 
commendable energy often in the face of great obstacles, to be 
well abreast of the work they are expected to do. These are the 
men who, as a rule, succeed the best, especially if with their zeal 
they possess knowledge ; and they have certainly more right to 
consideration with the view to promotion or the filling of good 
positions than have those who strive less assiduously. 
If the lives and habits of men who have won prominent, and 
to many, enviable positions in the gardening world could be made 
Isnown, it would be seen that nine out of ten of such have forced 
their way upwards by their own merits—their devotion to their 
work, strenuous search for knowledge, persevering endeavour to 
excel in the multifarious duties of their calling, willingness to lend 
a hand wherever they could help in a needed object, and especially 
in habituating themselves to being up and in search of the worm 
early in the morning. 
It would be seen, too, that they sought unceasingly not only 
for supremacy in the performance of material work, but had 
devoted more time to study than to sport in cultivating their 
intelligence and strengthening their reasoning powers—in acquiring 
theoretical as well as practical knowledge on various subjects, 
and thus preparing themselves—or, in other words, making them¬ 
selves ready to undertake with credit anything likely to come 
within the wide domain of an accomplished gardener’s varied 
duties. Most of the men of mark in gardening are not only those 
who have worked the hardest in their calling, doing that for 
which they were paid, but who have, with not less diligence, worked 
out their own education. They have not only brightened their 
spades by good and honest work, but brightened their minds. They 
have not been content to learn how and in what manner certain 
operations should be carried out, and no more, but have desired 
to know the reason for every particular action in each case, and 
not been satisfied till they have attained the object in view. Nor 
is this all. The very efforts they have made to that end, by 
research and by reading, have convinced them that to be able to 
take a distinct lead as gardeners they must possess much more 
than cultural ability. The great truth gradually dawns on them 
that they have to speak and to write in a manner which commands 
the approval of persons who are the best able to judge on matters 
of education and discretion. 
How many young men who are being trained as gardeners 
are there per hundred who can, with credit to themselves 
and satisfaction to others, share in the art of public discussion 
on any subject connected with their calling? What is the 
percentage of probationers who can write a letter faultless in 
orthography and grammar, also couched in terms the most 
appropriate to the subject and occasion ? What is the proportion 
“to the total number, not only of those who can write an article on 
subjects with which they are well acquainted, that the public will 
have pleasure in reading in print, but who are seriously trying to 
do so ? These are questions that our young men who hope to 
succeed the old in gardens which they have done so much to make 
famous should think about, and after thinking act—just as the 
writer of the note at the head of this column thought and acted 
when he was young. 
Wholly by self-effort and devoid of “ schooling,” except of 
the most rudimentary kind, yet now, as the result of continued 
endeavour, not a mere hurried start and fainting by the way, he 
is in a position to hold his own as a worker in the garden, a 
debater at meetings, or as a writer in the press with most 
contemporary gardeners, and it is certain he could have filled 
a page of the Journal of Horticulture on the theme he has intro¬ 
duced if he had chosen to do so as easily as he penned his short 
note. 
Once during his career he never thought he could do what he 
can now accomplish with so little effort, and this to his own 
advantage in a form, and to an extent of which he never dreamt in 
bygone days. This is said to his credit. He prepared himself 
for a possible opportunity, and the opportunity came, and just 
because he had so prepared himself, not through any “influence” 
or personal favour, was he chosen to do what he does so well for 
others and for himself. 
It was the work of patience—years of patient striving and 
of forethought—the same patience and foreihought that form 
the keynote of his timely remarks. They embody sound, simple, 
common sense. Anyone can see that who comprehends the 
position. They suggest the value of forethought, imply the 
danger of precipitate action, indicate the value of calm coneidera- 
tion, yet engender hope. Let the best be made of them, for there 
is something in them, and then will be attained the object—the 
good object—for which they were, as is apparent, hurriedly 
penned. It is not often that a mere “ dash off ” provides a wider 
field for thought than does the note on “ Patience.” 
AZALEA INLICA. 
An occasional visit to gardens, exhibitions, or even other 
countries certainly does good, and hints thus acquired add con¬ 
siderably to the store of knowledge. I especially remember my 
visit to Belgium, relating to which I have not written anything, 
nevertheless I consider my expenses have been saved by informa¬ 
tion gained on the treatment of certain plants, and in the material 
used for potting the same. 
Some readers may wonder what this has to do with Azalea 
indica and its varieties. It, however, has a good deal to do with 
them. Previous to the visit to which reference has been made, 
peat was regarded as being essential for the potting of these plants. 
This is strictly adhered to by a large number of cultivators at the 
present time, and where good peat is available nothing need be said 
against its use, but the plants can be grown equally as well without 
it. My visit to Belgium convinced me that peat is not necessary 
in the cultivation of Azaleas. When the plants were examined 
and their treatment carefully noted, it was palpable that peat was 
not indispensable any more than is the firm potting to which these 
plants are often in this country subjected. 
The leaf mould used in Belgium is gathered from the woods 
where it has broken up by natural exposure. Before use it is 
passed through a kind of circular sieve of about half-inch mesh. 
This forms the staple of the composts used for almost all kinds of 
plants. 
The plants are grown during the summer in beds about 4 feet 
wide, consisting of leaf mould, and there appears to be no attempt 
made to consolidate the material about the roots to any great 
extent. The younger stock are simply protected during the winter 
by lifting them and placing their I’oots in leaf mould under glass. 
From the time the stocks are raised until their arrival in this 
country they are never potted. There are many places in this 
country where leaf mould, equal to that used in Belgium, can be 
obtained, and since my visit to that country no peat has been used 
for the plants under my charge, and I find they grow more 
profusely than hitherto. Our compost consists of leaf mould and 
good fibry loam in equal proportions, with a liberal dash of coarse 
silver sand. Good drainage is necessary and firm potting. 
The plants should be purchased early, potted at once, and 
placed on some moisture-holding base, such as ashes. They require 
careful watering at the roots and frequent syringing. It is a great 
mistake to water the plants directly after potting. The compost 
used should be in an intermediate state for moisture, and if the 
material on which the pots are placed is kept moist and the plants 
well syringed, little or no water will be needed for a week. The 
house in which the plants are grown should be kept somewhat 
close to induce growth. In about a fortnight under these 
conditions they become partially established, and their white silk¬ 
like roots are visible on the surface. These plants once started 
into root activity are in much better condition to produce good 
flowers with substance than those partially established before 
winter, and then exhausted by flowering profusely, as they are a 
long time before they recover and grow satisfactorily afterwards. 
It is the rough treatment to which these plants are subjected that 
has led to the preconceived idea that imported plants rarely 
thrive welt. 
We are not just now going to enter into the summer treatment 
of these plants. It will, therefore, suffice for the present to say 
they should be encouraged to make free growth, which must be 
kept clean. This ought to be accomplished without resorting too 
