Plate 158 . 
AZALEA, LOUISE VAN BADEN. 
The past season has not been remarkable for the number of 
seedling Azaleas which have been exhibited, either from home 
or foreign sources. But of the few which have been brought 
forward, the first place may, we think, he unquestionably as¬ 
signed to the very fine variety figured in our Plate. 
White Azaleas are ever attractive from their purity, and for 
the beautiful contrast which they form to the more brilliant 
varieties; but they have also the disadvantage of very fre¬ 
quently throwing striped and spotted flowers, which considerably 
detracts from the beauty of this plant. From this defect 
Louisa Van Baclen is not exempt, although it displays it less than 
any other variety known to us. This tendency to sport arises 
from the fact that many of the Azaleas sent out as seedlings are 
really themselves only sports : a branch of some well-known va¬ 
riety has come with white or spotted blooms; when it appears 
constant on the branch, the cultivator propagates it; and should 
the young plants exhibit the same tendency it is further in¬ 
creased, and when a sufficient number is obtained it is let out 
as a new variety, oftentimes without any history of its parentage 
being given. When such a method is pursued with Poses and 
some other florists’ flowers, the plant from which it has been 
derived is generally named, as in the present season the new 
French Pose Soeur des Anges is said to be fixee from the Pose 
BucJiesse L Orleans; and w T e think that it would have been 
better had the same plan been adopted with regard to those 
Azaleas which are merely sports, and not seedlings. 
We have been informed by Mr. Charles Turner, to whom we 
are indebted for the opportunity of figuring Louise Van Baden , 
that it is of Belgian origin, and that the entire stock of it is 
