182 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, December 22, 1857. 
AZALEA RAMENTACEA. 
Received from Mr. Fortune, May 8, 1846, 
and said to be from Hong Ivong. 
This has something the aspect of the com¬ 
mon white Chinese Azalea, with smaller flowers ; 
but it appears to be in reality a very distinct 
species. The leaves are often nearly round, and 
at the most are only oblong. The flowers have 
but five stamens ; the sepals are very short, and 
bordered with long ramentaceous hairs at the 
edge, although they arc naked on the back. 
There are no glands or setae on either calyx or 
flower-stalks. 
It is a dwarf evergreen shrub, requiring the 
same kind of treatment as other species of 
Chinese Azalea, and easily increased by cuttings 
in the usual way. It is very pretty and distinct, 
and deserves general cultivation.—( Horticul¬ 
tural Society's Journal.) 
CULTURE OF OLD GERANIUMS. 
I see in the June number, a (to me) very 
amusing article by Mr. Beaton, with which I 
concur, on the utility of preserving aged Gcra- 
nimns for bedding and other decorative pur¬ 
poses. I have had, for a number of years, a col¬ 
lection of aged Geraniums under my care; and 
the following observations about them, may be 
accepted as the results of considerable ex¬ 
perience. \ 
The Geraniums referred to in Mr. Beaton’s communication 
are in childhood compared to those under my care ; and 
Mr. Beaton, perhaps, may be a little sceptical when I inform 
him, that the aged pets referred to, were, in all probability, 
grown here before Mr. B. saw Shrubland Park; and, certainly, 
long before Mr. Kidd (the gentleman referred to in Mr. B.’a 
communication), and your humble servant, were cultivators in 
Suffolk. 
It appears, that there were fewer cheils among us takin 0, 
notes thirty years ago, than at present; consequently, I am 
unable to say precisely how old the plants are, but certainly 
not less than a quarter of a century; and more probably they 
are thirty years of age. Judging from their present satisfac¬ 
tory appearance, they are likely, barring accidents, to flourish 
for another quarter of a century ; and to continue subjects for 
the admiration of all who have seen, or yet mav see them. 
There are twelve of them from eight to ten feet high, all 
trained pyramidal fashion; but only four of them are quarter 
centenarians. Ilie others are from twelve to sixteen vears old; 
and, with one or two exceptions, are the legitimate Horse*- 
slioe variety. They are turned out of their pots, and planted 
in the flower garden in May—in strange company too— 
growing side by side with the rarer Conferee , until which they 
have manfully contended for ascendancy for some years ; blit 
now they have to succumb to their naturally more gigantic 
brethren. The plants having been so frequently planted out, 
the roots are one mass of fibres ; and by being carefully 
potted, they flower in profusion the whole winter; indeed, this 
place has not been without cut Geraniums for many years. 
I have a considerable number of plants, I could not say 
how many (although I should detect the loss of one), from 
four to six feet high, of various kinds, and of a less aspiring 
nature-all from six to twelve years old—which improve and 
flower better the older they become ; which corroborates, if 
proof were Avanting, Mr. B.’s theory and practice. 
( 1 lmve a l s0 grown twenty specimens of Tom Thumb 
j Geranium, for thirteen years, in rustic boxes, for the purpose 
of decorating the floAver garden in summer. They are 
annually taken out of their boxes in October, and potted into 
ten-inch pots, for keeping tlirougli the winter; which opera¬ 
tion having been so often performed, the plants might, without 
injury to the roots, at least, be pitched over Arthur’s Seat. 
The strongest shoots are cut-in a little after potting, to reduce 
the plants to two feet or so in diameter. This annual cuttin°'- 
Azalea ramentacea. 
in is necessary, to keep the plants in proportion to their boxes ; 
as also to prevent a summersault occasionally, while in their 
summer quarters. 
I subjoin a description of the boxes referred to, for the 
information of your numerous amateur readers, Avhose 
tastes may lead them to do a little jn this lino. Any handy 
gardener or forester could make them; the first ten of them 
being made by myself, with the assistance of the young men 
under me. A plain one-inch deal box, first; one foot two 
inches wide at top (inside measure), ten inches Avide at bottom 
(outside measure), nine inches deep (inside measure). Do 
not forget a drainage aperture in the bottom of one-inch 
diameter. This done, give a coat of coal tar (applied hot), 
outside and in ; and when sufficiently dry, procure slabs 
(outside pieces of sawed timber with the bark on,) of Spruce, 
Larch or Scotch Fir; either will do, uniformly four inches 
Avide, and half-inch thick; proceed to nail on the slabs 
diagonally, thus, III- which being finished, saw off any project¬ 
ing ends of the slabs, level with the top and bottom. A cope 
of the same material and width is noAv nailed on, flush with 
the inner edge of the box, which, from the cope being four 
inches wide, allows the coping to project about tAvo inches. 
Four feet are now nailed on the bottom, also of wood, with 
the bark on, three inches long, and about two inches diameter; 
these, with the coping, give a unique character and finish to 
t he whole. 
If I have not been sufficiently intelligible in describing the 
method of making the above-mentioned boxes, any one in¬ 
terested may see them here (otherwise, I shall be most happy 
to reply to any communication through the pages of The 
Cottage Gardener). Only, I beg that ladies and gentlemen 
honouring us with a visit, may not raise expectation too 
high; for I do assure them, that the boxes are not gold 
boxes, or silver boxes either, but plain sober-looking rustics. 
—Wm. Banter, Iliccarton. 
SABBATIA CAMPESTRIS—SEEDING OF 
LOBELIA SPECIOSA. 
Will you kindly permit me to state, with reference to your 
notices of Sabbatia campestris , and Salvia candelabrum , at 
page 120 of your November part, that the merit of the in¬ 
troduction of these plants to tliis country, is due to others 
