200 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, June 26, I860. 
like, require to lie a few clays before being planted, in order to 
dry the wounds ; after which they may be inserted in pots con¬ 
taining a mixture of peat, sand, and brick rubbish, well drained ; 
after which the pots may bo set on the front shelf of a warm 
greenhouse, and occasionally watered, but shading will bo un¬ 
necessary.”—J. 
(Zb be continued.) 
AZALEA INDICA, MINUTI2E OE CULTURE. 
(Continued from page 183.) 
These with their myriads of hybrids, are universal favourites 
for pot culture. Many of them are hardy enough to stand out 
of doors in warm, sheltered places. The old Indica alba, and 
Phoenicia, and some hybrids, I have seen standing side by side 
with the hardier American and Ghent varieties. Some of the 
finer kinds would not stand such treatment; and even in the 
hardiest, though the plant lives and is healthy, the flowers lose 
much of that magnificence which they present when under glass. 
One of their most useful properties is, that after the flower-buds 
are formed, and the plants are rested, they may be forced into 
bloom at any time, and especially after Christmas. When left j 
to themselves in a cool house, they generally bloom most freely 
from the middle of April to the middle of May. When wanted 
much earlier or later the plants must be excited or retarded. In 
forcing care should be taken to present the extra heat very 
gradually, beginning at about 42°, and rising gradually to 50° in 
a fortnight, and in another fortnight to from 50’ to 58°. If the 
change is too rapid, the bud is apt to be shoved off its socket and 
drop, or be so injured that the plant will be more apt to grow ' 
than to bloom profusely. Eor the latter purpose, after the plants 
have been kept cool in winter, never above 40° with fire heat, 
they should be removed at the end of March into a shady place, 
but where the plants would be defended from frost. A house of 
frigi domo, tiffany, or thin calico, something similar to the 
structure used by the Messrs. Yeitch, of Exeter, for growing 
hardy Ferns, would just be the thing for them, as the plants could 
have plenty of ah, and yet be defended alike from the frost, the 
sun’s rays, and heavy rains. It is only by some such manage¬ 
ment that fine plants can be had in bloom at the end of June 
and the beginning of July. By combining the accelerating 
aud the retarding processes, the time of blooming can be greatly 
lengthened, when there are plenty of plants, and room and con¬ 
veniences for so treating them. 
The main points of treatment are much the same as for 
Camellias alluded to last week. The finer kinds are generally 
grafted pretty low on stocks of the old White or Purple. Most 
commercial growers keep plants grafted at different heights, as 
low or tall standards. The White and the Purple not only strike 
more freely than the finer kinds, but they are more robust and 
free growing, and, consequently, a plant grafted on such stock 
grows more freely than when on its own roots. The hardiness of 
the stock is also a great advantage. Sometimes fine-looking 
plants will go off suddenly, becoming dead or diseased at the 
stem near where it joins the soil. I believe that this is generally 
produced by pouring water frequently on the stem when watering. 
Many plants will suffer from gangrene if generally so used. 
The preventive is to soil the surface of the ball with water with¬ 
out forming a hole something like a peewit’s nest close to the 
stem, which causes the stem to be moist long there when all the 
rest of the plant is dry enough. Now, the stem of Indica alba 
will even stand this when the stems of many of the finer florists’ 
kinds would be sure to suffer. Hence the advantage of grafting. 
The mode of pruning will at once be understood, by recol¬ 
lecting that it is at the points of the young shoots made aud 
ripened this summer that flower-buds will be formed for blooming 
next season. The time for pruning in the case of established 
plants is after flowering has finished. The plants should then be 
thoroughly cleared of all dead flowers, and be well washed, first 
with soap water and then with clean water. When the young 
shoots are starting green fly sometimes makes its appearance, and 
must be done for by tobacco-smoking. The greatest enemy of 
this plant is the thrips, and it is apt to get in strength during 
flowering time ; and therefore, after giving the plants a smoking, 
the above washing will be of great service, laying the plant down, 
and turning it over and over, so that no part of it shall be 
missed. The washing is a good thing if no insects have made 
their appearance. Two ounces of soap in four gallons of water 
will be strong enough ; and before the plants are thoroughly dry, 
follow with clean w r ater not colder than 90°. The plants will 
thank you for the attention. If the plants should be very bad, 
dipping them in weak glue water is as good a cure as I have ever 
met with, and does them little or no harm. Now in the case of 
fine symmetrical plants this cleaning will be all the pruning that 
will be necessary. If the plants have got very open and straggling 
in their growth, and the wood is not above three years old or so, 
the plants may be cut in pretty freely, and then be placed in a 
moist close heat of from 60° to 75°. Here, if not too old, they 
will break freely; if too old they will not break well at all, and 
thus you have the chance of renewing or losing a plant. Vv hen 
broken afresh in this case, some shoots will most likely 7 look much 
stronger than their neighbours. These must have their points 
nipped out when two or three inches long, so that, breaking 
again, their new shoots may be equal in strength to the others 
unstopped. In such a case, the chief thing to be aimed at is to 
have the plant covered with y T oung shoots of equal growth, and 
just far enough apart to allow room for their leaves.. In nice, 
compact, small, y T oung plants, this nipping out the point early of 
a young shoot that seems to take pre-eminence over its neigh¬ 
bours is all the pruning and dressing that will be required, after 
being cleared of all the old flowers, seed-vessels, &c. 
As soon as cleared and washed, and allowed to rest for a few 
days, the plants should be incited to grow by giving them a 
higher temperature and a moister atmosphere by degrees say 
from 50° to 65’. A forcing-house will do for this. The floor of 
a vinery or of the greenhouse must be used. The plants should 
be collected at one end, that end kept with less air; plenty of 
water given at the roots, free syringings overhead several times 
a-day, and a slight shade given from the brightest sunshine. 
Under such treatment in a greenhouse the young shoots will soon 
show themselves, and must be looked after as respects pinching, 
&c. When two inches or so in length, repotting, if necessary, 
should be done. I say if necessary; because large plants in 
twelve or eighteen-inch pots will stand and flower well in the 
same pots for a number of years, more especially if annual top- 
dressings of fresh soil are given, and weak manure waterings from 
old cowdung are communicated when the plants arc thus inaking 
their wood, and again when the flower-buds are swelling and 
opening for bloom. The same care as to drainage, &c., will have 
to be taken as fer the Camellia. 
The soil must be chiefly heath soil, sandy peat, with a very 
little very sweet leaf mould, and a portion of silver sand and 
bits of charcoal to keep the soil open. This is especially 
necessary for young plants. When the plants get large enough 
to go into eight and twelve-inch pots, about one-fourth of 
very sweet fibry brown loam will be relished, and will help to 
cause the plants to grow more stubby and compact, and also 
enable the ball to hold w'ater longer. In other respects treat 
as advised for the Camellia. Keep extra shaded for a few days 
after shifting; and syringe overhead, and also the floor and 
stage, at least three times a-day, when the weather is at all warm 
and bright. No check will thus be experienced. Eor reasons 
specified last week I would, in the case of amateurs especially, 
recommend small shiftings in repottings, in order that the pots 
may be filled with roots before winter. When the shoots have 
made from two to three inches in growth give more air and light 
by degrees, or remove the plants where they will have these 
conditions. Thus the same place may be used for accelerating 
the growth of several successions of plants. 
Shortly after the plants are thus exposed to full light, elonga¬ 
tion of growth will be arrested. The ripening instead of the 
mere growing process will commence. A little attention will 
show you, that a round bud is forming at the end of the shoots 
| instead of mere extension. Erom that time the plants should 
have all the light and ah’possible. Ere long they will be better 
out of doors than in the house. A sheltered place shaded from 
the mid-day sun is generally chosen ; but that is not becauso the 
plants would not stand the sun well enough, but because the 
fine hair-roots close to the sides of the pots are apt to be injured 
by the sun beating on them. When the plants, therefore, are set 
in the sun out of doors, see, that by means of a mat, a green sod, 
or by plunging, and yet securing drainage, the sun does not 
strike fiercely on the pot. If these precautions cannot well be 
carried out, it is best to place the plants behind a wall or hedge, 
where the plants will be protected from the noonday sun. In 
exposed places, a shading of tiffany or anything of that kind 
would be useful. 
Under such circumstances in a favourable season the plants 
may remain until the middle of October, but saved from heavy 
