1883 .] 
WATERER’s NEW HARDY AZALEAS.-CHRYSANTHEMUM INODORUM PLENISSIMUM. 
177 
WATERER’S NEW HARDY AZALEAS. 
[Plate 599.] 
§ HE ornamental character and chaste 
beauty of the Hardy Azalea have so 
often been referred to by us, that it may 
now appear as an oft-repeated tale; 
but even if so, it is not the less true that 
none of our out-door flowering shrubs are 
more attractive, few so brilliant in their floral 
hues, as these are during their flowering 
season, which comes to us with the opening 
spring-time, a period when, after the dreary 
dullness of winter, the charm of every budding 
flower seems to be increased beyond measure. 
So long ago as 1830 the original species of 
North America and Asia Minor had under¬ 
gone considerable improvement, both in this 
country and Belgium, many of the best varieties 
of that date having been raised at Knap Hill 
by Mr. Michael Waterer, uncle of the present 
proprietor. For many years subsequently, and 
up to the present time, Mr. Anthony Waterer 
has been turning his especial attention to the 
improvement of these valuable hardy shrubs, 
not only with the object of increasing the size 
and substance of their flowers, and heightening 
and varying their colours, but also with the 
view of securing foliage in company with the 
flowers, many of the older sorts lacking this 
desirable addition, especially those bred chiefly 
from A. nudiflora. 
One object which Mr. Waterer has con¬ 
sequently and constantly kept in view has 
been to throw the flowers somewhat later, by 
which means foliage and blossoms are pro¬ 
duced contemporaneously ; this has been 
accomplished by the admixture of the Cali¬ 
fornian species, A. occidentalis, itself a large 
white-flowered and showy plant. The results 
obtained within the last half-dozen years 
have been marvellous, and flowers equalling 
those represented in size and quality, and of 
nearly all colours — yellows of all shades, 
crimsons with orange blotches, rose-pinks, 
coppery - reds, whites, and various other 
pleasing combinations of colour have been 
secured. Not only singles in splendid variety 
have been thus obtained, but also doubles of 
striking beauty and excellence. We ourselves 
have notes of upwards of fifty splendid single 
forms, and of a score or more of fine doubles, 
all far in advance of anything yet distributed. 
Thus improved in quality and size of flower 
—thus varied in colour till one feels as if 
nothing further need be desired—thus backed 
up by the fresh foliage which clothes the 
buddiug shoots, we may, on behalf of the 
hardy Azaleas, challenge comparison with any 
other early-blooming flowering shrub existing 
in our gardens. All this, too, let it be re¬ 
membered, has been worked out from the 
beautiful originals by skilful crossing and 
selection, which operations in the hands of 
the cultivator are but a more rapid way of 
bringing out the inherent beauties which 
Nature, from her plastic materials, reveals 
more slowly in her own unobtrusive way. 
It only remains to note that the variety 
named C. S. Sargent (fig. 1) is one of the 
noblest of the yellows; Henrietta Sargent 
(fig. 2) is one of the finest of the rose-pinks ; 
and Rubra plena (fig. 3) is a pure deep rosy 
red, and one of the most advanced of the 
doubles. For this latter, as forcing plants, 
the varieties named narcissiflora with double 
yellow flowers, and alba plena with double 
white flowers, will be found to be admirable 
companions.—T. Moore. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM INODORUM PLENISSIMUM. 
S HOSE of your readers who have not 
hitherto growm the above-named an- 
nual would, I feel sure, not regret 
doing so another year, and should 
make a note of it. 
It is quite distinct from any annual Chry¬ 
santhemum I have met with, both in foliage 
and flower, and is the most useful plant as an 
annual that I have seen for some time. It 
grows about two feet in height in good soil, 
and bears a profusion of its pure white, 
double, semi-double, and single flowers for 
quite three months in the summer. A 
quantity we had in some mixed beds for sup¬ 
plying cut flowers have been quite a feature 
during the past summer. The flowers are 
most useful for the above purpose, and also 
for making up crosses and w r reaths, now so 
much used at funerals. 
Our seed was sown in drills in a frame 
M 
