This section is from the book "The Gardener's Monthly And Horticulturist V25", by Thomas Meehan. See also: Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long.
Many persons hesitate to try improvements on azaleas, camellias and other plants because of an impression that it takes a number of years for the seedlings to flower. Col. Wilder has always maintained that it takes less time than people imagine, if they will only grow the plants well, and he undertook to raise and flower greenhouse azaleas within two years. It now appears that he recently exhibited two seedling Chinese azaleas in bloom at two years from seed. Last year he exhibited plants which showed remarkable vigor at a year from seed, and expressed the belief that he should have them in bloom at two years. He was astonished himself at such early flowering, as were M. Van Houtte and all other cultivators, for it was never supposed to be possible. He has quite a number coming on.
 
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