As soon as the graft begins to grow freely, it should be stopped, and it will soon break into fresh growth with two or three shoots, which, as they make a few joints of growth, should be stopped in their turn, to break again with an increased number of leaders. They will be ready for a shift by midsummer at the latest. Those that are strong and growing freely will require 5-inch pots. Use the same compost already recommended, but with more of the fibry part of the peat in it, and by autumn they will make nice bushy plants. These, the following season, can be grown, with two shifts, into comparatively large plants.

This system is so simple that a thousand a-day might be operated on by two experts; and we have found it so certain that it rarely ever fails, whereas grafting with the wood of the stock and graft in a hard-ripened condition is less certain and far more tedious in uniting. The young growing wood makes so perfect a union that in a year or two it cannot be easily detected. When standard plants are wanted it is best to grow on the stocks to the desired height before grafting, as they will attain it more quickly than if grafted and the graft allowed to grow single stemmed to the desired height.

The Chinese Azalea #1

In order to make Azaleas continue for a succession of years to yield a plentiful crop of strong bold blooms, the plants must of course be kept in health without being caused to make over-gross growths. A certain amount of healthy growth every season, and a thorough ripening of that growth, is necessary. Supposing that we have to deal with a set of young plants in 8 or 9 inch pots that have bloomed freely, two courses are open to the cultivator, just according to the object he has in view. If he wants to have moderate-sized plants for special purposes or reasons, and if the plants were shifted the previous year, they need not be repotted. But as soon as they have done blooming, let all the seed-vessels be removed, and give the plants a vigorous syringing, and then place them in a cool place to rest for a time. This resting is especially applicable to those which may bloom, without at the same time forcing their wood-buds into growth. After resting for a few weeks, place them in stove heat, shade them from bright sunshine, and syringe them freely every fine afternoon, and shut up with sun-heat, raising the thermometer for a time to 85° or 90°. Give more or less air every day.

If they are thoroughly well rooted, they will make an even growth all over the plant; but should any shoots much outstrip the others, pinch, them back and they will break again. Supply them copiously with water at the root, never allowing them to touch the flagging point, and avoiding, on the other hand, a soddened condition. When watered, make sure that they get a thorough soaking; and if the plants show signs that a little stimulus in the way of clear soot or very weak guano-water would be beneficial, let it be applied at every third watering. Continue this heat and moisture treatment until the flower-buds can be felt between the finger and thumb. Then the heat may be gradually decreased and air increased. They should also be gradually inured to more sun until exposed to the full force of it, to ripen them thoroughly before the autumn. In some climates, where there is no chance of their being soddened with rains, they may be stood outdoors for a month in the full sun.

If it be desirable to increase the size of the plants with as much speed as possible, the plants should be shifted as soon as, after resting, they begin to grow freely. In this case, do not water so freely, but syringe the same as already directed, until they begin to bite the fresh soil, when they will of course take a full supply of water. Any rampant growths should especially in this case be kept pinched back, so as to balance the growth and symmetry of the plants. Of course shifting in any case is only desirable when the plants are thoroughly well rooted; but when rapid growth into big plants is the object, they should never remain so long in one pot as to become stunted and weak in growth, or it will be difficult to get them to become so vigorous after they are shifted.

When for special reasons it is undesirable or impossible to shift annually or biennially, and after the plants have bloomed profusely in the same pot for a few years, they become weakly, and do not make growth sufficient to bloom satisfactorily, the best way is to cut the plants severely back into the old wood, allowing them to break in a moderate heat; then to allow them to become rather dry, and partially shake the soil from them, and repot in fresh soil in the same sized pots. Thus reduced at top, and supplied with fresh soil, they will make strong growths that will yield finer blooms than if left undisturbed, and will go on by the aid of stimulants to bloom satisfactorily for a few years again.

The secret of successful Azalea-culture lies in making them produce a moderately healthy growth annually, and thoroughly ripening that growth. All other things being equal, this insures a crop of fine strong blooms.

The Azalea can be had in bloom from October to July, and no plant repays good culture with a more gorgeous display of bloom throughout the winter months. The way to get an autumn bloom is to force the plants early into growth in stove-heat near the glass, keeping them in heat until their buds are prominent, then to rest them awhile, and put them in a gentle heat the end of September. I have for years practised this course with success. The best condition of plant for this early blooming is a young healthy plant well rooted, but that has not stood long enough in the same pot to get any way stunted. When they have opened their blooms thus early, they stand in bloom for many weeks in a moderately dry atmosphere at a temperature of 55° at night; and I have seen them stand in sitting-rooms for a long time: and few plants so charm as a well-bloomed Azalea in the end of October and on through the winter months.

Some varieties are much better for blooming in autumn and winter than others, and among those which I have found most desirable to grow for this purpose are Iveryana, Le Lion de Flandre, Clapham Beauty, Punctulata, Roi Leopoldii, President van den Hecke, Fielder's White, and of course the old Amoena, as well as the varieties of Triumphans.