354 THE FLORAL WOELD AND aARDEN GUIDE. 



pieces of fibry turf, to keep tlie fine part of the soil from iuter- 

 miiD^rling with the crocks. 



Camellias will grow tolerably well in peat and sand if carefully 

 looked after, but a few incautious waterings will make it sour and 

 unfit for the roots to work in. Nothing beats good turfy hazelly 

 loam, chopped up with the whole of the fibre belonging to it, and 

 mixed Avith about a fifth part of leaf-mould, or thoroughly decayed 

 horse-droppings. The latter should be spread out and made dry 

 before using, to admit of its being properly mixed with the loam, in- 

 stead of being in lumps, as it will be if used moist. A liberal sprink- 

 ling of silver sand will make the soil in a better condition for the 

 roots to run in, and thereby assist the healthy growth of the plants. 

 "When potting them, press the soil firmly round the ball, for if it is 

 put in loosely the water will run through it, and leave the ball 

 wherein the roots are perfectly dry, and the latter will perish ac- 

 cordingly. To give a general rule for the size of the new pot, we 

 can only say that it should not exceed two sizes larger than the one 

 the plant is taken from. 



When camellias get into a sickly condition, through the partial 

 loss of the roots, a portion of the old soil should be removed, and the 

 plants repotted in the same sized pot again, filling in with fresh 

 soil. If it can be manacled, the pots should be partially plunged in 

 a bottom-heat of 70°. The best time for shifting healthy plants into 

 larger pots is just after they have completed their growth, and a few 

 weeks before they are placed out of doors. These must not be dis- 

 turbed materially at the roots, or a large portion of the buds will 

 probably drop ofi". "Weakly plants, or those that are leggy and 

 require cutting back, should be taken in hand just as the young 

 growth begins to push. After the branches are pruned in, the 

 plants should be frequently syringed, and then, when the young 

 growth is about half an iuch in length, the plants should be repotted, 

 much of the old soil being removed from the roots. After this, they 

 should be kept close until the young roots begin to take hold of the 

 fresh soil. After a gradual hardening off", they can be turned out of 

 doors for the summer, along with the others. All the plants ought 

 to be examined ever}^ spring, and any shoots inclined to grow strag- 

 gling cut in. By this simple method they are always handsomely 

 shaped, without the harsh necessity of a grand cutting back every 

 three or four years, which can only be done at the expense of a 

 season's bloom. After the flowers are over in the spring, a moderate 

 syringing overhead will keep the foliage fresh and clean. A few 

 hours with a sponge and clean water occasionally through the winter, 

 may be very profitably employed in cleansing the foliage from the dust 

 which settles upon it. Keeping the foliage perfectly clean is a grand 

 point in camellia growing, and is next in importance to a healthy 

 condition of the roots. 



\\e are not exaggerating when we say that bushels of buds are 

 lost annually through the plants being neglected when they are out 

 of doors for the summer. They are perhaps forgotten for several 

 days together, and the soil in the pots allowed to get dust dry. Or, 

 perhaps, sufficient rain occurs to wet the surface for a couple of 



