THE FLORAL WORLD AND aARDEN GUIDE. 357 



oftener than is at present the fashion. Against walls success could 

 hardly be doubted — hereabouts there is no trouble with them in the 

 open beds. 



But although we grow a large quantity out of doors, we have also 

 what I beg to submit ought to be needful in every public and in 

 many great private gardens where expense is not spared, and that is 

 a good camellia house — a camellia grove. It requires but a very 

 slight stretch of the imagination to fancy it, when our fine planted- 

 out specimens, in the central bed, on the back wall, and against the 

 pillars along the front are in flower. The house is one hundred and 

 twenty feet long, by twenty-two feet wdde, and eighteen high, 

 span -roofed. 



I well remember the pleasure I used to feel nearly fifty years ago, 

 when visiting the camellia houses at Lee and Kennedy's nursery, 

 at Hammersmith ; Loddiges', at Hackney ; and Colvill's, in the 

 King's Road, Chelsea ; and observing these beautiful evergreen plants, 

 with flowers of such striking beauty and variety of colour, blooming 

 throughout the cold and frosty wdnter and spring. Since then, 

 many improvements have been made, both in kinds and in their 

 culture. 



At that time poor Eobert Sweet was in his glory, among the fine 

 collection of camellias and other plants at Covill's. It was a fine 

 collection for the time. Another thing, too, used to delight my 

 sight and hearing at the time when I visited Sweet's house, which I 

 frequently did, and that was the success with which be used to keep 

 several redstarts and nightingales in full song and good health 

 throughout the winter. ISweet and Edward Body, a friend of his, 

 were the only two persons whom I knew to succeed in keeping these 

 songsters in perfect health and song through the winter months. 



But to the camellia. An orange-house was put up here about 

 twenty-five years ago, and that is now our camellia-house. It has a 

 wall on the north side, and upright sashes in front, made in two 

 pieces, so as to slip up and down, for air giving. Between the 

 sashes were ornamental pillars, presenting a flat surface inside of 

 about sixteen or eighteen inches wide. We grew oranges and 

 camellias together for a Icng time, now and then turning out a 

 camellia when it got too big ; and these have all done well, and now 

 flower profusely in the open air. Soon, however, I began to think 

 of a new house for the oranges, and to imagine how well our large 

 house w^ould look planted with camellias alone ; and soon my noble 

 employer allowed me to build a fine one, ninety feet long by sixty 

 wide, quite a little winter garden, in which we now grow them. 

 We cleared out the house to prepare it for camellias exclusively — 

 thoroughly cleansed the house, and painted it. A wire trellis was 

 put along the back wall, also on the pillar faces between the front 

 Bashes. Then I got together the soil with which to plant our house. 

 A quantity of charcoal was brought in, rubble collected for draiunge, 

 and a compost prepared, consisting of heath soil, light turfy loam — 

 healthy turfy loam, such as the healthy turfy loam we make use of 

 for pine-growing — in quantities of about one-third of each, with a 

 large quantity of sharp clean-washed river or drift sand, and a goodly 



