THE FLORAL WORLD AND aARDEN GUIDE. 159 



began to open on the plants that had never suffered, they began to foil from the 

 plants that ha'l been distressed. By that experiment, carefully conducted, we 

 established an important point, on winch, as a basis, we have advised our readers, in 

 connection with this subject. Moreover, we have proved that, though camellias 

 should never go dry, there is no serious liarm done them by being occasionally dry 

 2}reviot'.s to tlie formation of the flower- buds, but offer the buds are formed, dryness 

 at the root is likely to lead to the casting of the bud in the spring following. J. 0. 

 probably injured his phiuts by excess of heat. Yet even this we should think less 

 dangerous tlian neglect of watering in autumn, for then the flower-buds occupy, so 

 to speak, all the energies of the plants, and slowly as they advance— occupying 

 iisually about six months from the time they are formed till the time they open — 

 they nevertheless receive a decided shock, if the plants once get dust-dry at the 

 roots ; and this is an accident quite common in private gardens. Market growers 

 depend very much on their camellias for profitable returns, and are very careful to 

 keep them regulaily watered, especially when put out in autumn. Trees in large 

 tubs are sometimes assisted by placing on the surface of the soil in the tubs a circle 

 of clay, within which the water is poured, and which prevents it escaping down the 

 sides of the tubs on thf; outside of tlie roots. J. 0. will possibly do well not to shift 

 the camellias this year ; but on this point we cannot speak with any certainty ; it 

 is a question d'-pending on eyesight ; but it may be well to remark, that if camellias 

 are well potted, tliey may go several years witliout a shift. The blood orange is 

 not a cross between the orange and pomegranate ; there is no such cross. Any 

 and every kind of orange raised from seed will in lime bear fruit without grafting ; 

 but the Tangerine and Otaheite are quicker to fruit from seeds of any. 



Bulbs in Pots. — Commellna. — The winter aconite will do in pots very well, 

 needing only to be potted early in autumn, in any light, good soil, the tubers rather 

 close together, to make a good effect. It does not require heat, and, in fact, heat 

 would injure it. After flowering, the pots should be put outof doors, and the plants 

 kept growing until the foliage begins to wither, then laid upon their sides in a 

 sunny place to ripen them, and be i-epotted in September. Scillas do not flower 

 well in pots, unle-s potted singly in small pots. "When several bulbs are put into 

 large pots, they flower irregularly, and make much less effect than might other- 

 wise be expected of them. Bulbocodium vernum is not a good bulb for pots. The 

 only satisfactory way to treat it is to plant it round the margins of beds, or in 

 clumps in the front of a border, and leave them alone. Lachenalias are first-rate 

 pot bulbs. Pot them in mellow, turfy loam, with an admixture of sharp sand, fivo 

 good bulbs in a five-ini h pot. This to be done when they just begin to grow in 

 autumn. Keep them in a pit or greenhouse, safe from frost, and near the glass. A 

 little heat is good for tlietn, but tliey will do without it, if really safe from frost. 

 The gtand secret cf success is to give plenty of water from the time they begin to 

 grow freely after the turn of the jear. If well grown, the flower-spikes will be 

 strong and brilliantly coloured, and the leaves will be fleshy, and from an inch to 

 an inch and a-half across. 



Watering Gbeenh' use Plants. — G. A. G. — Generally speaking, greeniiouse 

 plants are not l/urt by being watered over their leaves while exposed to the rays of the 

 sun, provided air is given at the same time. But it is not a good practice, for on 

 some occasions it will completely kill some plants. 



Laying out a Garden. — H. C. F. The laying out of gardens cannot be done 

 through the p io;es of a periodical. The only way to get useful advice upon that 

 subject is to get some competent person to see the garden, and then advise upon it. 

 We really cannot tell you whether you had best cut down the trees or not. Our 

 general advice to persons tiking possession cf old gardens is, do not destroy any- 

 thing till you have quite miide up your mind what to do. Trees are easily cut 

 down, but it takes years to obtain other trees in their place. Respecting grape 

 growing, you cannot do better than consult the papers that have been lately published 

 in this work. 



Vine Culture. — ^. J5. — You wish to train a vine up a wall a height of twenty- 

 one feet, and then take it into a greenhouse on the second floor, and wish to know 

 about removing the laterals from the rod, etc. You might perhaps meet with a pot 

 vine consisting of a strong rod of tea feet length, and if such a vine were turned 

 out into a rich border next montii, it would very neaily reach the greenhouse before 

 the end of the season. We say a rich border, and by that we mean just one square 



