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CULTURE OF PARLOR PLANTS. 



CULTURE OF PARLOR PLANTS— CAMELLIAS AND AZALEAS. 



BY J. B. W., NEW- YORK. 



As I see by occasional queries, in your jour- 

 nal, that there are some — perhaps many — 

 of your fair readers desirous of gaining in- 

 formation on the care and culture of those 

 green-house plants, kept in parlors, I will 

 venture to offer, now and then, through 

 your columns, the result of some experi- 

 ence in this kind of culture for fifteen years 

 past. 



The two finest genera of plants, usually 

 cultivated in dwelling-rooms, are, unques- 

 tionably, the Camellia and the Azalea. 

 Both of these plants are remarkable for the 

 great beauty of their flowers ; and taken 

 together, they furnish a bloom for the par- 

 lor from December to May. The Camel- 

 lias are in their perfection in the first part 

 of the winter — the Chinese Azaleas in the 

 last part. The first are not more remarka- 

 ble for the size, symmetry and richness of 

 their flowers, than are the last for the deli- 

 cacy, elegance and profusion of their blos- 

 soms. Take these two plants, in all their 

 variety, and they would alone fill a very 

 large conservatory. A few select varieties 

 of each are, of course, all that room can be 

 found for in the parlor; but when their 

 merits are all told, they certainly deserve a 

 preference over all other plants for this 

 purpose. I shall, therefore, devote a few 

 words to-day to the care and culture of 

 these plants only. 



I should say, in the beginning, that the 

 greatest evils the Camellia has to contend 

 with in parlor culture, are — first, in the 

 changes from heat to cold ; and second, in 

 a dry and dusty atmosphere. The Camel- 

 lia will bear a great deal of cold without 

 injury; but it very quickly suffers if there 



is a rapid change in the temperature of a 

 room. It ought, therefore, to have a posi- 

 tion as much guarded as possible against 

 these changes ; and in a cold climate, per- 

 haps this is more effectually attained by a 

 double window, hung casement-like, so that 

 the inner one may be opened in the day 

 time and closed at night ; or kept closed al- 

 together in extremely cold Aveather. (Dou- 

 ble glazing has the effect of decomposing 

 the light, and is therefore not so good in 

 strong day-light or sunshine.) 



When the blooming season approaches, a 

 a room where Camellias are kept should, in 

 its temperature, be as nearly uniform as 

 possible. It ought not to sink below 50° 

 of Fahrenheit's thermometer. The plants 

 should be regularly watered every day ; 

 but no more water should be given than 

 the roots are able to take up ; and this may 

 be easily ascertained by looking to see the 

 state of the top soil. If this is positively 

 wet, you may feel quite certain that not a 

 drop more water ought to be given while it 

 remains so. You will, therefore, omit wa- 

 tering for one or two days, as the case may 

 be. When the plant gets fairly in a bloom- 

 ing condition — that is, when several flowers 

 are beginning to expand, you may water 

 once a week with guano water ; made by 

 infusing a pound of guano in ten gallons of 

 water. This will give additional size and 

 strength to the blossoms. After the flow- 

 ers drop, and just as the plant begins grow- 

 ing, you may use this guano water three 

 times a week. Everything for the next year 

 depends on the growth of the Camellia at 

 this time ; for its whole growth for the nex 

 twelve months is completed in about three 



