THE CAMELLIA JAPONICA. 



223 



most ordinary kind, and not much of it. 

 Their routine is to bloom, to commence a 

 new growth all over, which, when com- 

 pleted, exhibits the bloom buds at the ends 

 of all the shoots, to rest awhile, or do no- 

 thing but very gradually swell the buds, 

 flower, and grow again. Many complain 

 that their Camellias do not set well for 

 bloom. There is one thing that will pre- 

 vent them from doing so ; and that is, a 

 check while they are making their growth. 

 This check n;ay be occasioned several 

 ways. Too great a change in the tempe- 

 rature they are growing in, want of pot 

 room, want of moisture, want of good 

 drainage, poor, exhausted soil ; all, or any 

 one of these, will occasion an imperfect de- 

 velopment of the growing plant, and pre- 

 vent it from forming bloom buds. It is not 

 wise to make any changes of the pots 

 while the plant is rapidly growing, be- 

 cause unless it be done with more care 

 than is generally bestowed upon the ope- 

 ration, it gives a great check. When the 

 plants are in a state of rest, that is, when 

 the foliage has completed its growth, and 

 before the buds begin to swell, it may be 

 done, with care ; but the safest time, and 

 when the plant derives most benefit from 

 it, is when the bloom has declined, and 

 the plant is about to grow. By giving 

 good pot room at this time, the plant is 

 enabled to make strong, healthy growth. 

 Turn out the balls of earth whole, remove 

 such of the crocks or drainage as will come 

 away without disturbing the roots ; and 

 take off as much of the surface mould as 

 will come off without damaging the fibres. 

 Then use a pot that is a good inch larger 

 all round ; that is to say, two inches wider 

 across than the old one. Put in plenty of 

 crocks, next a little of the compost, then 

 place the ball so that it will be nearly even 

 with the edge of the pot ; fill up all round, 

 pressing the compost between the ball and 

 the sides of the pots, very carefully, with 

 the finger, or hand, or a piece of wood ; 

 but on no account disturb any of the fibres 

 that are outside the ball. When this is 

 properly adjusted, water, to settle the com- 

 post about the roots, and place them in a 

 protected place — a pit, under glass, is the 

 best ; and shut them up two days, without 

 opening them to the wind, or allowing the 



sun to shine on them. They may then be 

 left to make their growth, either in the 

 green-house, the conservatory, or the pit, 

 which should be opened on mild days, to 

 admit air and prevent them from drawing, 

 and constantly watched, that they never 

 want water; for while the growth is making 

 they require a good deal of it. 



In our practice, we thought it worth 

 while to have a canvass house, into which 

 all the Camellias were removed the begin- 

 ning of June, where they had all the bene- 

 fit of the full air on warm days, though 

 perfectly shaded from the sun by the can- 

 vass roof, which rolled up or down as re- 

 quired, and by the side blinds, which 

 opened outwards, and could be set horizon- 

 tally. It was as large as an ordinary con- 

 servatory ; and all our hard-wooded plants, 

 as well as the Camellias, were in it all the 

 summer. The advantage of shading, with- 

 out depriving plants of the light, is not 

 half appreciated; and the still greater be- 

 nefit arising from the supply of air through 

 canvass, even when all closed down, to 

 keep off high and dry winds, must be seen 

 to be sufficiently valued. But as every- 

 body has not got the convenience, it should 

 be remembered that all the while the plant 

 is making its growth, there should be no 

 harsh wind admitted ; the sun should not 

 be allowed to shine full upon it ; and every 

 pains should be taken to prevent a check. 



Another point is worth attending to, very 

 carefully ; and that is, as soon as the shoots 

 commence growing, any that are in the way, 

 or are growing in the wrong place, should 

 be removed at once, to prevent the plant 

 from exhausting itself in useless blooms. 

 The exceptions to this are, when the plant 

 is wanted to be propagated from, in which 

 case all the wood may grow, to be cut off 

 after it has ripened. The plants ought not 

 to be disturbed until the growth has com- 

 pleted itself, when it is almost certain that 

 the plants will have become thickly set for 

 bloom. The plants may then be set in 

 the shade, in any protected situation — the 

 cooler the better — and there must not be 

 any water given until the compost in which 

 they are growing is getting towards dry. 

 But, generally speaking, the rain affords 

 enough. Yet, there must not be any flag- 

 ging of the plants for want of moisture. It 



