THE CAMELLIA JAPONICA. 



279 



covered from frost at night. If the frost 

 last all day, they ought not to be uncovered, 

 and the greenhouse, although it may re- 

 quire a little heat, must have it carefully 

 administered, as sudden change and too 

 much warmth would cause the buds of the 

 plants to fall, and set them prematurely 

 growing; besides which, all other green- 

 house, and especially hard-wooded, plants, 

 are the better for being kept very cool 

 so that there be no frost. Grafting, in- 

 arching, or budding may go on partially 

 with all such plants as are not required for 

 bloom, or from which cuttings can be spared 

 for the purpose. The stocks that are start- 

 ing into growth are the proper ones to use ; 

 and by examining the whole of them, there 

 will be no difficulty in finding some upon 

 the move : if not, they should be put into 

 the grapery, or some other house, with a 

 little warmer temperature, and not used till 

 they are started ; nor should the grafts be 

 cut off until the stocks are ready for them. 

 March. — The blooms are now coming 

 out of the early ones, and, as in last month, 

 should be removed to where they are want- 

 ed. The conservatory has not a handsomer 

 ornament than the Camellia japonica ; and 

 where there is one kept up at all, every- 

 thing in flower should be taken, but espe- 

 cially this beautiful tribe. Whether it be 

 here or in the dwelling-house, pay due at- 

 tention to watering which as the buds 

 swell and flowers grow out must be more 

 frequent, guided however by the state of 

 the soil in the pot, and not by the period 

 that may have elapsed since the previous 

 watering. Those in pits require equal 

 attention. As the buds swell, water will 

 be more often required, and the drain- 

 age must be well examined, to see that 

 none of the holes at the bottom of the pots 

 are stopped. This, however, is soon indi- 

 cated by the soil continuing moist when 

 that in the other pots is comparatively dry. 

 As the buds get nearer bursting, the plants 

 should be removed to where they will be 

 seen, and in the height of bloom they ought 

 to be shaded wherever they are, as it will 

 greatly prolong the period of their beauty. 

 This month many will be in perfection. If 

 the stocks are generally shooting, get grafts 

 or buds, for the purpose of taking advan- 

 tage of the state in which they are most 



certain of success, for it does not signify 

 half so much whether the bud or graft is 

 moving or not. All the grafted and budded 

 stocks must be placed in the gentle heat as 

 soon as the operation is performed ; and as 

 the tops of the stocks are cut off for bud- 

 grafting, let them be put in as cuttings, to 

 brine: forward as stocks hereafter. While 

 upon the subject of gralting, we may ob- 

 serve that all the shoots which are of no 

 use on the blooming plants may be taken 

 away for the purpose of grafting or bud- 

 ding; so also may long shoots with no 

 bloom be shortened, if it will improve the 

 form of the plant. Weak shoots, which 

 come out here and there on matured plants, 

 and give no hope of future strength to 

 match the rest of the growth, may never- 

 theless, be good for grafts, as the want of 

 health and strength is generally not in the 

 shoot itself, but at the base from whence it 

 proceeds ; and the same little branch on a 

 healthy stock would be as strong as any 

 other. It is at this season, before the shoots 

 have actually begun their growth, that 

 plants should be trimmed into form ; only 

 omitting till they have bloomed those which 

 are set for flower, and which may be as ug- 

 ly and as out of place as any, for it is al- 

 ways desirable to wait for these until the 

 flowering has passed. Cuttings of stocks 

 may be put in. We have recommended 

 two or more eyes — but we are informed 

 that at a nursery in Kent the cuttings are 

 used with only one joint above the surface 

 and none in the ground, so that the under 

 part, from whence the roots start, are not 

 cut to joints at all ; but even this can only 

 be desirable when cuttings are very scarce. 

 April. — The blooming season is now ra- 

 pidly passing away, and the beauty of the 

 plants fades in one after another. It will 

 be well to look among them to see if there 

 are none that would be better changed to 

 a different sort by grafting or inarching 

 with better kinds ; in this case, it depends 

 entirely on the form of the plant whether 

 you work it close down below the branches, 

 or use some of them for the sake of getting 

 a plant sooner. If there be several branch- 

 es which go out from near the bottom, a 

 piece might be worked pretty close home 

 upon all such as would help to form a good 

 specimen ; but as in general the sorts we 



