THE CAMELLIA JAPONICA. 



283 



from the warmth when the buds first show 

 colour, and allowed to open their flowers in 

 the greenhouse or conservatory, as they 

 then last much longer in perfection. 



December. — Continue as before directed 

 and as mentioned in January, for the sea- 

 son is occasionally a month forwarder or 

 backwarder, and the December and Janu- 

 ary months differ but little. When we 

 observe that the season itself frequently 

 changes places with the months, and the 

 last and first differ but little; all the cau- 

 tion against frost and damp (the possible 

 changes) required, are just as likely to be 

 wanted in December as January, and in 

 January as December. 



PROPERTIES OF THE CAMELLIA. 



The Flower. — 1. The flower should be 

 circular on the outside, when looked at in 

 front. 



2. The petals should be thick, smooth at 

 the edges, broad and blunt outside, cupped 

 or reflexed, as the case may be. 



3. The petals should be imbricated (that 

 is, each should have its centre over the joint 

 of the under petals) ; each row of petals 

 should be smaller than the row immediately 

 under it. 



4. The number of rows, one above the 

 other, should form the flower into half a 

 globe. 



-5. The colour should be alike all over, 

 the flower, if a self; and if blotched or 

 striped, the contrast of the colours should be 

 striking. 



6. If the flower be white, it should be 

 pure ; and if white and coloured in mixture, 

 the white should be distinct, and the out- 

 line of a blotch or stripe, where the white 

 and colour joins, should be very decided. 



The Plant. — 1. The foliage should be 

 large and bright, the leaves close together, 

 the joints short, and habit bushy. 



~. The flowers should come singly and 

 at the ends of shoots, so as to bloom free 

 from the leaves. 



Long straggling joints, like the species 

 called reticulata, are objectionable ; foliage 

 dull and small like that of the same kind, is 

 also detrimental to the appearance, and 

 therefore forms another objection ; rough 

 ragged blooms, however large and showy, 

 are a great drawback, hence reticulata pos- j 



sesses a third very objectionable character, 

 and no plant was ever more overrated, 

 Pointed petals, like those of Exi//iia, are 

 greatly against a flower, and in this case 

 spoil a variety which has many other beau- 

 tiful properties ; open ragged-looking flow- 

 ers like Doucklaari, however striking, are 

 bad ; and we may safely say, that there is 

 no class of flowers, of which even the best, 

 or rather the most esteemed varieties, are 

 capable of so much improvement. 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



The Camellia japonica can be propaga- 

 ted every month in the year by cuttings. 

 Stocks therefore, may be always kept in all 

 sorts of stages. We have given general 

 directions for each month, but the growing 

 or resting of the plant can be almost com- 

 manded at pleasure, and the only necessa- 

 ary condition of grafting, budding, or in- 

 arching, is that the stock shall be growing, 

 and the nearer it is used to the commence- 

 ment of its starting the better. Experience, 

 convenience, means, and other circumstan- 

 ces, may dictate various expedients, and 

 drive us from proper to improper seasons, 

 but the foregoing directions have been 

 founded on management which produced 

 healthy, vigorous, and well-blooming plants 

 in our own hands, and there can be no 

 doubt, that although other modes may suc- 

 ceed, this cannot fail. 



SELECT VARIETIES. 



Floivcrs in the style of Imbrlcata. — Ade- 

 laide, a verp deep red ; Agnesi, bright rose; 

 Alba Fenestrata, pure white ; Amabilis, a 

 rosy carmine, occasionally speckled with 

 white ; Beali, alias Leeana Superb, vivid 

 red ; Byzantina, rose spotted with white ; 

 Duche.-se d'Orleans. white tinted or spot- 

 ted with rose ; Hendersoni, alias Lombardi; 

 Jacksoni, or Landreethii, delicate rose, 

 bleaching towards the centre; Imbricata, 

 rosy carmine ; Minuta, rich cherry rose ; 

 Palmer's Perfection, beautiful carmine ; 

 Prattii.fine large brigh rose ; Pulcherrima, 

 a rich dark red ; Queen of England, deli- 

 cate rose, striped with white; Sarniensis: 

 a beautiful carmine ; Sherwoodi, a bright 

 cherry color; Sulcata, alias Belle Irene, 

 white, with pale stripe in the centre of each 

 petal ; Veiicic, brilliant red ; Wallichi, rich 

 carmine. 



