1877.] 



AND HOBTIGULTURIST. 



203 



the flower buds of Camellias, and the papers are 

 busy in discussing the cause. Amongst other 

 papers is an interesting one in the Gardener's 

 Magazine. After showing that neglect the Sum- 

 mer before will operate injuriouslj^ the Winter 

 following, it says : " It does not follow, however, 

 that the case now^ before us is to be explained in 

 this way, and we incline to the belief that very 

 many of the collections that have of late disap- 

 pointed their owners had the best possible atten- 

 tion in the Summer of last year. Why, then, 

 should they behave so differently to their wont? 

 Can it be that defect of solar light is the cause 

 of the disaster ? We incline to the belief that 

 herein is a sufl&cient explanation. The later 

 days of the Autumn and the whole of the Win- 

 ter, thus far, have been characterized by the 

 prevalence of rain clouds; and it is scarcely ex- 

 aggerating the case to say that in London w'e 

 have had but three bright days during the pact 

 three months. Light is the life of flowers, 

 although all flowers do not require equal de- 

 gi-ees of light for their full development. The 

 Camellia indeed is a shade-loving tree, and we 

 occasionally meet with surprisingly large, 

 healthy and productive Camellias in old houses 

 that have by long neglect become grass green 

 above, and muddy below, and rickety every- 

 where. The coating of moss and confervse on 

 the glass, and even the black bars formed by 

 the absorption of dirt in the laps, may be bene- 

 ficial to the trees in Summer, as affording a little 

 shade, and giving the light the greenish tinge it 

 has in the shade of large trees, where Camellias 

 grow naturally. We should like to know how 

 Camellias have flowered in dirty old houses in 

 the past season, and probably gome of our cor- 

 respondents can inform us. If deficiency of 

 light is the cause of the failure we now deplore 

 the old houses should be in the worst plight, and 

 the newer houses should present a marked con- 

 trast in favor of large glass and good carpentry. 

 To know the cause of a disease is said to be half 

 a cure; we cannot dispel the rain cloud, we 

 cannot produce artificial sunshine; but we may 

 reasonably inquire if, in the case of Camellias, 

 there is this season any difference in the flower- 

 ing of those that are in light and airy houses, 

 and those that are "boxed up " in tumble-down 

 houses where the woodwork is heavy, the squares 

 small, and the glass more or less coated with 

 black soot or green vegetation. While we in- 

 cline to the belief that lack of light is the prin- 

 cipal cause of the falling of Camellia buds, we 



do not claim that we have disposed of the ques- 

 tion. We prefer to place it before our readers, 

 asking them to assist in its solution. It is more 

 than a horticultural question ; it is one of con- 

 siderable commercial importance." 



BouvARDiA JASMINIFLORA. — This white Winter 

 flowering Bouvardia has not yet displaced the 

 Vreelandi, or Davidsoni in our Winter gardens, 

 but judging by the following from the Garden, 

 it must be growing in estimation in England : 

 "A house in Messrs. Low's nursery, containing 

 many thousands of plants of Bouvardia jasmini- 

 flora, will soon be a sight w^orth seeing. Many 

 of the blossoms have already expanded, and 

 multitudes more are fast opening. These plants 

 w^ere struck from cuttings obtained when the 

 last of the Autumn flowering plants were stopped ; 

 they were inserted in three-inch pots, and when 

 well rooted were shifted into five-inch and six- 

 inch ones, in w'hich they are allowed to flower. 

 Their shoots were stopped four times during the 

 Autumn and Winter, and plants treated in this 

 manner become dwarf and bushy, and bear 

 abundance of healthy bright green leaves and a 

 profusion of fragrant blossoms that forcibly re- 

 mind one of those of the white Jasmine. — C. 



Portable Hot Water Boiler. — Good, porta- 

 ble hot water boilers, ones that can be eixsily 

 shifted about from place to place, have not 

 been common. We note that one exhibited at 

 the Centennial by Smith & Lynch, of Boston, 

 received from the judges the following award, 

 which is highly creditable : 



1. Saddle shaped boiler with good sized fire 

 box, the interior surface of which is furnished 

 with a series of deep, narrow water cells, project- 

 ing towards the fire, giving large amount of fire 

 surface, insuring prompt and efficient action and 

 consequent rapid circulation of water. Con- 

 struction simple, strong and portable; amply 

 supplied with fittings which are readily adjusted ; 

 an excellent heater. 2. Adaptability to secure a 

 combination of hot water, and flue heating, 

 thereby economizing the products of combustion. 



W. D. Brackcnridge, Signature of the Judge. 



Approval of Group Judges.— George Thurber, 

 William Saunders, F. Pentland. 



Francis A. Walker, Chief of the Bureau of 

 Awards. 



I Given by authority of the United States Cen- 

 tennial Commission. A. T. Goshorn, Director 

 General. J. R. Hawley, President. J. L. Camp- 

 bell, Secretary. 



