tluir capacity for destruction, were left unmolested. ITapi)ily, if attended to in 

 season, thoujrh their number be countless, as they were in the nursery from whence 

 these leaves were taken, they can easily be arrested in their i)rogress by the liberal 

 application of slaked lime. It is by no means essential, however, as I see it uni- 

 versally recommended, that it be applied "when the dew is on." A moment's 

 redcction will convince any one that (it being the creature and not the leaf that 

 the lime is designed to assail) the dew must be unimportant if not an actual hin- 

 drance to its o])oration. Whatever lime is arrested by the dew-drops, becomes 

 inert, and speedily hardens into a harmless mass, which the slug may pass over or 

 avoid, at pleasure. When the leaves are dry, on the contrary, the lime which 

 lodges upon them will be shaken off by the first agitation in the air, and a portion 

 of it will be likely to find its way to the slimy back of some depredator that had 

 hitherto escaped unscathed. Thus far, therefore, the presence of the dew inter- 

 feres with the full execution of the design. 



As great things are made up of small, so let the facts here stated, if found (as 

 they are believed to be) " fixed" ones, take their position in the great aggregate 

 of exact knowledjre. 



MANAGEMENT OF CAMELLIAS. 



An excellent paper in the Midland Florist, on the " Management of Camellias," 

 contains the following advice: "In a general way, we can afford to cut all the 

 shoots a good way back, some as far back as to leave only two or three eyes. 

 Camellia japonica is a plant that wants great attention, or it will become ill-formed. 

 The shoots at the ends of the branches start before the bloom has opened ; the 

 flower is the smaller and weaker for it; the new shoot takes up the growth, and 

 merely lengthens the branch that is already long enough. And it is the same 

 with the other branches ; they all lengthen, no side and lower shoots come, the 

 plant grows tall, without getting more bushy, and in two seasons is spoiled. 

 When the spike next the bloom bud begins to push, remove it ; never leave the 

 end shoot on, unless you want to lengthen the branch. By picking them off, the 

 whole strength of the plant is thrown into side shoots, branches, and flowers ; but 

 this is not all that is to be done. Shorten every branch that is too long ; cut out 

 any weak wood that clogs up and confuses the centre ; make the plant of a good 

 form, by cutting back whatever is ugly, and if the pot is full of roots, shift the plant 

 into a larger one ; but as Camellias are now set for bloom, and have done all their 

 growth, set them in the shade. See that they do not want for water, and let them 

 rest and harden. There are some plants that, like the Camellia, are out of bloom 

 before it is safe to turn them out of doors ; these must make their new wood in 

 the house, and be well grown and perfected before they are turned out. The 

 perfection of a turn is, however, under a canvas awning, like a tulip frame, 

 because, when closed up, the sharp winds take no effect on them. With a conve- 

 nience of this kind, most plants might be pruned and turned into the canvas-house, 

 as they decline flowering; but they will require some attention. They must have 

 protection from the wind, when north or east, and from the sun during the heat of 

 the day ; they must have all the air they can get, and in fine, genial weather, ex- 

 cept the few hours of mid-day sun, they may be open altogether ; they may also 

 have warm showers, but they must be shut up in their canvas abode whenever 

 the wind is high, and also when in the wrong quarter. When the plants have 

 made their growth, they may be more exposed ; still, they must not have the hot 

 But after all is said and done, the pruning is by far the most import 

 ration, because, this done well, your plants will be handsome, however 



