JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



THE CAMELLIA AND ITS CULTURE. 



HE splenditl flowers wliieli it bears in sucli 

 profusion cluilng the -ninter and early spring 

 months, the attractiveness of the glossy deep 

 green leaves, and the fact that it is equally 

 adapted for the smallest gi'eenhonse or the 

 large consei-vatoiy, aU combine to make the 

 Camellia a general favoiuite. It is one of 

 those plants which flower quite fi-eely in a 

 young state, as small plants of only one year 

 fi-om the gi'aft produce abundance of flowers. 

 Then the variety there is in fomi and coloiu' amongst the 

 flowers, ranging fi'om pure white, thi'ongh aU the shades 

 of blush and rose, to deepest red, and particularly the 

 flaked and mottled flowers, as Countess of Orkney, is 

 very beautiful. 



I have been incited to make a few remarks on this 

 flower in consequence of having seen the veiy fine col- 

 lection staged by Mr. W. Paid, of TValtham Cross, at the 

 first show in the Eoyal Botanic Gardens. I noted a 

 gi'eat many unusually fine varieties wliich were quite 

 new to me, and a Ust of which wiU be appended to this 

 paper. The plants in question were of small size, healthy, 

 and exceedingly well flowered, and the sight of them 

 reminded me of a lectui'e which Mr. Paul dehvered some 

 few years ago in London, in which he very fully explained 

 his method of cultiu'e, and exhibited a superb collection 

 of cut blooms as an earnest of Ids success. The method 

 ef cultiu-e detailed by Mr. Paul was challenged by a cor- 

 respondent in this JoiUTial, who held that to mix peat 

 and loam together was an eiTor of the gi-avest character, 

 which would ultimately result in failure. The coiTe- 

 spoudent aUuded to stated, that to gi-ow Camellias in 

 perfection, piu'e turfy loam cut fi'om an old pastiu-e to the 

 depth of 3 inches was necessaiy, the turf being used the 

 same day that it was cut, and torn to pieces by the hands, 

 instead of chopping it up. Wishing to give tliis method 

 a fair trial, I had some tm-f cut, and foUowed the dii-ections 

 given in this Joiu-nal, and the result was this : The plants 

 did veiy well untU the fibre and other organic matter had 

 decayed, when, unless gi'eat care was observed in water- 

 ing, the mass became sodden, and the active rootlets 

 suffered. I had seen CameUias potted in pm-e tui'iy loam 

 many years previous to this, except that the tmf was 

 allowed to decay to a certain extent before it was used. 

 In one case it was yellow loam of a somewhat tenacious 

 character, and in the other it was a vei-y hght sandy loam. 

 In neither instance did the plants succeed perfectly. 



However, as Camelhas do succeed in pui-e tm-fy loam, 

 the question arises whether in either case I have cited 

 it was of a suitable character. I beheve the different 

 quahties of loam are vei-y imperfectly understood amongst 

 gardeners. I have fi'equently used tm"f5' loam for pot- 

 ting, thinking that from the appearance it was weU 

 adapted for the object for which it was used, and have 

 been disappointed in the results. Should any reader 

 of this Joiu'nal have had lengthened experience with the 

 culture of Camellias in pots when tuify loam only was 

 No. 675.— Vol. XXn., New Seiubs. 



employed, a short statement of the result would be most 

 useful. 



The compost in which I have foimd the CameUia suc- 

 ceed best is two parts tui-fy peat and one part tm'ty loam, 

 with the addition of a fan- proportion of sUver sand. In 

 potting add plenty of drainage, and over it place some 

 fibiy material to prevent the mould fi'om mixing with the 

 potsherds. A good time for potting is when the plants 

 have finished then- gi-owth, and in doing this the com- 

 post should be pressed rather firmly. 



CameUia roots are veiy brittle and easily injm-ed, so that 

 much care is required when repotting them. Indeed, when 

 there is an abimdance of white healthy roots clustei-ing 

 roimd the ball of earth, and the plant requu-es to be shifted 

 into a larger-sized pot, it is better not to distm-b the roots 

 much, but to repot carefully, merely remo^-ing the siu-face 

 mould. Sometimes, on the other hand, a plant -wiU get out 

 of order at the roots from having been potted in unsuitable 

 material ; the di-ainage is choked, or there is some other 

 evident cause. If such a plant be tirnied out of the pot 

 in which it has been growing, many of the young rootlets 

 will be found in a state of decay, and some of the old 

 roots quite dead. 'When a Camellia has reached such _a 

 state as this it is veiy dtSicult to make a healthy speci- 

 men of it, and upon the whole it is better to throw it 

 away, and obtain a vigorous plant in its stead. But in 

 the case of vei-y large specimens this is a serious matter, 

 as large plants are veiy expensive. If, therefore, it is 

 thought desirable to ti-y and resuscitate an unhealthy 

 plant, tm-n it out of the pot, pick away with a pointed 

 stick as much as possible of the imsuitable compost, 

 cut off with a shai-p knife all dead roots, and repot ia 

 fresh compost. The potting material, as well as the roots 

 of the plant, should be in a moist state, as no water should 

 be applied to the roots for a week at least after repotting. 

 The plants should be placed in a moderately warm glass 

 structm-e, and dewed overhead with the syiinge twice 

 a-day. If kept in a moist atmosphere, and well shaded 

 fi-om the sun, and if vei-y great care is exercised in the 

 wateiing of them, there wiU be at least a chance of im- 

 provement. 



To gi'ow the CameUia in perfection, it ought to be 

 planted out in a prepared border; but this plan is not 

 suitable for smaU houses and for persons of limited means, 

 as it can only be canied out with advantage in large 

 consei-vatories where ample development is aUowed them. 

 I know a comparatively smaU conservatoiy where a large 

 plant of the old Alba plena is planted near to a simUar 

 specimen of Fimbriata. The house has a southern ex- 

 posm-e, but a few rods of Black Hamburgh Vmes fiu-nish 

 aU the shade that is necessaiy, and the two trees are 

 annuaUy furnished with himth-eds of then- snow-white 

 blossoms, rivalling each other m abundance and beauty. 



The CameUia is iafested with one or two species of 

 scale, wliich can be got rid of by washing the plants with 

 water in which .soft soap has been dissolved. The leaves 

 are also oceasionaUy attacked by red spider, but a good 

 washing with tlie garden engme or hand syiinge mil 

 effectuaUy dislodge this enemy. If, however, left to take 



No. 1227.— Vol. XIVH., Old Seeies. 



