Febnuy 27. IBK. } 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



1E9 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



"c7 



Month 



Dar 



of 



Week. 



Tn 



W 



Th 



F 



8 



SUK 



H 



FEB. 27— MARCH 5, ISeB. 



Pimelea decaflsftta. 

 Salvia gesnertefoUa. 

 Acacia grandis. 

 Acacia armata. 

 Acacia incarnata. 

 3 Sunday in Lent. 

 Acacia rotuudifolia. 



Prom observations taken near London darint; the last thirty-nine years, the average day temperature of the week is 48.9" ; and its uipht tem- 

 perature 88.1'. The sreatest heat was 70", on the 4th, 1860; and the lowest cold 15', on the 4th, 1652. The neatest fall of rain was 

 0.81 inch. N.B. — The Calendar contains the names of plants flowering in the greenhouse. 



CULTIVATION OF CAMELLIAS. 



AMELLIAS are, perhaps, more 

 geiierall3' admired than any 

 plants requirinfi the protec- 

 tion of glass. \Vlien in per- 

 fect health their dark glossy 

 foliage and glorious flowers 

 render them the pride of the conservatory, whilst a single 

 bloom is thought to heighten the charms of the most beau- 

 tiful woman. Knowing from practical experience tliat no 

 plant is more easy to grow than the Camellia, I have no 

 hesitation in saj-iug that none is more generally mis- 

 managed. It is rarely indeed that we see Camellias in 

 health, whilst plants with yellow unhealthy foliage, at- 

 tenuated shoots, and covered with scale insect, may be 

 seen in almost every greenhouse. 



It is most remarkable that when so many new and beau- 

 tiful varieties are being introduced, rendering Camellias 

 more than ever worthy of cultivation, so few of our large 

 nurserymen pay any attention to their propagation ; but 

 the reason is obvious, they do not pay. Thousands of 

 young Camellias are introduced every year from the con- 

 tinent, nice-looking busliy little plants, well set with buds, 

 and they are sold at a price for which they cannot be 

 grown properly in England. Though a large proportion 

 of these cheap plants *lie, and more become permanently 

 unhealthy, the public still bu}- them, and their doing badly 

 is attributed to the mismanagement of tlie gardener, or 

 the conclusion is arrived at " that Camellias are tiresome 

 plants to gi'ow," and tiie attempt to cultivate them is given 

 up. In proof of what has been advanced, we have only 

 to take this fact into consideration, that whilst a .voung 

 plant may be purchased for li.s. Vul.. a bloom at Christmas 

 is worth I*-, in almost any tawii in England. 



The Camellia is nearly as hardy as a Portugal Laurel, 

 and if it were planted in proper soil, and covered with a 

 glass roof, no English -suiter would injure it ; but, p-own 

 in small pots, its roots would sutfer. If a healthy plant be 

 examined, it will be found that its yoimg roots are matted 

 round the inner surface of the pot, and, of course, if that 

 pot be exposed to severe frost such roots are likely to be 

 lolled. Artificial heat, therefore, is necessary to prevent 

 the temperature falling below the freezing-point. I have 

 no hesitation in saying, that all fire heat more than is 

 requisite for this purpose is injuiious to the Camellia. It 

 is quite true that Camellias may be forced, and that to 

 stimulate the vitaUty of an unhealthy plant a moderate 

 damp heat may be advisable, but forcing in most cases is 

 injurious to health and longevity : and it does not foUow 

 that the same treatment is adapted to health and disease. 

 To grow a health}- vigorous plant of good constitution is a 

 work of time, but Camellias may be grown, as razors are 

 manufactm-ed, " to sell." 

 No. 257.— Vol. X., New Semes, 



PRorAr..\TiON. — Tliough the improved double Camellias 

 may be grown from cuttings, they rarely make healthy or 

 permanent plants ; tliey ought, therefore, to be gi-afted on 

 the single CainclHa japonica. 



Those who raise many seedling Camellias with the hope 

 of obtaining new and valuable varieties, often use those 

 wliich prove inferior as stocks ; these maj- be as good as 

 the original single Camellia for the purpose, but they are 

 often little superior in vigour to the double varieties wliic!i 

 are worked upon thoni. 



Cuttings of the half-ripened wood of the single Camellia 

 should be taken in August; a pot properly drained, and 

 half tilled with sandy loam, should be filled to the brim 

 with fine white sand, which, when watered and made solid, 

 ^yiil be fit to receive the cuttings. These will require a 

 gentle bottom heat and close atmosphere, and will be 

 ready to pot oft" in the following .Taimary. 



Soil — The roots of the Camellia will not grow in solid 

 soil, it must be loose and open ; knowing this, the conti- 

 nental growers use a rich tibrous peat, and if the plants 

 be carefully shaded, the atmosphere damp, and everything 

 else favourable, it is probable that no soil will grow .young 

 Camellias in less time or mth better-coloured foliage, but 

 I am con^^nced that plants so grown have no constitution. 

 After many j'ears' experience I have come to the conclu- 

 sion that turf from a sandy loam is the only soil fit for 

 Camellias, and that the addition of leaf mould, peat, ma- 

 nure, &c., is alwaj's iujiuious. Cut tlie turf as thin as if 

 it were intended for a grass plot, chop it, or, what is better, 

 pull it to pieces, and use if the same day it is cut : it will 

 not improve by keepuig. In using so fibrous a material 

 considerable pressure must be employed in potting, other- 

 mse it will be too loose ; a little fine soil sprinkled on the 

 surface will give an appearance of greater neatness. A 

 short time after the plants are potted a few blades of grass 

 will probably spring up in the pots, but one weeding is 

 generally sufficient. 



Potting. — In potting cuttings a more sandy soil is re- 

 quired than for older plants. After having well chopped 

 the turf place it in a riddle, and give it a shake to get rid 

 of part of the soU, and add as much white sand as is 

 necessaiy to make it look like sandy peat. Use small pots 

 holding less than half a pint of soil, and pot finnly. A 

 moderately damp and close atmosphere of from 'tO^' to 60° 

 is necessary till growtli has commenced, Init no liottom 

 heat should be applied, as the roots of Camellias arc easOy 

 destroyed if plunged in a warm bed. When well rooted 

 a cool house, fachig the north, would be the best place to 

 wliich to remove them, and there, A^ith the ordinary atten- 

 tion requu'cd hy greenhouse plants, and no more heat than 

 is requisite to keep out frost, they may remain for two 

 years, when they ought to be fit fm- graflinii. 



GiiAFriNG — Tliis is best performed in the bcpnuing of 

 .Tauuary, and requires some skill on the ])art of the pro- 

 pagator. The stocks should he placed in the propngatmg- 

 liouse a fortnight before grafting, that they may be a little 

 in advance of the cuttings. Grafting may be done in the 

 usual manner by what is called whip-grafting, the top of 

 the stock being left on ; or it may be done by what is called 



No. 909.— V»L. XXXV., Old Seeibb. 



