PROCEEDINGS. Ijii 



Until ten years ago the Camellias planted out at Abbots- 

 bury were placed in the warmest and most sunny spots in 

 the garden, planted in the natural soil, a rich red ferru- 

 ginous loam, in which it was found they never flowered, 

 produced few and yellow leaves, and dwindled away to a 

 naked and unsightly stick, and generally died after a few 

 years. It then occurred to the gardener to treat them as 

 far as possible on an opposite system, and to plant tliem in 

 the shade not of a wall, but of trees, in a black, nearly pure, 

 peat soil, not too wet, in a low cool part of the garden 

 sloping to the north. This treatment has succeeded so well 

 that it is recommended to all gardeners possessing peat soils 

 to plant out all their spare Camellias as freely as their 

 Rhododendrons, and to treat them nearly in tiie same man- 

 ner. All the varieties hitherto tried seem to do equally 

 well ; seed has been sometimes formed : the quantity of 

 flower is very great, and, though put forth early in the 

 winter, comes forward so slowly, even in the mildest season, 

 as to secure the flowering from being prematurely hastened 

 in the spring. So great an acquisition to hardy gardening 

 as the culture in the open ground of the numerous varieties 

 of one of our choicest flowering shrubs, and certainly one of 

 the finest evergreens, and whicii with little trouble may be 

 had in profusion, seems worthy of more extended observa- 

 tion and experiment. Peat and shade, — in a word, the 

 usual treatment of American plants, seem to be all that is 

 requisite for the attainment of this object, to which it will 

 be a great satisfaction to have practically pointed out the 

 way." 



Novelties from the Society's Garden. A plant of Be- 

 gonia dichotoma, whicii had been grown under rough plate 

 glass. It exhibited the best possible health, its large glossy 

 leaves being of the deepest green. 



Books Presented. 



Syllabus of a complete Course of Lectures on Chemistry. By Professor E. Solly. 



From the Author. 

 Tlie Athenajum for March. From the Editor. 

 Comptes Rendus des Seances de I'Academie des Sciences. Tome XXVIL From the 



Academy. 



