THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



CAMELLIA. 



473 



the ground is damp. The Winter-Sweet, 

 Chiinomi7itliiis, is sometimes included 

 among these shrubs in hsts. 



CALYPSO.— C. borcalis is a pretty 

 little hardy Orchid, with rosy-purple sepals 

 and petals, and a white lip, heavily blotched 

 with cinnamon brown, from the cold regions 

 of N. America. It succeeds in half-shady 

 spots on the margin of the rock-garden or 

 bog, or in a select spot among choice 

 shrubs in light, moist vegetable soil, 

 covered with Cocoa fibre to keep the sur- 

 face open. 



Calystegia. See Convolvulus. 



CAMASSIA {Quamash).—^ox\h Am- 

 erican plants of the Lily Order, hardy, 

 handsome, and of easy culture. 



C. esculenta {Quamash) is a native of 

 meadows and marshes in N. W. America 

 from I to 3 ft. high, its stalks bearing a 

 loose raceme of from ten to twenty 

 flowers about 2 in. across, the colour 

 from deep to pale blue. There is also 

 a pure white, and various other forms 

 thriving in moist situations in a deep 

 light soil. A bold group in flower has 

 a fine effect in July, and it is excellent 

 in the cut state, as the buds of the spike 

 open in the house. 



C. Cusicki from the Blue Mountains of 

 Oregon, and it was described in Garden 

 and Forest as the most vigorous species 

 yet found with large broad leaves, a stout 

 flower-stem growing 3 ft. high, and 

 flowers of a pale delicate blue, large and 

 spreading. 



C. Fraseri {Eastern Quamash). — A 

 native of the States east of the Mississippi, 

 its flowers are rather smaller than those 

 of the western species ; about i| ft. high, 

 the scape bearing a raceme of ten to 

 thirty pale-blue flowers, each about i in. 

 across. It is later in flowering than other 

 Camassias, thriving in a light rich soil. 



C, Leichtlini ( White Caniassia). — This 

 often grows on sandy ridge-tops, and is 

 found in dry spots in ravines ; its bulbs 

 are generally deep in some stiff" soil. 

 The flower-spike is large, bearing creamy 

 white flowers, the stem 3 to 4 ft. high. 

 It is vigorous, but not so handsome as the 

 above. British Columbia. Propagated by 

 dividing the bulbs or by seeds. 



CAMELLIA. — Handsome shrubs of 

 the Tea Order, mostly grown under glass 

 in our country, but in the Isle of Wight 

 and the southern coasts of England and 

 Ireland it is often laden with as many 

 flowers as in Madeira. Most people 

 who have Camellias in the open air find 

 that they flower well five out of every 

 si.x years, and that the plants are hardier 

 than many shrubs that make their new 



growth early in the year. Their greatest 

 enemy is fierce winds, which beat them 

 about. In planting them gut for the 

 first time it is well to plant first some 

 of the commoner kinds, and in shel- 

 tered spots ; then, when these thrive, 

 to continue with more valuable ones. 

 The best aspect 'for Camelltas is a south 

 or south-west one, sheltered by a bank or 

 wall, but in some districts they thrive 

 on north walls. Planting from' p.ots may 

 take place at any period, but about July 

 is the best time, as the wood is then well 

 ripened. Duke of Devonshire, Halfida, 

 Chandleri, Florida, imbricata, elegans, 

 Alberti, Double White, Donckelaari, 

 Countess of Orkney, Mathotiana, and 

 Lady Hume's Blush are good varieties 

 for outdoor culture. The late Robert 

 Marnock, the landscape gardener, 

 wrote as follows to T/ie Ga^'den about 

 Camellias out-of-doors : " Permit me to 

 remind those who, like myself, have an 

 affection for the great beauty of the 

 Camellia, when in vigorous health in the 

 open air, that although it is true that the 

 plant will bear a greater degree of cold 

 than the Common Laurel, and other ever- 

 green shrubs which by common consent 

 have long been regarded as hardy, yet the 

 main stems and stouter branches of the 

 Camellia are, nevertheless, liable to injury 

 from severe frost. Now, all that is 

 necessary to protect the plant at this 

 weak point is to closely wrap the stem 

 with straw or hay bands ; and if a little 

 Fern or other loose material be laid over 

 the roots, so much the better. The 

 portions of the stems near the ground 

 are the most liable to suffeT, while the 

 leaves and branches, if not exposed to 

 fierce gales, will bear much frost, provided 

 the stems are protected." 



In Cornwall, the Camellia grows in a 

 most beautiful way at Tregothnan, Mena- 

 billy and many other places, flowering- 

 even better than I have seen it in warmer 

 countries. It is also grown out of doors 

 in the home counties. Is even more 

 hardy than the common laurel, and it will 

 grow on the north side of walls. 



C. Reticulata. — This is hardy, but 

 rarely flowers satisfactorily in the open, 

 except in the south-west, where it is grown 

 both against walls and as a bush plant. 

 It is by far the finest of the Camellias, 

 bearing lovely pink semi-double flowers 

 6 inches in diameter, with bright yellow 

 spreading stamens. 



At Scorrier House, Tremough, and 

 Pengreep, among the varieties that do 

 best are Mathotiana, the largest, a7ie- 

 nioncvjlora, very profuse flowering, 



