THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 189 



again. They can never thrive if potted loosely, or if the stuff they 

 are potted in is in a very fine condition. If the new soil does not 

 take water kindly, stand every one, as soon as potted, in a pail of 

 water full enough to run over the brim of the pot ; after soaking in 

 this way for an hour, the ball will be moistened quite through, and 

 will afterwards take the water whenever it is given. Twice a year 

 we treat all our potted Camellias to such a soaking as this : first 

 when they are housed for the winter, when, having been kept rather 

 dry to harden the wood, the water does not readily pass through the 

 ball ; and again as soon as the buds begin to colour for blooming ; 

 and having found the practice beneficial, we recommend its adoption 

 as a regular feature in seasonal management. It is not at all neces- 

 sary, however, to defer the repotting until the summer growth is 

 completed. If shifted immediately the bloom is over, the warmth 

 given to encourage growth above will also help to fill the pots with 

 new roots, and the strength of the next bloom will be increased. I 

 certainly prefer, as the result of experience, spring to summer shifts ; 

 there is a better balance of action induced between the foliage and 

 the root fibres, and the buds get swelled without exhaustion of the 

 wood, which must take place when the whole of the growth has to 

 be completed in the old soil. 



Soil. — The Camellia will grow in good hazelly loam, in peat, and 



in leaf-mould, with no other ingredient in either case than plenty of 



silver-sand ; but none of these are sufficient of themselves. The best 



staple material is old turf from a fat loam, well chopped up and 



stacked for some months to rot. If inclining to clay all the better, 



and for large plants the lumps ought to be not smaller than walnuts. 



A mixture of turfy peat and silver-sand, made rather fine, will run 



in between these lumps, and make a firm material for the roots to 



work into. Some growers use peat alone, but it is too poor, and 



needs a little old cow-dung mixed with it. If such fat turf as is advised 



above cannot be got in the district, I always leave half an inch of 



spare space on the surface for a mulch of old powdery dung, and 



when the plants are swelling for bloom, or are put into heat for 



forcing, I always rake some of this off, and top-dress again with 



similar powdery stuff of rather a stronger texture, which is pressed 



firm on the surface. Thoroughly rotten wood is also a good material 



to mix with turf and peat, as you will find upon turning a plant out 



some time after that the new roots have run into the wood, before 



they have fairly taken hold of the turf, and as it is a material 



retentive of moisture, it suits the Camellia admirably ; but if net 



thoroughly rotten, so as to crumble between the finger and thumb, 



it will not do. For seedlings and young stocks, good bog mould 



freshly dug, and broken rough with the turf adhering, is best, but it 



should be well mixed with silver-sand, and drainage secured by filling 



the pot one-third full of the most turfy portions. One hollow crock 



is plenty to use in potting young plants if the lowest layer of soil is 



of this open and turfy nature. At the next shift, bog should be 



again the chief of the staple, with a little fat lumpy turf added ; and 



at the next shift, the mixture recommended above for old plants. 



June, 



