20 MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



geraniums, require a separate house to give them that attention and treatment 

 which are proper for each genus. The splendid and beautiful colours in the 

 flowers of the camellia form a fine contrast with the glossy green foliage which 

 is so conspicuous at that early season of the year when they are most easily pro- 

 duced. His practice, vvhen done flowering, was to raise the temperature of the 

 house to 50 or 53 degrees, in which heat they are more certain to mature the 

 wood and to set the buds. Water should then be given liberally to the root, and 

 syringing evety morning and evening. Bunting to be used to shade them, from 

 May until September, during sunshine. If any were observed to grow too much 

 to wood, by discontinuing the watering it would give a gentle check, which would 

 materially assist to set the buds. He would recommend in-arching as the most 

 certain and expeditious way of propagating camellias. Tongue-grafting he also 

 practised, covering the part with moss, which he found preferable to clay ; then 

 putting them under hand-glasses, giving but little air, until they were united. 

 The compost to be light and rich; two parts turfy loam, one part leaf-mould, 

 and one part sandy peat, with a little decomposed cow-dung. When desirable 

 to grow them large, to be potted as soon as done flowering. If low shrubby 

 plants are preferred, he would pot them in the autumn, giving a top dressing 

 with rich loam and cow-dung. A good drainage for the camellia is indis- 

 pensable, that no stagnant water may sour the soil. When required to flower 

 them early, plants with the most prominent buds should be selected ; the tem- 

 perature to commence at 50 degrees, rising gradually to 60 degrees as the buds 

 expand. He would select the double-striped variegata, ColvilbV, pmonitz/ldra, 

 ChandlenV, and coralliua as the best for forcing. He attributed the falling off 

 of the buds to the want of water, and recommended gardeners to allow no more 

 than one or two buds to remain on each branch, as he was confident that the 

 practice would insure a more certain supply, and very much iucrease the size of 

 the flowers. 



Mr. W. Keaue returned thanks to Mr. Shearer for bringing forward, on such 

 a short notice, his excellent paper on the culture of the camellia. It was a 

 subject in which he felt particularly interested, as, at Castle Martyr, the seat of 

 the Earl of Shannon, where he lived, the camellia was the topic of conversation 

 with all persons who visited the place. There were fourteeu large specimens 

 planted out in the open air about sixteen years ago, and they were all, in 1834, 

 when he last saw them, from 12 feet to 13 feet high. The largest, a double 

 white, was 13 feet 6 inches high, and 22 feet in circumference, and every season 

 feathered with flowers from the bottom to the top. They were planted out in 

 three quarters peat and one quarter good rich loam, three feet deep, with 

 drainage of old bricks, lime rubbish, and rough gravel at the top. The}' were 

 planted beside a wall with an east aspect. If the winter was severe, a few poles 

 were placed in front, and mats were stretched from the poles to the wall, which 

 was always found sufficient to protect them from the inclemency of the weather. 

 They generally flowered beautifully in April and May. The system of propa- 

 gation he recommended was, to take the cuttings in July, or any other time 

 when the wood was perfectly' ripe, and insert about ten or twelve in a large 

 sixty-sized pot, well drained, and filled with sandy peat and loam ; but very little 

 loam to be used, as the tender roots are found to grow better in sandy peat. 

 When struck, to be potted singly into sixty-sized pots. The cuttings to be any 

 of the common sorts, which serve as good stocks for the better kinds to be grafted 

 upon them. To be grafted without tongueing, as the tongue is apt to decay ; 

 then tied with bast-matting. Clay never to be applied over them, as the admis- 

 sion of light and air is found to be beneficial for the union of the scion and the 

 stock. To be kept in a pit heated by dung to about 55 or 60 degrees. In March 

 to be planted out in sandy peat, upon shelves within two or three feet of the 

 glass, where they would grow rapidly until taken up, if required, for forcing the 

 following season. Potting to be performed when they were done flowering. 



]\Ir. Caie was certain that, by proper management, camellias can be flowered, 

 by exciting or retarding the growth of the plant to mature the wood and 

 flowering buds, at any season of the year. He considered spring the best time 

 for shifting them. All decayed roots to be cut away; and if the plants are in 

 a sickly state, then placed in heat from 60 to 70 degrees, where they are to 



