50 ALBERT CAMELLIA. 



George Joseph Kamel, visited Japan as a missionary in 1739, con- 

 trived to procure two plants of the single red, which he brought to 

 Europe, and sold to Lord Petre for a considerable sum. His Lord- 

 ship had them sent to the gardens at Thornden Hall, in Essex, where, 

 being kept in a hothouse temperature, they were killed. The gar- 

 dener at Thornden, at that time, was a Mr. James Gordon, who, in 

 1742, commenced a nursery at Mile End, near London. He, being 

 somewhat aware of the value of so ornamental a plant as the Camellia, 

 managed it so as soon to procure another plant, which he put out in 

 the open border of a conservatory, where it continued to grow for 

 ninety-four \ears, till the nursery was broken up to build upon in 

 1837 : from it, it is supposed, many thousands of young plants had 

 been raised as stools to bud, inarch, &c, the subsequent double 

 kinds. It is generally understood that the Camellia was introduced 

 into this country in 1792, but the above fact confirms the introduc- 

 tion from 1739 to 1742. Mr. Gordon died in 17S0, and he had not 

 only obtained the single red, but the double white and red striped. 

 The single red, too, was figured iti the Botanical Magazine in 1787, 

 where it is observed that the plant will very probably be found as 

 hardy as the Laurustinus or Magnolia. The plant was then sold at 

 a very high price, and in consequence prevented its being hazarded 

 as trial. 



The species and varieties introduced from China to this country, 

 in addition to the one now figured, are C. euryoides, white, C Japonica, 

 red, C. Kissi, white, C. oleifera, white, C. reticulata, red, and C. 8a- 

 sanqua, single white, double white, semi-red, and double red. The 

 varieties raised in British and continental gardens now exceed one 

 thousand ; all are pretty, but many of them peculiarly handsome. 

 In 1S3S, Vol. VI. of the Floricultural Cabinet, we figured the 

 Marchii nc;s of Exeter Camellia, raised by James Priauia, Esq., of 

 Monteville Heuse, Guernsey, who obligingly favoured us with one of 

 its first blooms ; it has recently been procured into the London col- 

 lections, and is one of the finest kinds grown. We lately had an 

 opportunity of viewing the fine collections of Messrs. Chandler, 

 Loddiges, and Lowe, and of taking notes of the finest kinds. The 

 following are the best in bloom up to the present time (Feb. 20th) ; 

 others that bloom subsequently we shall, with those we here name, 

 give descriptive particulars of in our Number for April, unless our 



