266 ON THE CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT OF THE CAMELLIA. 



By Layers. — A branch of one-year old wood may be laid in a 

 pot, or otherwise, as most convenient, any time from the middle of 

 August until the beginning of March. With a sharp knife make an 

 incision half way through the wood, and half an inch long on the 

 under side of the branch, just below a good bud; slightly twist the 

 branch so as to lodge the tongue or cut-part on the soil, peg it down, 

 and cover it with mould. 



By Cuttings. — Double varieties strike by cuttings equally as well 

 as single ones, but several of tbe choice kinds do not make such fine 

 shoots as the single ones. In August cut off the young ripe wood 

 four joints long, just below a bud ; take off the lower leaves from 

 each cutting, and insert the cuttings in a pot of finely-sifted leaf 

 mould and heath mould well mixed (this is preferable to sand), fit a 

 glass over them, and plunge them immediately in a tan bed; if this 

 is not convenient, place them for a month in a shady part of the 

 greenhouse, and afterward plunge them in a hotbed of dung, and in a 

 month or six weeks they will have struck root. 



By Seeds. — Seeds should be sown as soon as ripe. Plunge the 

 pot in heat, and the seeds will vegetate in a month or two ; but if the 

 seeds are kept long, they seldom vegetate in less than a year. 



Soil. — The best soil for camellias is one part heath mould, one 

 part well-sifted leaf mould, and two parts brown loam from a pasture; 

 if leaf mould cannot be had, use very rotten dung, and mix a small 

 portion ; break the loam and heath mould fine in preference to 

 sifting it. 



Potting. — Always make it a rule to pot each plant immediately 

 after it has done flowering, and before it begins to grow. If the roots 

 are not matted, merely turn out the plants and replace them in larger 

 pots ; but if matted, break the mass of roots carefully with the hand, 

 and never follow the destructive practice of paring with a knife ; lay 

 plenty of potsherd at the bottom of the pots, and with a flat stick 

 work the soil round the sides of the ball. 



Heat. — Place the plants, when potted, in a heat not exceeding 75 

 degrees by day and 60 by night, until they have formed their young 

 shoots; then immediately increase the temperature 10 degrees, to 

 assist in perfecting their flower buds, which will occupy about a 

 month ; afterwards expose them gradually to the air, and lower the 

 temperature, to prepare them for their summer treatment : i. e., any 



