visited in the early part of J\Iarch. 127 



grow them where land commands the price it does in New York 

 city; and having a fine piece of ground at Harlem already cov- 

 ered with hardy shrubs and trees, it was only necessary to erect 

 a green-house for his tender plants. This he has done the past 

 year, and the whole collection was removed to it in the autumn. 



The green-house is about forty feet long and twenty wide, and 

 is built with a blank roof to the north, of one third the width of 

 the house. There is only a back stage in the house, and a wide 

 front shelf. The collection of plants, excepting the camellias, 

 is not very extensive, as we believe Mr. Floy has not given his 

 attention so much to this department as to fruit trees and hardy 

 ornamental shrubs, of which there is a good variety cultivated 

 in this establishment. The camellias, which consist principally 

 of his own seedlings, are much reduced, and the plants, from 

 having been confined in the city, have not a very healthy appear- 

 ance. We found a few kinds in flower, and among them was the 

 original plant of Floyi, which had just expanded three or four of 

 its last blooms of the season. The beauty of this variety has been 

 doubted by many; but after seeing this same plant bloom three 

 successive seasons, and in all its various stages, we must still say 

 that, in our opinion, it is superior to all the other red camellias 

 that have ever been raised. The old plant is now quite large, 

 and has flowered finely every year; Mr. Floy has had many lib- 

 eral offers for it, but has concluded to keep it as a standard plant 

 for his oun collection. We saw, at our present visit, the same new 

 variety in bloom (coruscans) which we mentioned two years since; 

 but a better acquaintance with foreign camellias has induced us to 

 alter our opinion, which we then expressed, of its merits. The 

 plant is, however, yet weak, and perhaps the present specimen 

 was not a fair one to judge from; but its color is not so brilliant 

 as we at first supposed it to be, and this was its greatest peculiar- 

 ity; — still it will rank with the best sorts. Clintonm, bostonia, 

 Hosackij, Stevenii, sanguinea. Ward;', fusca and Margaretha 

 were also showing their last blossoms; the latter is a very pretty 

 variety, a semi-double flower, of a lively pink, with long petals. 

 Mr. Floy has pretty much given up the raising of camellias from 

 seed, and has consequently produced no new sorts of any beauty 

 since the spring of 1835. 



We inquired of Mr. Floy, Jr., respecting the parents of the 

 Floyi; and though he was not positively certain, it was his belief, 

 that it was produced from seed of the double striped that had been 

 fertilized with the double red; in the foliage, it has the character 

 of the former variety very distinctly. It is worth the while of 

 amateurs and others, who raise new varieties, to keep a record 

 of their parentage, as such data will afford some considerable 

 information upon the subject of the mixture of colors; and will 

 tend to show to those who are engaging in this delightful species 



