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Published by John B. Russell, o<;./VU 52 JVorlh Market Street, (at the ^Agricultural Warehouse). — Thomas G. Fessenden, JSrft7or. 



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'y 8 



VOL. VIIL 



BOSyON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1829. 



No. 22. 



HORTICULTURE. 



JOUj 



mellii 



FOR THE W£W ENGLAND FARMER. 



ULTIVATION OF EXOTIC PLANTS, &c. 



Continued from page 162. 



bohea. e. 4. Au^. Dec. white. China. 17GS. 



viridis. e. 4. Feb. Nov. ' ' ' 



sasanqua. e.4. ' ' ' ' 1811. 



V. plena, e. A.' ' pink. ' 1813. 



oleifera. e. 3. white. China. 1811. 



axillaris, e. 3. Feb. Mar. white China. 1818. 

 ,,^ japonica. e. 10. May, July, crijns. China. 1730. 



- This fine genus is named in honor of George 

 SEpn Kamel, and is remarkable as at once fur- 

 hing the domestic drug tea in universal use, 

 d flowering trees and shrubs, as univer.^ally ad- 

 red. The seeds of all the species are crushed 

 oil, which is used like that of hemp or poppy 

 cookery. C. bohea and viridis are the species 

 lich chiefly furnish the tea; but C sasanqua is 

 o used, and sometimes the leaves of the other 

 !cies are taken, though that practice is rather to 

 considered in the light of adulteration. The 

 ili>iricts of China extend from the 27th to the 

 it degrees of north latitude. According to the 

 isionaries, it thrives in the more northern pro- 

 ices, and from Kj:mpfer, it appears to be cul- 

 ated in Japan as far north as the 4-5th degree. 

 seem.s, according to Dr Abel's observation, to 

 ;cecd best on the sides of mountains, where 

 re can be but little accumulation of vegetable 

 uld. The soils from which he collected the 

 It .specimens, consisted chiefly of sandstor. 

 listu s or granite. The plants are raised from 

 d sown where they are to remain ; three or 

 re are dropped into a hole four or five inches 

 ;p, they come up without further trouble, and 

 uire little culture, except that of removing the 

 eds, until the plants are three years old. The 

 re careful stir the soil, and some manure it ; 

 the latter practice is seldom adopted. The 

 rd year, the leaves are gathered at three suc- 

 .sive gatherings, in February, April, and June, 

 so on, until the bushes become stinted, or 

 ly in their growth, which generallj' happens in 

 m si.K to ten years. They are then cut in, to 

 :ourage the production of fresh shoots. 

 The gathering of the leaves is performed with 

 e and selection. The leaves are plucked off 

 s by one ; at the first gathering, only the une.v- 

 ided and tender are taken ; at the second, those 

 t are full grown ; and at the third, the coarsest. 

 e first forms what is called in Europe Imperial 

 ; but as to the other names by which tea is 

 wn, the Chinese know nothing ; and the com- 

 inds and names are supposed to be made and 

 en by the merchants at Canton, who, from the 

 at number of varieties brought to them, have 

 ample opportunity of doing so. Formerly it 

 thought that green tea was gathered exclii- 

 ly from C. viridis ; but that is now doubtful ; 

 ugh it is certain there is what is called the 

 en tea district, and the black tea district ; and 

 varieties grown in the one district difiiir from 

 :e grown in the other. Dr Abel was told by 

 petent persons, that either of the two plants 

 affi>rd the black or green tea of the shops, 

 that of the broad thin leaved plant (C. viridis) 

 referred for making the green tea. 



The different sorts of black and green tea arise 

 not inerely from soil, situation, or the age of the 

 leaf, but after winnowing the tea, the leaves are 

 taken U]) in succession as they fall ; those nearest 

 the machine being the heaviest, are the gunpowder 

 tea ; the light dust the worst, being chiefly used 



est and most marked varieties, and are also free 

 growers and free flowerera ; the poeony flowered 

 and fringed white are also standard beauties. 

 Other varieties in general cultivation, are single 

 rod, single white, semidouble red, double red, 

 Middlemist's red, myrtle leaved, Loddiges' red, va- 



by the lower classes. That which is brought | riegated wnrratah, Kew blush, Hume's blush or 

 down to Canton, then undergoes a second roast- 

 ing and winnowing ; and many hundred women 

 are employed for these purposes. 



As more select sorts of tea, the blossoms of the 

 C. sasanqua ajjpear to be collected : the buds, 

 also, appear to be gathered in some cases. By 

 far the strongest tea which Dr Abel tasted in 



buff, Wellbank's, Lady Long's, Pompone, hexan- 

 gular, &c. 



The single reil Camellia is propagated by cut- 

 tings, layers, and seeds ; and on these the other 

 sorts are generally inarched, but may be budded 

 or grafted. When indepenclent grafting is resorted 

 to, the mode called side grafting is mostly used ; 



China, was that called 7/u/jf);, used on occasions j but the operation of tongueing is omitted, as 



of ceremony. It scarcely colored the water, and 

 on examination was found to consist of buds and 

 half expanded leaves of the plant. 



As substitutes for tea used by the Chinese, may 

 be mentioned a .species of moss, common to the 



weakening the stock. A few seeds are sometimes 

 obtained from the single red slid semidouble Ca- 

 mellias, and from the single warratah ; these re- 

 quire two years to come^ up, but make the best 

 stocks of any. The best cultivators regularly 



mountains of Shan-tung, an infusion of ferns of ^ cross imi>re5nate the blos.soms in K.mght's man 

 diflTcrent sorts, and Dr Abel thinks, the leaves of| ner, by cutting out the stamens before the anthers 

 the common camellia and oil camellia may be | are mature, and when the stigma is in a proper 

 added. Dtj Halde observes that all the plants state, dusting'it witii the pollen of the species or 

 called tea by the Chinese, are not to be considered Variety intended as the male parent. C. sasanqua 

 as the true tea plant, and K.e.iipfer asserts, that in I seeds most readily, and is mostly employed ns the 

 Japan a species of Camellia, as well as the olea I female parent for raising new varieties. The plants 

 fragrans is used to give it a high flavor. if well treated, will flower in three or four years, 



The oil bearing Camellia, fC oZfi/era^ is culti- and if nothing new is produced, they still make 

 yated for its seeds, from which an oil is exi)ressed, excellent stocks. The species of Camellia are of 

 in very general use in the domestic economy of surpassing beauty, but no plants bear the confined 

 China. It grows best in a red sandy soil, attain- and dry aiy of the parlor worse than they do. 

 •ng the height of six or eight feet,, and prodii.-ing \ Beaufortia cle.ussala. e. 3. May, July, scarlet. 1803. 



a profusion of white blossoms and seeds. These 

 seeds, as well as those of any other species, are 

 reduced to a coarse jiowder, which is stewed or 

 boiled in bags, and then pressed, when the oil is 

 yielded. 



The culture of the tea camellias in our green 

 houses, is very simple. The plants are very hardy 

 and may be preserved in a pit without fire heat ; 

 they grow in a loamy soil, or loam and peat well 

 draineil, and increase freely by layers, or by cut- 

 tings of the young wood taken off" when it begins 

 to ripen, planted in sand, and covered with a hand 

 glass in a cool frame or pit. 



As the tea plants are cultivated in Japan, as 

 far north as the 45th degree of north latitude, it is 

 probable that they would stand the winter of the 

 middle states without protection. C. sasanqua, 

 and C. oleifera are nearly as hardy as the C. viri- 

 dis and bohea. 



Camellia japonica in the groves and gardens of 

 China, is a lofty tree, much admired for its fine 



sparsa. e. o. crimson. 1803. 

 endid New Holland plants, free growers and 

 abundant flowerers, Vi'ith common greenhouse 

 treatment in two thirds peat and one third loam. 

 Cuttings do best when taken from nearly ripened 

 wood, planted in sand, and covered with a bell 

 glass. 

 Lambertia formosa. e. 4. July. Aug. crimson. 1788. 



This is a handsome plant, from New Holland, 

 which thrives well in loam and peat not over wa- 

 tered. Cuttings must be taken ofl" at a joint be- 

 fore they begin to push, and planted thinly in 

 sand under a glass, and guarded from damp. 

 Bceckea virtrata. e. 3. Aug. Oct. wliite. 1806. 



From New Caledonia, of free growth in sandy 

 loam and peat, and very hardy. Young cuttings 

 root in saud, under a bell glass. 



Pseonia moiitan. e. 3. April, June, purple. China. 1789. 

 V. papaveracea. white. 

 Banksiff. purple, 

 rosea, pink. 

 A magnificent flowering plant, which, with its 



form, rich clothing of shmmg, deep green foliage, varieties, are from China, and are hardy enough 



and elegant red or white flowers, single or double. 

 It is equally admired in China as in Japan, and 

 much cultivated in both countries. It is of fre- 

 quent occurrence in Chinese paintings, with Hi- 

 biscus and Chry.santhemimi, two of their great fa- 

 vorites. There are several varieties of the C. ja- 

 ponica in China, most of which have been import- 

 ed here, and their number considerably increased, 

 and daily increasing, from seedlings raised in this 

 country. The double white, double striped, and 

 double warratah, (from the central petals resem- 

 bling those of the warratah plant of New Holland, 

 Telopea speciosissima,) are considered the grand- 



to bear our winters in the open air; but they do 

 not flower in such perfection as when planted out 

 in a conservatory or in a pit, where they may be 

 protected from severe frost under glass ; they will 

 thrive well in any light rich soil ; and ripened 

 cuttings, slipped off" and planted in the ground, 

 in a shady place, without cover, will root freely. 

 Magnoha fuscata. e. 3. April. May. brown. 1789. 

 V. annonifolia. e. 3. ' ' ' 1804. 



pumila. e. 4. Jan. Dec. white. 1786. 

 Beautiful plants from China, with fragrant 

 flowers, grown in peat and loam. The last is 

 propagated by cuttings, and the others by layers, 



