THE CAMELLIA. 117 



and when from six to ten inches of good growth are made 

 the plants may be exposed to a full share of sunshine 

 in a good house not shaded, plenty of air being admitted 

 daily to ripen and harden the new parts. Thus it will 

 be seen that three or four months should be allowed for 

 the new growth to develop itself and to ripen from the 

 last stopping of the laterals. 



The Camellia. 



Generally Camellias are considered to be impatient 

 of the knife ; hence we find them with stems six or eight 

 feet high without a single branch, whilst growers of them 

 have to build the houses high, and to continue raising 

 the same building according to the demand of the plants. 

 This, however, may be avoided by priming, but of course 

 a little sacrifice of flower for one year is necessary, and 

 this is not felt where there is a large stock of plants, 

 or it may be even only a few. I once had some Camel- 

 lias that were getting barren below. I cut some of them 

 back severely, in fact to mere stumps, put them into a 

 nice heat, gave stimulants, and they broke out strong, 

 and made finer and healthier plants than some which I 

 did not cut back. It would not be safe to allow Camellias 

 to run up to ten feet with a clean stem, and then to cut 

 them down to the ground, but I maintain that they may 

 be kept dwarf by cutting them back before they get to 

 such a state of growth. 



The proper time to prune the Camellia is in the 

 spring, after the flowering is over ; some, in fact most 

 people, are afraid to cut them at all, but let me give 

 such persons confidence by assuring them that what I 

 say is not mere theory, but the result of practical experi- 

 ence. Do not be afraid to cut back overgrown Camellias. 

 As soon as they are cut back give them a few weeks' moist 

 heat, i.e. close the house and syringe the plants every 

 morning, and continue them in a growing state till the 

 terminal buds are formed, then harden off a little and 

 set them out of doors if in pots, but if in the beds of 

 the house open the lights all round day and night until 



