34 MONOGRAPHY OF THE GENUS CAMELLIA. 



thermometer does not indicate a proper heat, a little fire must be kindled in 

 the furnace ; but care must be observed not to elevate the temperature either 

 too suddenly, or too high; from 38 to 41 degrees of constant heat is better 

 than 54 which is irregular and interrupted. We do not open our doors, only 

 when the exterior air is of a congenial temperature, or when the sun shines 

 on the superior sashes of the green-house, and the interior heat has arisen 

 to from 50 to 54 degrees. It should be recollected, that this plant is like a 

 watch, which requires to be daily wound up, by a regular process and not at 

 various times and by jerks. 



We have seen the buds fall, within fortyeight hours from a hundred 

 beautiful Camellias, which were enclosed in a green-house, in consequence 

 of the temperature of 60 degrees, to which the plants had been accustomed 

 for many days, having been allowed to fall as low as 38. It can readily be 

 conceived, that such extraordinary change of temperature, should disorgan- 

 ize the ascending progress of the sap, and cause the most fatal consequences. 



Finally, to prevent the buds from falling, there is still another very 

 simple method, which was made known to us, by the late M. Cels, and 

 which we have practised often with success. It consists in placing the Ca- 

 mellia filled with buds, upon a moderately warm hot bed, four feet broad 

 and three feet in depth, covered with a glazed sash, and put in fermenation 

 by fresh horse manure, or dry leaves, well pressed down. The manure 

 should be put in the interior of the bed for the evaporation produced by 

 these confined substances, is injurious to the florescence. The Camellias 

 when placed in this hot bed, are managed in the same manner, as those in 

 the green-house; that is, giving them air, whenever the exterior tempera- 

 ture will permit, and covering them with mats during the night; if it freezes, 

 the coverings are doubled and kept on until there is a change to mild 

 weather. The air is then gradually admitted and they are moderately 

 watered. In relation to this subject we can relate a sufliciently curious fact. 



We saw, in the rigorous winter of 1829 and 1830, M. Cels, confine, 

 under the sashes of a hot bed, which were covered with mats and straw, the 

 most beautiful white and striped Camellias in full bud, and leave them thus 

 deprived of air and light, during the whole winter, and when the hot bed 

 was opened, although the humidity poured out in clouds and seemed to 



