LECTURE ON SPRING FLOWERING PLANTS. 353 



premature decay and dropping of the flower-buds so 

 complained of in Camellias usually arises from too 

 dry a state of the roots at the season of growth, 

 or too wet a state of the roots when the growth 

 is matured and the plant is in a state of com- 

 parative rest So soon as the growth is matured it is 

 well to remove the plants from under glass, and to place 

 them on the north side of a wall or hedge where they 

 are protected from the mid-day sun. Camellias may 

 be planted out with advantage in the' borders of con- 

 servatories, where they will attain the height of 20 or 

 30 feet, forming umbrageous trees of matchless beauty. 



The chief points to look to in their cultivation, then, 

 are these : 



1. To secure thorough drainage in the soil. 



2. To give heat and moisture during the periods of 



flowering and growth. 



3. To water sparingly from the time the growth is 



completed till the flower buds are about the 

 size of a pea. 



4. To secure the leaves from being blistered by the 



sun. Green glass or Hartley's rough plate 

 glass is desirable for the Camellia house ; if 

 ordinary glass is used it should be slightly 

 white-washed in the month of March. 



The subject will be continued next week. 



[2nd April 1 867.] 



IN continuation of the remarks made last week, I shall 

 to-day endeavour to show the grounds of procedure and 

 the process of cultivation in the production of early 

 flowers. 



The art of forcing, whether applied to fruits or flowers, 



consists in changing their seasons, or in bringing them to 



maturity at an earlier period than that at which they 



blossom or ripen naturally out-of-doors. The art is by no 



W 



