382 THE CAMELLIA. 



near London where the Camellia was extensively cultivated, 

 namely, those of Mr John Smith, Dalston; Messrs Chandler, 

 Vauxhall; and Messrs Loddiges, of Hackney. It was one 

 of our greatest treats of that day to see the Camellias at 

 Hackney when in flower in the early spring. They were 

 planted out in a large house, and many of the plants were 

 30 feet high, in splendid health and laden with blossoms. It 

 was a perfect forest of Camellias, tenanted with blackbirds, 

 thrushes, and other birds, which built their nests in the 

 trees, passing in and out at pleasure through the open 

 doors and windows. Probably there was never any floral 

 display equal to this in England before, and it may be 

 many years before we see the like again. Many of Messrs 

 Loddiges' large plants were, we believe, sold to the 

 Crystal Palace Company and removed to their palace 

 at Sydenham. 



The Camellias of Messrs Lucombe, Pince & Co., of 

 Exeter, have obtained a world-wide celebrity, and are 

 worth going many miles to see. In nearly all the principal 

 gardens and nurseries few or many may be met with, but 

 we believe that as far as regards quantity and variety our 

 collection stands unrivalled at the present time. 



THE FLORICULTURE OF THE CAMELLIA. 

 It is interesting to trace the progress of the Camellia. 

 It is more than a century ago (1739) that the species C. 

 japonica, or single red, was introduced, but it was not till 

 early in the present century that the other species, with 

 several improved varieties, were imported. The beauty of 

 the plants naturally attracted the attention of the culti- 

 vator, and awakened in his mind the desire to increase the 

 number and variety of sorts. Probably the first step was 

 to sow the seeds indiscriminately, and to preserve such 

 kinds only as were considered different or more beautiful 

 than their prototypes. Artificial fertilisation was next 

 resorted to, and as the seedlings increased in number and 

 variety no doubt a standard of beauty was set up, to the 



