396 THE CAMELLIA. 



dung in solution to be the best of manures, and agrees 

 thoroughly with the idea that watering Camellias is a 

 most important and critical matter. Pruning he does 

 about the end of March or early in April, before there is 

 much young growth, and he does not scruple to cut back 

 heavily when the symmetry of the plants or other causes 

 require it. He has proved that Camellias, when operated 

 upon at the proper season, will take the knife as freely 

 almost as the common Laurel. One of these gigantic 

 plants had been removed from one part of the conserva- 

 tory to another about a fortnight before our visit, Mr 

 Dover judging that as he did not care whether it flowered or 

 not the next season it would remove then with greater safety 

 and more favourably for a good growth than at any other 

 time. It must be said, however, to be an experiment, 

 and we trust one that will answer. These trees are all 

 pyramidal in shape and most beautifully filled in and 

 trained so that not a leaf is out of its place, the whole 

 forming a dense even unbroken surface of the deepest green. 

 When planted out in the conservatory, whether for 

 forming pyramids in the beds or borders, or for training 

 against the walls, the Camellia is generally but one of 

 a series of plants whose wants have to be studied and 

 supplied. As, however, all the plants likely to be placed 

 there flourish most in a well-drained soil, it is important to 

 secure thorough drainage at the outset. In preparing for 

 planting, the soil should be excavated from the beds 

 and borders to the depth of 3 feet, and if the surrounding 

 soil or subsoil be wet, pipes should be led from the bottom 

 to communicate with the drains outside. Six inches at 

 the bottom should be filled up with old bricks, rubble, or 

 coarse gravel, over which a layer of turf should be neatly 

 and firmly laid to prevent the fine particles of soil from 

 working into the interstices of the drainage. Now it 

 is almost certain that the different plants chosen for the 

 conservatory will require different soils, and to meet this 

 want is a point of practical importance. First mark out 



