CULTURE OF THE CAMELLIA JAPONICA. 159 



the buds to fall off before they expand ; every opportunity 

 should be taken to afford it plenty of air. 



Propagation. The methods of increasing the Camellia 

 are various, viz. by cuttings, layers, buds, and inarching the 

 finer sorts on the single flowering red. 



The most successful and generally adopted plan is, how- 

 ever, to propagate the single red, by cuttings from off the 

 young wood, which should be taken from the plant in Sep- 

 tember or October, and rooted, either under hand or bell 

 glasses. The method of performing this, is to prepare a 

 sharp sandy loam, which is put into pots, or on a bed, with 

 a quantity of old tan underneath ; the cuttings are put into the 

 pots in the usual manner. When the cuttings are well rooted, 

 which will be in two or three months, they may be put into 

 small pots of light earth, or sandy loam, mixed with a quan- 

 tity of leaf mould. They should remain in these pots until 

 they are filled with roots; they are then to be shifted into 

 pots of a larger size, for the purpose of inarching; the best 

 time for this is the latter end of February, or beginning of 

 March, and the scion may be taken from the mother plant in 

 August, if well united. 



Management in the Green-house. The Camellia should 

 be placed in the house so as to be partially shaded from the 

 sun ; and if on the ground where some sand has been placed, 

 the better. They will require a moderate watering, in order 

 to fully expand their flowers ; and if moderately syringed in 

 fine weather at sun rise, they will be much benefited in their 

 flowering : but care must be taken that it is not done too 

 copiously, for if the water remains too long on the buds, it 

 often causes them to fall off; if they are kept too dry, 

 especially when much tire heat is applied, they will also fail. 

 The leaves should be often sprinkled, morning and evening, 

 as they absorb a considerable quantity of moisture ; being 

 elastic, the leaves of the Camellia perspire less than those 

 of deciduous plants, and consequently act as a reservoir of 

 nutriment, as we see by experiment ; if a Camellia loses its 





