General Notices. 335 



MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



Art. 1. General JVotices. 



Cultivation of the Camellia. — To those who are admirers of this splen- 

 did genus of flowering plants a few remarks on their culture will, I hope, 

 be unobjectionable, especially to those whose collection is limited. In 

 propagating the camellia by cuttings, I have found August to be the best 

 month, as the wood is then well ripened, and they are not found to damp 

 off as if they Avere taken when the wood is in a younger state, and not too 

 old, as then they are longer in rooting ; the cuttings ought to be taken 

 off close to the wood of the previous year, as they are found to emit roots 

 sooner. I in general plant them in No. 48 size pots, placing them close 

 round the rim, afterwards removing them to a cold frame or pit, the soil 

 sandy peat. On a larger scale, they may be planted in deep pans, or in 

 a frame. About March they will be much improved if they can receive 

 tire beuefit of a little bottom heat, as this will cause them to root sooner. 

 As they begin to root, I plant them singly into large 60 size pots, plung- 

 ing them again into bottom heat, until autumn, Avhen, if in a fit state, they 

 are removed to the greenhouse. I have found this to answer both in 

 striking double and single varieties, although the single red will gener- 

 ally root soonest. In grafting, I generally use the side-grafting, doing 

 them in the spring, just before they begin to grow, afterwards placing 

 them in a warm frame or pit, keeping them close and shaded, so that the 

 air and sun may not cause them to flag, (the same as in cuttings.) until 

 the grafl is fully established, hardening them off gradually, and removing 

 them to the greenhouse, where many of them will flower the following 

 spring. To those who are lovers of novelty, various sorts may be grafted 

 on the same stock, provided the stocks are good, taking those sorts whose 

 growth is nearly alike, and their color the reverse: where there are few 

 sorts and plenty of stocks, budding may be resorted to, doing them during 

 the summer; the future management of them the same as in grafting; let 

 the bud and grafl be well united before the top of the stock is taken off, 

 as this often causes a complete failure, even though the scion was doing 

 well previous. A small incision made in a part which is to be taken off, 

 a few days previously, will be found attended with great benefit, as the 

 sap will not be thrown all at once into the graft, and as by that means it 

 invariably causes them to fail in budding and grafting ; do it as low down 

 the stock as possible, as they will form dwarfer plants, and will bear head- 

 ing back better. Those who wish to have large plants in a short time, 

 and having some good clean stocks, may in-arch: this may be done dur- 

 ing the summer or autumn, or in the spring ; the best of this method is, 

 they may remain in the greenhouse after the in-arching has been per- 

 formed. In uniting them, take a small slice of bark, about an inch and a 

 half long, with a small piece of wood, off each, placing them as close to- 

 gether as possible, binding them with bass-matting, placing on this some 

 moist clay to exclude the air, and, if wanted, a little moss, that will keep 



