218 Obsermtions on the Gardening qf Belgium, 



want of air in winter, may be adduced as an additional reason 

 why the plants kept in plant-houses in this country are generally 

 drawn up so tall and unsightly. 



Camellias are a tribe of plants which are grown almost to 

 infinity in Ghent and its neighbourhood. They are the fashion : 

 and this is, here, quite a sufficient apology for the immense 

 numbers that are to be met with. It is very amusing to hear 

 the gardeners and amateurs boasting to each other of their two 

 hundred or three hundred varieties of this plant. The Belgic 

 gardeners are certainly very clever in the propagation of this 

 plant, seldom failing in grafting, by approach {a cote), every 

 bud ; so that a young camellia, with ten leaves and buds, is 

 almost certain of being made into as many plants. But, at the 

 same time, in most years, a stranger would be struck with the 

 want of flowers and flower buds on very large camellias, among 

 the many thousands to be met with in their green-houses. It is 

 in this they fail ; and I attribute it principally to the nature of 

 the earth their large plants are grown in, but also partly to their 

 removal into the open air before their flower buds are formed. 

 I have visited in the season many collections, containing, very 

 probably, a million plants ; and, with the exception of M. Rien- 

 der's, of Brussels, I cannot recollect seeing one well cultivated 

 collection, in point of flower-bearing plants. 



Pelargoniums are another tribe of plants which the Ghent 

 gardeners and amateurs cannot succeed in flowering to perfec- 

 tion ; but then, at times, the fashion fluctuates respecting them : 

 and this, to the Belgians, as well as to their French neighbours, 

 is a sufficient inducement to discard from their collections the 

 handsomest plant in existence. In fact, they place their pelar- 

 goniums much too close together; and yet, in the flowering 

 season, are astonished to find that they are drawn up like sticks, 

 and will seldom produce more than one set of flowers in a sea- 

 son : whereas all successful growers of this beautiful tribe of 

 plants in England are aware that, with proper management, and 

 with little pains, the pelargonium may be made to flower from 

 April to August. 



Dahlias. — The Belgic gardeners do not appear to have any 

 idea of keeping up a succession of flowers the whole year round 

 in their gardens ; and but few keep each tribe of plants distinct 

 from the rest. Every one seems desirous of having as great a 

 variety of plants as his houses can hold ; but I do not recollect 

 ever seeing anything like a regular succession of plants : as, for 

 instance, beginning the season with the middle of October (the 

 commencement of the camellia season) : and continuing; it, during 



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the spring and summer, with the pelargoniums, till August; and 

 then ending it with the dahlias. The fact, I beheve, is, that the 

 Belgic gardeners cannot flower these three above-named plants 



