612 JVc'si London Gardeners' Association. 



grafted upon them. To be grafted without tongueing, as the tongue is apt to 

 decay ; then tied with bast-matting ; clay never to be applied over them, as the 

 admission of light and air is found to be beneficial for the union of the scion 

 and the stock. To be kept in a pit heated by dung to about 55° or 60°. In 

 March to be planted out in sandy peat upon shelves within 2 or 3 feet of the 

 glass, where they would grow rapidly until taken up, if required, for forcing 

 the following season ; potting to be performed when they were done flowering. 



Mr. Caie was certain that, by proper management, camellias can be flowered, 

 by exciting or retarding the growth of the plant to mature the wood and 

 flowering buds, at any season of the year. He considered spring the best time 

 for shifting them ; all decayed roots to be cut away, and if the plants are in a 

 sickly state then placed in heat from 60 to 70 degrees, where they are to re- 

 main until they have produced roots ; the soil light sandy loam with good 

 drainage, an abundance of water may be given with advantage, but it was a 

 great disadvantage to keep them at a great distance from the glass, where 

 they will not mature their buds. When the roots of cameUias were coiled, he 

 found it beneficial to tie haybands around the stems to retain the moisture, 

 by which they were much invigorated. 



Mr. Fish saw camellias flower pretty well 15 ft. and 16 ft. from the glass, 

 but about 3 or 4 feet from the glass he observed them to flower better and 

 more abundantly. He would recommend crown-glass to be used for camellia- 

 houses, as defects in the glass are likely to concentrate the rays of the sun 

 on the leaves of the plants, and to give the blotched appearance often to be 

 observed on them ; he has kept up a succession of flowering plants for seven 

 months in the year. The temperature, when flowering, to be 60° in the 

 day, 50° to 5£>° at night ; the soil, one quarter leaf-mould, one quarter sand, 

 one quarter peat, and one quarter loam. He considered good strong adhesive 

 loam would be the best for growing large plants, but would not answer 

 so well for flowering them. He agreed with Mr. Shearer, in the advantage 

 of disbudding to produce large flowers ; and also that water, by deficient 

 drainage, stagnates and sours in the soil, which is the principal cause of 

 buds falling ofi^. He did not think the camellia a plant of easy culture, 

 as it requires a great deal of attention to produce good forced flowers. 

 He disrooted camellias which were in a bad state, then plunged them in 

 dung heat, with the temperature at 50°, increasing as vegetation proceeded, 

 allowing it to range as high as 80°, with sunshine. 



Mr. Caie objected to bottom heat, as being injurious by exciting too much 

 the plant that had been disrooted. 



Mr. Massey agreed with Mr. Caie in the disadvantage of bottom heat. 

 He saw fine camellias at Enfield kept in tubs, and put out in the sunnner in 

 a shady place. He thinks too much water to be the cause of the buds 

 falling off. 



Mr. Caie believed that plants, at a great distance from the glass, were easily 

 affected by too much moisture, as the air of the house would contain two 

 parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. The open air is composed of twenty- 

 parts oxygen and eighty nitrogen, consequently there can be no carbon fixed 

 in the plant. 



Mr. T. Keane saw camellia and orange trees much injured by water, which 

 were recovered by withholding it. He also considered that too much water 

 was the cause of the buds falling oflT. 



Mr. O'Loughlin admitted that camellias may be kept flowering nearly the 

 whole year in large collections. He was opposed to close cutting and to 

 bottom heat. The soil he would recommend to be three quarters peat and one 

 quarter sand. To be potted when done flowering ; the temperature to be kept 

 between 45° and 50° at night, and 75° or 80° in the day ; to be removed to a 

 shady situation in the autumn, which is of advantage to mature the wood. He 

 saw orange trees grown well in 60° bottom heat, and then gradually inured 

 to the temperature of the orange-house. 



Mr. Fifcih agreed with Mr. O'Loughlin in the advantage of bottom heat for 



