Lup1am.—Cultivation and Acclimatization of Trees, &c. 299 
‘amellia japonica China hardy. 
aont fifty varieties. 
This plant, so highly esteemed for its beautiful flowers and foliage, is one 
about which there seems a great difference of opinion, as to whether it is 
possible to grow it generally in the open air in this country. to any state of ` 
perfection. For some time I was of opinion, after trying a plant for two 
years, that our climate was too cold either to grow it or mature their 
flower buds, even supposing it remained alive; but while on a visit to New 
South Wales I saw it growing as large shrubs in a district visited by 
severe frosts in winter, which determined me on making another trial, the 
result of which has been, that I have now two beds containing about fifty 
varieties growing and blooming luxuriantly every season; they commence 
blooming in April and last till November, making the garden during the 
winter months quite gay. I will describe the mode in which I formed the 
beds and cultivate them, should any reader of this like to “try the experi- 
ment. In the first place I dug a drain under the beds four feet deep, and 
slabbed it in; I then raised my beds with soil about ten inches above the 
ordinary level with sandy loam,—the ground was dug over very deep and 
allowed to remain until it settled ; second, I made holes in which I put 
prepared soil, formed by mixing half alluvial loam, quarter old peat earth, 
quarter old cow dung, which had been mixed for some time and left ina 
heap, being turned over from time to time ; the prepared soil should be trodden 
well in, and the Camellias planted, taking care that the roots of the plant 
are extended in all directions. For the first season they made very little 
progress; the third year they grew very rapidly and commenced blooming, 
and have continued to do so ever since ; in fact this last season, to prevent 
their being injured from over-blooming, I picked off between two and three 
thousand buds. The success of this experiment I attribute to the fact of 
the plants having free drainage, and from being in beds by themselves 
having plenty of root room. I find some old manure laid on the surface of 
the bed every season after the bloom is over of great service to them. 
Below I give the names of some of the best I have. 
White. 
Camellia alba plena Camelli 
ia leila a clio 
» imbricata alba z marina. 
» fimbriata alba » splendens. 
2 calliope ne tanthe. 
Pink. 
Camellia presit : Camellia wellbankii. 
ý rosa mundi $i picta, 
M variegata plena. 
3 lysanthe 
re donklerii. 
