HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL, 



draining, is very useful ; the roots love to adhere to it, probably on 

 account of the moisture charcoal absorbs. The material for 

 drainage is frequently thrown in too carelessly ; flat pieces falling 

 on the hole, and rendering the passage out of the water impossible. 

 A large hollow piece should be chosen to cover the hole ; then a 

 few large ones placed around it ; a quantity of pieces broken much 

 smaller then being placed over, the whole covered lightly with 

 moss to prevent the soil from getting amongst the sherds ; this 

 forms a good drainage. In placing the plants in the new pot, no 

 person will bury the stem deeper in the soil than it was before. — 

 We now come to the general management. 



The House. — The best aspect for this, is like the best soil for 

 them, a much debated subject. In a late volume of the " Companion 

 to the Flower Garden/' I observe that one writer insists on the ad- 

 vantages his plants derived from being placed in a shady situation 

 on a northern aspect in summer, while another describes the luxu- 

 riant and healthy specimens he got by placing them in the full sun, 

 under a south wall ! In America this latter mode would never do. 

 In a well constructed house a northern aspect is perhaps as good as 

 any ; it admits a large amount of light, while it prevents the plants 

 from having their leaves scorched by a sudden burst of sun in win- 

 ter or early spring. Arrangements should be made for keeping the 4 

 house above 3G° or 40° in the severest weather; a common well 

 made flue will be effectual where the house is small, but wherever 

 the size of the house will warrant it, hot water pipes are much bet- 

 ter, as the best constructed flue will allow injurious gases to escape 

 at times, more especially where anthracite is used as fuel. 



Fall and Winter Management. — I prefer to have my plants all 

 housed before the thermometer falls often below 40°. A Camellia 

 properly hardened will bear a much greater degree of cold than this ; 

 but as Cobbet would say, "the above is my plan," and it does well. 

 After they are housed I give them all the air possible, so long as I 

 can keep the temperature from falling below what I have fixed; I 

 thin out the flower buds according to the strength of the plants, ne- 

 ver, however, leaving more than one at the point of a shoot. I give 

 them no more water at this time than will keep the soil barely moist 

 and the buds just swelling ; caution is required in this, as, if the soil 



