6 THE FLORIST, AND 



with the choice of a plant. A dry and hot climate is very hard on 

 plants grown in peat, or undecomposed leaf mould. The constant 

 supply of water necessary to replace that loss by evaporation, joined 

 to the dry heat, to which the soil is alternately exposed, causes 

 the vegetable matter in it to decompose very rapidly, during which 

 an acid is produced which sours the soil, and probably acts very 

 injuriously. Thus it follows, that a soil which is adapted to a 

 Camellia in one country, or circumstances, is not by any means fit 

 for all. But the principle of the thing being understood, the reader 

 will vary his soils to suit his locality, or the conditions under which 

 he is called upon to grow his plants. I have found my Camellias 

 to thrive best in a soil having for its basis a brown hazelly loam, in 

 this I put about a fourth part of turfy peat, or if this is not at hand, 

 about the same quantity of well decomposed sandy leaf mould, at 

 least three years old. Whatever proportions of any soil be adopted, 

 nothing rich or rank should be amongst them, as rich manures of 

 every kind have been found highly injurious. 



Potting. — A subject which usually receives much minute attention 

 from writers, but which is not of so much importance as the soil and 

 after management. While the plant makes fine luxuriant shoots it 

 requires no potting, unless the pots should become crowded by roots. 

 When there is a tendency of the growth to become weaker than 

 it has formerly been, and the pot is at the same time well filled with 

 roots, it is advantageous to re-pot them. The best time in my 

 estimation for this operation is, when the flowering is nearly over, 

 and the new growth about to commence. I have always found them 

 do well shifting by at this period. Many have a settled habit of 

 " going over " their plants regularly the " first week in February ;" 

 more frequently because the time has arrived, than because the 

 plants really require it. When the reason or principles of an opera- 

 tion are understood, its position in gardening becomes a branch of 

 science ; then times and seasons follow from the wants and require- 

 ments of the plant, rather than the day or month of the year. — 

 The importance of draining all plants well is so generally understood, 

 that it is scarcely necessary to observe that the Camellia is no 

 exception. A portion of charcoal, with the potsherds used for 



