22 THE BOOK OF THE GREENHOUSE 



Camellias. — The stately if somewhat formal looking 

 Camellia is known to all, and when well grown it makes 

 one of the handsomest shrubs in existence. Its proper 

 place is planted out in the border of a greenhouse or 

 conservatory, but it may also be well grown in pots. 

 As its roots are stouter than those of most hard-wooded 

 plants it requires rather different treatment. At no 

 time does it like to be dry, and plants well set with buds 

 will take a lot of water, varied occasionally with liquid 

 manure, during the time they are swelling. Plants 

 allowed to get dry at the root often drop their buds. 

 During spring and summer they like shade enough 

 to prevent the leaves from scalding. Potting is best 

 done just as the annual growth has reached its full 

 length and before the buds become prominent. Annual 

 potting is not necessary. Plants that set a heavy crop 

 of flower buds should be disbudded, leaving but one 

 bud or, in the case of really strong plants, two buds to 

 a shoot, selecting the largest and the smallest to give 

 a succession of flowers. Camellias require but little 

 pruning and it should be remembered that cutting back 

 a shoot deprives the plant of flowers from the resulting 

 growths for one year. The best growth buds, and the 

 only ones which will produce flowering shoots for the 

 following season, are found immediately below the 

 flowers, and by the time the latter drop the former are 

 quite prominent. If the plants are moved out of doors 

 during the late summer, they should be put in a shady 

 spot at the north side of a wall, as pot plants do not like 

 being set in full sun. 



Cytisus. — C. racemosus is the " Genista 5 ' of the markets 

 and of the general public. It is a universal favourite 

 and a handsome plant when covered with its bright 

 yellow flowers in spring. It is one of the easiest of 

 greenhouse plants to grow and thrives best in a compost 

 of about two-thirds loam and the rest either peat or 



