JANUARY. 



SI 



To have the camellia in its greatest beauty this 

 month, the following mode of treatment should be 

 adopted. 



When the plants are not required to blossom 

 early, they may be kept in a greenhouse, other- 

 wise in the beginning of x\pril they should be re- 

 moved into a heat of 55° or 60°, where they should 

 remain until October; then they should be removed 

 back into the greenhouse until they begin to flower, 

 which some will do in December. They may then be 

 placed in the conservatory until April, by which time 

 they will have done flowering for the season ; then 

 move them back into heat as before: at the latter 

 end of May, turn one or two out of the pots, and 

 examine the roots, if they have struck afresh, (which 

 will easily be known by the appearance of young 

 w T hite fibres.) Repot the plants immediately. This 

 is the time to give them their proper food. 



I have used various soils for this purpose, but I 

 consider the following to be the best for producing 

 growth and bloom : four parts yellow loam, one 

 ditto horse droppings, one ditto peat soil, one ditto 

 sand ; mix them together at least six months before 

 using, and turn the compost over several times, this 

 airs and mellows it : do not sift it, but let it be as 

 rough as convenient. For shifting, have a number 

 of pots ready drained, one inch deep with rough 

 gravel, broken pots, or any other open drainage : 

 upon this put the roughest of your soil, one inch 



