116 



THE CAMELLIA HOUSE, 



(lifFerent modes, and about fifty different modes of budding. In the 

 earlier ages of horticulture, the art of grafting was considered little short 

 of magic, it is, however, now well understood, and may be practised by the 

 curious as an amusement. Those who wish to study the philosophy of 

 this art, may consult with advantage the works of Thouin, Pu Hamel, 

 Rosier, and Quintiney, amongst the French : Sickler, Clirist, and Mayer, 

 amongst the Germans ; and PhiUp Miller, Cmtis, Knight, and others 

 amongst the English. 



PROPAGATING BY BUDDING, 



Is very much practised of late years, particularly in regard to new or 

 very rare varieties, for by this means a shoot of seven buds, for example, 

 if grafted or inarched would produce one, or at most two plants, while 

 if the budding system be foUovred, as many plants as there are buds will 

 be the produce. To such an extent is this mode of propagation carried 

 on amongst continental cultivators, that they fix the price of their plants 

 by the number of leaves or buds that they contain. Budding may be 

 performed at almost any period of the summer, the plants operated on 

 being kept in a moist and rather warm propagating house. In the case 

 of budding and also of grafting; if the stocks be small and the operation 

 performed near the bottom of the plant, they wiU be much benefitted by 

 being placed under hand glasses until the union takes place, and indeed 

 until the bud, or scion, has grown for a few inches, and not till then can 

 the heads of the stock be cut off, vritliout a risk of failure, because, as it 

 has been justly remarked by a writer upon this subject in the Hort. Register, 

 an exuberance of sap is thus thrown into the scions before they are 

 sufficiently established to receive it without injury ; just as too great a 

 supply of nutriment , injures the infant of the human race ; neither should 

 the ligatures and clay be removed before that time ; these remarks are also 

 applicable to the young inarched plants. After this, all the plants should 

 have their tops nipped off to two or three buds, or they may be removed 

 by inarching or grafting them, if it be wished to increase the stock of the 

 variety ; but unless one of these precautions be followed, the plants will 

 very probably run up with a single stem, and instead of being bushy and 

 pyramidal, vrill be loose and rambMng, and must eventually be cut down. 

 "When the plants are headed down they should be kept in a gentle hot 

 bed, or moderately close frame, and should they show a disposition to 



