680 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



commences. The plants should be placed in a 

 moderately warm place a week or so before the 

 operation commences, to set the sap in motion : 

 for mode of proceeding, vide article Inarching, 

 p. 336. Although this is a more certain method 

 of securing a union, the plants are seldom so well 

 shaped as those increased by grafting. 



Propagation by budding. — This is a popular 

 mode of increasing stock much practised by 

 nurserymen, particularly in regard to new or 

 rare varieties, as by this means every bud may 

 be made to produce a plant, which by ordinary 

 grafting or inarching could not be done. This 

 operation may be performed at almost any 

 season of the year, but spring, summer, and 

 autumn are preferred, on account of the sap 

 being then in a state of motion. The process 

 has been described, p. 338. It remains for us 

 here only to state, that in the case of the camellia 

 the operation should be carried on in a close, 

 rather moist, pit; or if the process is limited to 

 a few plants only at a time, they should be 

 placed under a bell or hand-glass until the 

 union takes place, and be all the while partially 

 shaded. This, however, can only be done when 

 the stocks are small; and, indeed, it is upon 

 these generally this mode is practised. After 

 the bud is inserted, it is expedient to retain the 

 top on the stock until the bud has grown some 

 inches, as, if removed sooner, the full flow of 

 sap from the stock would be thrown in the 

 direction of the bud before it was sufficiently 

 established to receive it without injury. After 

 the bud has begun to grow freely, the top of the 

 stock should be pinched off two or three buds 

 above where the bud is placed. Buds succeed 

 with greater certainty than grafts ; but the 

 method is less expeditious than either grafting 

 or inarching in the formation of a saleable 

 plant. 



General cidture. — During the period while the 

 young wood is making the plants require the 

 largest supply of water, with an increased tem- 

 perature — indeed, they can hardly have too much, 

 provided the drainage is complete. When the 

 flower-buds are formed, water must be less 

 abundantly supplied; and this must continue 

 until the growing season again arrives. Neverthe- 

 less, the soil must not be allowed to become dry ; 

 and care must be taken that the water finds its 

 way to the very centre of the ball. The atmos- 

 phere must also be kept rather moist than other- 

 wise, and the leaves frequently syringed over- 

 head. In most parts of England, the plants may 

 with advantage be set out of doors in a sheltered 

 situation as soon as the flower-buds are fairly 

 formed ; and that worms may be prevented from 

 entering the ball, they should be set upon a 

 flooring of coal-ashes, frequently watered with 

 lime-water. In such a situation they may re- 

 main until the nights begin to become cold, 

 when they should be removed into the camellia- 

 house for the winter. Their roots, for the most 

 part, keep growing all winter, and therefore 

 they will require to be kept judiciously watered 

 all the season through. Pruning should be' 

 attended to by shortening the shoots which may 

 be growing too fast, removing dead and weakly 

 diseased branches, and keeping the heads suffi- 



ciently thin, that the summer air may penetrate 

 freely. The camellia, like all other woody plants, 

 requires a season of rest, and that season should 

 commence as soon as it has done flowering. 

 When again excited for the formation of its 

 young wood and flower-buds, a little extra heat 

 and a moister atmosphere will be required. If 

 flowered during February and March, a slight 

 degree of fire-heat will tend to cause the flower 

 to develop fully; but this must be applied with 

 due caution, for the least excess of heat will not 

 only prevent the flowers from expanding fully, 

 but will render them of short duration. Such 

 as do not flower before April and May, will per- 

 fect their blooms fully by solar influence alone. 

 The summer or growing temperature may be 

 taken at from 60° to 70° ; that of winter, or the 

 season of rest, at from 33° to 40°. Notwith- 

 standing the hardiness of the camellia, and its 

 withstanding the ordinary frosts of our climate 

 with impunity when planted in the open air, it 

 is only to be found in its greatest perfection 

 when grown under glass, in a light, well-venti- 

 lated structure. As the season of flowering, 

 where a large stock is kept, does not apply to 

 eveiy plant in the collection alike, nor should it 

 do so, as it is desirable to continue the produc- 

 tion of bloom for as long a period as possible, 

 such as have done flowering should be removed 

 to a cool deep pit, and be followed by others as 

 they cease to flower. In this pit, if the frost is 

 little more than excluded, so much the better ; 

 and here they should remain, very slightly 

 watered, and as much exposed to the air as the 

 weather will permit, until every bud has started 

 into leaf. This simultaneous starting of the 

 buds is an important part of good culture, for if 

 they are kept too close and warm, the strong 

 buds toward the extremities of the branches 

 will push away, leaving those that are below 

 them, and which are the weakest, deprived of a 

 sufficient flow of sap to enable them to break at 

 all ; or if they do so, they produce shoots too 

 weak either to produce flowers or to keep up 

 the proper form of the tree. This is one of the 

 principal causes of so many camellias being 

 found divested of branches toward their bot- 

 toms. During this season of rest, the balls 

 should be examined, the drainage repaired if 

 required, and the surface-soil scraped off as deep 

 as the topmost roots, and replaced with fresh 

 material. When the buds begin to break, water 

 them more liberally at the roots, and syringe 

 occasionally over the tops, keeping the atmos- 

 phere pretty close for the accumulation of solar 

 heat, but at the same time admit fresh air in 

 the middle of every good day, that the buds be 

 not drawn up weakly. When they have begun 

 to develop their young leaves, shading during 

 bright sun must be rigidly attended to, as the 

 young expanding foliage is exceedingly liable to 

 be scorched by too much sun-heat. This treat- 

 ment should be continued for about five or six 

 weeks, of course less or more according to the 

 season, when most of them will have completed 

 their growth, when more air should be admitted, 

 but not to the extent of lowering the tempera- 

 ture too much, until their flower-buds be also 

 perfected. As soon as the young wood and 



