1054 THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. l^P^' 



tobacco liquor. Mildew sometimes attacks the heath ; but this, 

 like the cause of its appearance in all other cases, must be 

 owing to damp or stagnation of air. To remedy this evil, has 

 not always been found an easy task ; indeed, we recollect, 

 about two years ago, to have seen nearly the whole collection 

 of this family in the nursery of a cultivator, who is allowed to 

 be one of the best in the neighbourhood of London, nearly 

 destroyed by it. Free ventilation and a dry atmosphere seem 

 the basis of a certain cure, and the application of flour of 

 sulphur dusted on the plants, or put on them in form of paste, 

 may be considered as effectual in removing the evil. 



CAMELLIA. 



This very popular family, like that of Erica, Pelergoritwif 

 and Orangeve, has always the best effect when cultivated in a 

 house by themselves ; and as there are certain seasons in 

 which this genus requires a ti*eatment almost peculiar to itself, 

 their separate culture is therefore the more necessary. The 

 splendor and profusion of the blossoms of this genus do not 

 only attract our notice, considered merely as an ornamental plant, 

 but has a considerable claim on our more intimate regard, when 

 we consider it as supplying us with one of the necessaries 

 of life, and probably one of the most exhilarating and useful 

 medicines of which our Pharmacopeias can boast. From the 

 species Camellia bo/tea, vtridis, and sasanqua, are obtained 

 the well-known tea of commerce, which is imported by us from 

 China, where these three species, together with C. jajjonica, 

 grow in abundance, and in that country attain the character 

 of evergreen shrubs or low trees. From these species have 

 been originated, by cultivation, the many varieties, amounting 

 to no less than twenty-eight, as enumerated in Sweet's Hortus 

 Britafinicus, besides many others, which have either appeared 

 since the publication of that useful work, or been not alto- 

 gether definitely settled at the time ; one of the latter class. 

 Camellia japonica, var. C/iancIclarii, we have chosen for our 

 figure, named in honor of Mr. Chandelar, of the firm of Chan- 

 delar and Buckingham, successful cultivators of this genus, and 

 who have originated a collection of varieties from seeds. The 



