304 



ROOMS — CAMELLIAS. {^December. 



nutritive gas that they derive from that element^ if they are 

 in a growing state. 



Camellias, when in bud and fiower, should never be 

 allowed to become the least dry, neither confined from fresh 

 air. The effects would be that the buds would become stint- 

 ed, dry, and drop off. Therefore, to have these in perfec- 

 tion, attend strictly to watering. Give frequent airings, and 

 wash the leaves occasionally with water. Never keep them 

 in a room where there is a strong coal fire. The most of 

 Camellias will bear 3° of frost without the smallest injury, 

 so that they are easier kept than Geraniums j except when 

 they are in bloom. In that state frost will destroy the 

 flowers. The air of a close cellar is also destructive to the 

 buds. V 



The reason that the Camellia does not bloom perfectly in 

 parlors or other heated rooms is owing to their being too 

 warm and arid, destroying the vital vegetative principle of 

 the plant, and it soon perishes. There is one way in which 

 these plants can be kept perfect even in such dry places when 

 the recess in the windows is of suflacient depth as to allow 

 plants to stand within it, enclosing them from the apartment 

 by another sash : in such a situation, water could be placed, 

 which would keep the atmosphere between the windows per- 

 fectly moist. The verdure would be rich and the flowers 

 brilliant; and they would be completely protected from dust 

 — the whole would have a very pleasing effect. Attention 

 will be requisite to give them air during the mild part of the 

 day. There are several Camellias not proper for room cul- 

 ture; those which have dry brown scaly buds are to be 

 avoided, such as anemonejiora, egertonia, cleviana^ fulgenSy 

 atroruhens ; also avoid luoodsiiy chandlerii and dorsetia^ 

 as - being difiicult of expanding — they are so very full 

 of petals. Those most proper for room culture are double 

 loliitey eclipse, fimbriatay imhricatay maliflora pseonijloray 

 Landrethii, Sacco, Sai^ah Frosty WasMngton, Madonna, punc- 

 tatay speciosay variegata and incarnata. Such will be found to 

 bloom freely and fully: many others might be added, but 

 these will give an idea of those sorts that agree best with 

 room culture. We cannot conclude our subject without 

 giving our readers some hints on the effect of plants in 

 household apartments. It has been proved that the leaves 

 of plants absorb carbonic acid gas by their upper surfaces^ 



