360 On ilie Cultivation of the Camellia. 
kept in a gentle hot-bed, or kept in a cool part of the hothouse, they 
will soon become fine plants; but if any are still inclined to be of a 
straggling growth, the side shoots should be shortened. No plant bears 
the knife better than the Camellia ; and here I would recommend to 
those of your readers, who have large and ugly grown plants, to prune 
them freely, re-pot them, and then place them in a little heat of some 
kind ; and however old the wood may be v/hich is left, it will soon be 
covered with young shoots. 
The general management of the Camellia is simple and easy ; the 
chief points are to protect it from the scorching sun, and to prevent its 
roots from matting around the sides of the pot. Should it be exposed 
during the spring and summer to the influence of the sun, the deep dark 
green of its foliage soon fades, and is followed by a sickly yellow hue, 
therefore, I would recommend, that from the beginning of April to the 
middle of Septe mber, the plants should be wholly shaded from the sun, 
or at least, exposed only to the early morning sun ; — if this recom- 
mendation be once followed, it will never afterwards be neglected. 
However, in recommending that the Camellia should he protected from 
the sun, I do not advise that it should be deprived of light ; yet, it is 
worthy of remark, that even during the winter months, this plant will 
thrive in the darkest parts of the greenhouse and conservatory, 
where most others would be soon destroyed. Except, during the grow- 
ing season, when a lilieral supply of water should be given, the Catnellia 
requires to be kept rather dry ; but if the roots are allowed to becot^e 
matted, the water will run down the sides of the pot, and escape by th"^ 
hole in the bottom, without penetrating the ball of the earth, the roots 
will be impoverished, and will not imbibe a sufficiency of moisture for 
the support of the plant, and the first symptoms of this will be the sud- 
den dropping of the leaves and buds, although they may appear green 
and healthy ; the death of the patient soon follows, unless the remedy be 
instantly applied, by pruning, re-potting, and the application of artificial 
heat. 
"Some cultivators grow the Camellia chiefly in peat. Messrs Loddiges 
who have the most numerous collection of the genus, formerly used loam, 
with a little sand and peat, and they are grown in similar soil, in the 
Hammersmith Nursery. Of late, Messrs. Loddiges, find light loam alone, 
to answer as well, if not better. In the Compte de Vande's garden, at 
Bayswater, rotten dung is mixed with loam and peat. Sweet, recom- 
mends sandy loam and peat. Henderson, of Woolshall, is one of the 
most successful growers of the Camellia, in Scotland ; his compost is as 
follows, — take one part of light brown mould, one part of river sand, and 
one half-part of rotten leaves; mix them well together." — (Loudon's 
''Encyclopaedia of Plants," London, 1829.) For my own part, I agree 
with Mr. Sweet, and use about one-third peat, and two-thirds sandy 
