100 
THE FLORIST. 
lower part of the tree, owing, as I soon found, to the buds not wanted 
for wood having been cut away with the knife, by which practice, in 
two or three ^ears, the lower parts of the main branches were left 
without young wood on them, and what was still worse, without the 
power of forming even adventitious buds. My plan is to cut nothing 
away; every bud is allowed to grow a few joints in length, when I 
pinch out the point, leaving two or three leaves at the base, which 
includes as many joints. Those intended for filling up are selected and 
laid in when grown sufficiently long, but I am more sparing of this 
wood than many, depending on my spurs. The shoots pinched back 
may again push during the summer, when they are again closely 
stopped and result in fruit spurs, which have also generally latent 
wood buds at their base, which prevents the wood ever becoming naked 
and unproductive, which it otherwise would. By this simple method, 
mv trees are now covered with shorf spurs and small wood in place of 
the long coarse shoots which used to run up to the top of the wall in a 
season, and naked wood is now impossible. My trees have escaped 
this severe winter without suffering any bad effects that I • can see, 
whereas my neighbours all tell me the wood of their trees is blackened 
or dead. My spurs ripen sooner than the wood on longer shoots, 
as they become brown and lose their leaves earlier, hence the supe¬ 
riority of the plan in seasons like the last. My man is now getting 
into his work, and I shall in some measure place the trees in his care 
this season, allowing him no knife, except to shorten back a few long 
shoots when they have fairly broken. Yes! gardeners must learn to 
dispense with the knife in tree management, just as we have done with 
the lancet in our medical practice. 
A M.R.C.S, 
LARGE CAMELLIAS. 
Foremost among these stands the fine specimen of C. reticulata at 
Bank Grove, near Kingston-on-Thames, the residence of Byam 
Martin, Esq. This cannot measure less than 20 feet in height, and 
50 feet in circumference. It was planted out in a house devoted to 
itself some 25 years ago, and is supposed to be one of the first trees of 
the kind planted out in England. Some years as many as 4000 
flowers are said to have been produced by this plant. The back walls 
of the various plant houses here are covered with Camellias planted in 
slate boxes, and the effect which they produce is excellent, though they 
are considerably shaded by plants on stages in front. Here also may 
be seen some fine specimens, planted out, of JMonarch, Eclipse, Double 
Red and White, and many others. The next specimen remarkable 
for size to which I would direct attention is one of old Double White, 
at Sundridge Park, near Bromley, in Kent. This would make a 
good companion to the reticulata just noticed. Though a very old 
tree, it is still in excellent health, and flowers well every year. Here, 
also, may be seen some magnificent specimens of Double Red, Double 
Striped, Lady Hume’s Blush, and many other choice sorts. 
T. 
