130 
THE FLORIST. 
V 
tlie Camellia lias charms of a much wider range, for indepen¬ 
dently of the greater variety of form and colour in the flowers of 
the Camellia, its noble growth and rich glossy foliage give it a 
character to which the Azalea has no pretensions. All who 
have been fortunate enough to have witnessed the Belgian 
exhibitions of the Camellia, or some of the private collections 
in France, although bearing evidence to the general superiority 
of English plant specimens to those of the continent, have been 
astonished at the artistic way in which their Camellias are 
managed, both in reference to training and vigorous health, 
and a visit to the continent is necessary to form an idea of what 
the Camellia is capable of becoming in the hands of a skilful 
gardener; and when arranged for effect (as they are at all their 
exhibitions after being judged), in long lines, avenues, or 
circular groups, these noble plants form altogether an assem¬ 
blage of floral beauty to which, generally speaking, English 
exhibitions are strangers. 
Now we connot see why the same excellence should not be 
attained in this country. Only let the thing be once taken in 
hand, and it would be accomplished; and now that the Horti¬ 
cultural Society is establishing spring exhibitions, and there 
is to be found a room large enough for the purpose in St. 
James’ Hall, we hope to see the Camellia occupy a prominent 
position as a spring exhibition plant. If some of our spirited 
nurserymen would only introduce and exhibit a dozen such 
specimens as may be met with almost anywhere in Belgium, 
we should have plant admirers and their gardeners mad to 
imitate them. Nor does there indeed appear any difficulty in 
the matter. The Belgian gardeners use the knife freely when 
the plant is young, which, with the encouragement given to 
produce a free growth from the first, appears all that is 
necessary for laying the foundation of these superb specimens. 
But then their plants are closely watched, the pots (in which 
during the early stages of their growth they are grown), are 
comparatively small, but the plants are carefully supplied with 
water, and also shaded from the summer sun; in fact, shade 
and moisture are the most essential elements of success in 
their culture, and are points carefully attended to on the 
continent, the natural warmth and dryness of their climate 
inducing maturity of growth and the formation of flower buds 
without the artificial heat sometimes applied (as we think 
wrongly) to effect the same purpose in this country. 
The largest continental plants are grown in square boxes 
similar to those used for the Orange, but small in comparison 
with the size of the plants. Their soil appears to be the rich 
black peat found so plentifully everywhere in Belgium, enriched 
with thoroughly decomposed manure, and we believe the 
