284 
CAMELLIAS. 
standing in the open air, appeared as though they would expand 
before Christmas; in fact, the whole arrangement, in regard to a 
successional display of flowers, seemed about to be broken up 
altogether; some few specimens, not hitherto particularly forward, 
were so much affected as even to exhibit their flowers in Septem¬ 
ber ; in other instances the bloom-buds elongated, and at length 
burst into a leafy growth, and numerous cases of second shoots 
occurred, both from branches having flower-buds and those with¬ 
out. Imagining all this to proceed from the large amount of 
electricity with which at the time the atmosphere was surcharged, 
and consequently beyond remedy, I was content with merely 
observing its action, allowing the plants to remain in their respec¬ 
tive stations, without alteration, except a somewhat reduced supply 
of moisture. This state of things continued till the end of Sep¬ 
tember, when the bustle of housing the collection caused the 
Camellias to go unheeded for a fortnight, at which time, on 
looking them over, I wa® surprised to find them exactly in statu 
quo ; they had not advanced a jot, nor did they evince the least 
progress till near a month after, since when they have gone 
steadily on, resuming their respective places as correctly as could 
be wished, without retaining more than the slight traces apparent 
in the additional branches of the very extraordinary condition they 
were previously in. In the absence of all likely circumstances, I 
can attribute it to nothing but atmospheric influences, and am the 
more inclined to do so, because of the simultaneous action, both 
indoors and in the open air, which seemed to continue just so long 
as the exciting cause was present, and on its cessation, a reaction 
occurred, which brought the plants back again to their previous 
state as nearly as possible ; they had advanced immensely at an 
unnatural time, and, as might have been expected, when it ceased 
were in an exhausted state, requiring a long rest to renovate their 
strength. Whether anything advantageous in a cultural sense 
may be deduced from the circumstance I am not prepared to say, 
but it may certainly be regarded as additional evidence of the in¬ 
fluence of electricity on the vital action of the vegetable kingdom. 
While on this subject, I may, perhaps, be allowed to offer a gentle 
admonition to the young cultivator of this splendid family. The 
majority of Camellias are now in what is called “ full bud many 
will shortly be opening their flowers ; but from the increased 
