The food should be applied evenly, not too 
close to the main stem of the plant, and watered 
in. Maintain a one-inch mulch of peat moss or 
leaf mould to protect the surface roots from ex- 
tremes of weather, and avoid cultivating, as you 
will injure the surface feeding roots. Watering is 
very important. Remember, a plant in light soil 
will take more water than one in heavy soil, and a 
plant in the shade will require less water than one 
in semi-shade. Plants under trees require more 
water than those shaded by a building. Frequent 
syringing of the foliage to wash off grime and dust 
is very beneficial during the summer months, but 
avoid either wetting or spraying the foliage during 
the heat of the day, as sunburning will result. 
There can be no cut-and-dried rule for the water- 
ing of Camellias; they must be kept moist, but 
they will not stand an excess of water. Each 
garden will have a different water requirement, so 
you should check your own by digging down to a 
depth of several inches in the soil near your plant- 
ing bed to determine from season to season the 
amount and frequency of irrigation, and keep the 
soil moist, not sloppy wet. 
Watch winter watering, also, especially if 
ground is dry at blooming time, or during cold 
weather. All plants suffer less from freezing if 
the ground is wet. This applies especially to 
Camellias and azaleas. 
INSECTS: 
Watch plants for tea and Camellia scale. The 
tea scale is of a cottony white appearance on the 
under side of the leaves. The Camellia scale is 
brown in color and also on the under side of the 
* leaves. Both may be present at the same time. It 
isnot difficult to get rid of them if a spray job 
is thoroughly done, but i¢ must be thorough. We 
use and recommend the following spray: 
¥% Pint Super Destruxol 
1 gallon water 
Avoid spraying when temperature is above 85 
degrees, or when there is danger of freezing. Spray, 
therefore, either in April or May and in September. 
GENERAL: 
Camellias are really no harder to grow than 
any other evergreen shrub, and once their require- 
ments are known, any gardener may be assured of 
success. The plants are long-lived and enhance in 
value as they increase in size. It is well to bear in 
mind that the Camellia will in time need a fair 
amount of room; so try to allow at least four feet 
for development. Shallow-rooted annuals may be 
grown nearby, but do not mix in with a planting 
of heavy surface-rooting shrubs or trees such as 
the Privet or Ligustrums, as they will rob the 
slower-growing Camellias. Remember to keep the 
plants moist, but not wet; feed with acid fertilizer, 
and keep a peat moss or leaf mould.mulch around 
the base. 
Yours for more and better Camellias, 
LAMBERT LANDSCAPE COMPANY 

